Robbie Sherwood and Chip Scutari
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 13, 2004 12:00 AM
Full-day kindergarten for 250 of the state's poorest schools within a year.
A new system for rating the quality of preschools. And, once again, a new book
for every first-grader in Arizona.
In her second act, Gov. Janet Napolitano wants to be known as the Education Governor, specifically, the Early Childhood Education Governor.
During her 40-minute State of the State speech Monday, Napolitano laid out an ambitious and pricey plan to stop dropouts, increase literacy and bolster the economy by improving education at its earliest levels. After the speech, the governor, a big sports fan, used a football analogy to describe her strategy.
"Last year we played defense, particularly on education," Napolitano said.
"And this year it's time to play offense. Short passes in the middle of the field. It's an investment in the future."
Although the speech focused on education, it also offered something for many others in Arizona, including senior citizens, the business community and those who attend state universities.
She hopes to start a Benefits Checkup plan to help seniors collect their share of $260 million in federal, state and private benefits.
The address revealed a much less combative Napolitano than last year's, when she angered Republican leaders by blaming them for many of the state's ills. James Kimes of Prescott Valley said Napolitano's speech instilled him with a sense of optimism.
"She cares deeply about senior citizens," Kimes, 57, said. "I don't know what else she could be doing. She is a very convincing and persuasive governor. She said there will be no new taxes. I don't know how you can argue with that."
Jim Lugo, 20, of Glendale, also liked what Napolitano said.
"One thing that stuck in my mind is her dedication for early child education," Lugo said. "All day kindergarten and offering more child care is a great idea."
However, Lugo, a student at Glendale Community College, said he would have liked Napolitano to talk about illegal immigration.
"There is a sense in Arizona that illegal immigration is a bad thing," Lugo said. "We don't seem to have a solution to the problem and so perhaps she should have provided some suggestions."
Nadine Basha, who chairs Arizona's School Readiness Board, said Napolitano's early-education push is crucial to turning around the state's dropout rate.
"If kids are struggling and not reading well by third grade, it's a predictor that they are headed for trouble," said Basha, a former teacher. "A majority of the child's brain is really developed in these early years. We pay so much attention to K-12 and universities, yet we have nothing cohesive for preschool children. We now know how critical the early years are in developing the brain."
But the Legislature's two top Republican leaders were cool to her plans for all-day kindergarten. House Speaker Jake Flake and Senate President Ken Bennett questioned not only the expense, but also the responsibility of state government to provide those programs at all.
"Both the speaker and I were a little concerned about the state taking a larger and larger role in people's lives, taking care of their children for them," said Bennett, R-Prescott.
Flake wondered whether all-day kindergarten would benefit children as much as it would parents looking for "all-day baby-sitting." He had a similar take on the need for subsidized day care.
"Where does the responsibility lie?" said Flake, R-Snowflake. "Where are the parents? Let's let them do everything they can first, and then government can step in and help."
Napolitano is focusing on five key areas: children, seniors, economic development, homeland security, and forest health and drought. And while the state is staring at a least a $350 million deficit this year, Napolitano will ask lawmakers for at least another $32 million:
• $24 million to provide child care for low-income working families, which
would reduce the waiting list of 7,000 people by half.
• $1 million to help preserve land around military bases from residential
development, a baby step toward protecting 83,000 jobs and the $5.7 billion
they generate for the local economy.
• A pay increase for state employees, their first in two years.
• Increased funding for universities and several other agencies. Her speech
lacked any specifics on how much.
Napolitano will travel to Flagstaff and Prescott today to start a statewide tour to sell her plan to the public. The first phase of Napolitano's full-day kindergarten plan will start at the 250 schools where 90 percent of students participate in the federal free or reduced-fee lunch programs. Phased in over five years, the system would cost more than $200 million over that time.
She said Arizona will build upon a "three-legged stool" of child care, all-day kindergarten and early-childhood literacy. She came up with many of her ideas after traveling to North Carolina last year to check out its successful Smart Start program of early education.
Her proposals were viewed as good news in the Glendale Elementary School District, where at least three schools could meet the qualifications for all-day kindergarten. Glendale Elementary School District Superintendent Perry Hill loves the idea.
"The faster we can get there the better," Hill said.
Glendale voters narrowly defeated a budget override in November that would have paid for full-day kindergarten at all its schools. Hill said such a program would benefit students who are learning English.
Another of Napolitano's education goals includes a reprisal of one of last year's attention-grabbing feats: a new book for every first-grader.
"Every parent and teacher should know that so long as I am governor, every first-grade child in Arizona will receive a book," she said.
She hasn't decided which book first-graders will receive this year.
Napolitano's rating system for child care and preschools will be based on North Carolina's five-star system. The approach will be based on several factors including class size, teachers with advanced degrees and the type of facilities.
"I saw what happened when we went to some of their child-care centers in North Carolina," Napolitano said. "In Arizona, we have no system by which we can inform parents about is this a good child-care system or not. Young brain development is what this is all about."
Napolitano will be coordinating the plan with private child-care providers and government agencies. She didn't, however, say how the system will be paid for or how it will be promoted to let parents know about it.
Napolitano also promised a budget plan to be released Thursday that does not increase taxes or cut vital state services.
Her speech avoided two issues that will likely dominate the early months of the session:
The debate over extending Maricopa County's half-cent transportation tax past 2005, and whether light rail should be part of the plan given to voters. And a plan to protect more than 700,000 acres of state trust land from development.
Staff reporter Elvia Diaz contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at Robbie.Sherwood@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8146.