Page 35 - The Edge - Fall 2016

ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN state’s needs and determine what kinds of targeted investments
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 can be made to improve education.
Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for the governor, said
all-day kindergarten, we are literally fools,” Crow said during Ducey believes full-day kindergarten would improve third-
the panel discussion. “We won’t bear the consequences, most grade reading and other literacy metrics, which is a high
of us in this room, but our children and grandchildren in this priority for the governor. But the fate of any expanded
state will not be competitive.” kindergarten funding will depend on how much money the
Numerous GOP lawmakers expressed their support for state has to spare.
full-day kindergarten after the breakfast. But one person who Some lawmakers and other attendees said they viewed
didn’t seem convinced was Ducey, whose support, or least Ducey’s presence at the breakfast and his participation on the
whose acquiescence will be necessary for full-day kindergarten panel with Cowan, Crow and Hightower as a positive sign,
to become a reality. even if he seemed wary of the budget implications of restoring
While Cowan, Crow and Hightower extolled the virtues of all-day kindergarten.
full-day kindergarten at the Power of K breakfast, Ducey, who
sat on a panel with them, spoke more broadly about education NO POLICY PROPOSAL
and early childhood literacy. He didn’t express any specific It’s not a given that any concerted push for full-day
support for full-day kindergarten, and at times seemed to kindergarten is coming in 2017. Greater Phoenix Leadership
dampen expectations with comments about Arizona’s fiscal President Neil Giuliano said the breakfast was simply an
realities. opportunity to educate lawmakers, and said there’s no proposed
Ducey said anything that increases early childhood literacy legislation as of yet.
would be a good use of the state’s money. “I don’t think there is just yet, but I wouldn’t rule that out
“But still, not too far from my memory is the first year, and I wouldn’t rule that in,” Giuliano said.
which was the balancing of the budget, when we came out of Attorney Rodney Glassman, who helped organize the
a tremendous downturn,” Ducey said, referencing the budget breakfast, said the coalition has no long-term plans at this point.
crisis he inherited upon taking office in January 2015. “There is no policy proposal. There is no bill. The goal is
to continue to educate policymakers about
the direct correlation between investing in
“If we don’t change our mindset and realize that full-day kindergarten and literacy by the

the single most important thing is investment in third grade,” he said.
Some lawmakers, however, said they
lifelong education from the earliest possible point through a expected kindergarten to be a major issue
next session.
person’s life, including all-day kindergarten, we are literally fools. “I think there is going to be a big push
We won’t bear the consequences, for full-day kindergarten,” said Rep. Jill
Norgaard, R-Phoenix.
most of us in this room, but our children and Rep. Jay Lawrence said he’ll work for
all-day kindergarten next session, and will
grandchildren in this state will not be competitive.” propose that it be part of the fiscal year
— Arizona State University President Michael Crow 2018 budget. The Scottsdale Republican
said he thought Ducey seemed supportive
of the idea.
Ducey suggested that the onus for providing full-day Some lawmakers suggested there are multiple ways a full-day
kindergarten is on the school districts, saying, “This has to kindergarten program could be implemented. Rep. T.J. Shope,
come from our education system,” adding, “there is a better R-Coolidge, said the state could use a “tiered approach” that
way that we can focus our resources” to close the gap between focuses first on low-income students.
students in low-income and more affluent areas. Toward the Advocates will soon have another chance to make their case.
end of the breakfast, Ducey noted, “We’re already spending The State Board of Education will host a presentation on full-
49 percent of the budget on education. This is our state’s day kindergarten at its October 24 meeting. Shope plans to
priority. We should have the results, whether it’s on third- speak at the meeting about the all-day kindergarten program
grade reading, eighth-grade math, high school graduation, offered by Coolidge Unified School District, where he serves as
college graduation.” the governing board’s president.
After the breakfast, Ducey told the Arizona Capitol Times “I think there’s some optimism among legislators because
that he supports early childhood literacy, but that he also there has been kind of a steady groundswell over the last couple
supports a balanced budget. As the 2017 legislative session years to maybe do something on this,” Shope said.
nears, he said policymakers must look carefully at all of the

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