By Joy Resmovits
(From The Huffington Post, February 13th, 2013)
Just one day after President Barack Obama unveiled hisbig promise to America’s smallest children, both advocates and allies are raising major questions about its prognosis.
Obama proposed a major expansion of preschool for all children, but it’s unclear if he can deliver on it — especially in a climate of ever-tightening budgets. Such an ambitious plan would have to clear a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, and would also have to make up for the effects of a likely sequestration that would cut into domestic spending, including education.
“He presented a vision for an ideal federal policy,” said Charles Barone, the legislative director for Democrats for Education Reform, who spent years on the Hill crafting education bills. “But it’s hard to see it happening.”
Sara Mead, an early education analyst at Bellwether Education Partners, has similar doubts. “There’s a big challenge to significantly increase spending on early childhood programs in the current fiscal climate,” she said.
Read the full post here.