Panel Passes Bill to Expand Pre-Kindergarten

A D.C. Council committee unanimously approved legislation that would enroll more 3- and 4-year-old children in pre-kindergarten classes and increase the rigor of the curriculum for early childhood education throughout the city.

The legislation follows a national trend to educate children earlier in an effort to prepare them for elementary school and prevent the need for special education for some children who might simply be behind their classmates.

The Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Amendment Act still needs fine-tuning, some council members said, but the Committee of the Whole, to which all 13 council members belong, approved the measure before a crowd of advocates. "This is the first hurdle," said council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D), who sponsored the legislation and has made the bill one of the main thrusts in office.

"We're absolutely thrilled," said Jesse Bailey, campaign manager for Pre-K for All DC, a group created in 2006 to back early childhood education in the District.

About 12,000 eligible children are enrolled in pre-K programs. Half of them are in traditional public or charter schools. An estimated 2,000 children are not being served, according to Pre-K for All. The legislation would cover all of them.

Current teachers and assistant teachers raised worries about academic requirements for instructors. Originally, Gray wanted teachers to have bachelor's degrees in early childhood education, child development or family studies by 2014 if they are working in programs funded through the legislation. That deadline was moved to 2017 in the draft approved by the committee yesterday.

Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) said there still seemed to be anxiety among charter schools that curriculum requirements would limit their freedom to continue alternative teaching methods. He said they believed "there's some lack of flexibility here. . . . Charter schools are all about flexibility."

Gray said there would be room for different teaching styles. Gray said the Office of the State Superintendent of Education would create the "high-quality standards" for pre-K under the legislation within 120 days of passage.

Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) said he initially avoided becoming a co-sponsor because he wanted to make sure that the legislation was about "quality" education, not just expanding what exists. But he applauded Gray for shaping the bill in a way to demand an improved curriculum and more educated instructors. "This bill goes to the heart of that issue," he said.

In other business, the council voted against Mendelson's proposal to reject a $1.1 million, 15-month lease of an evidence warehouse for the D.C. police. The city paid $264,000 last year to rent the same space at 2235 Shannon Pl. SE in Ward 8.

Several council members argued that the expense of moving, including possible litigationfrom the owner of the property, outweighed concerns about the rental rate. They also noted that the city has been paying a below-market rate for more than two decades.

The vote was 10 to 2. Mendelson and council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) dissented. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) was absent.

The lease will take effect March 29.