A growing body of research confirms what most parents know instinctively: The sooner we can stimulate a child's mind, the more likely the child is to succeed in school and in life. That's what Amendment 8 on the Nov. 5 ballot is about, and why the voluntary pre-kindergarten effort is enjoying broad political support.

The amendment would require, constitutionally, that Florida offer a "high quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunity" for every 4-year-old by 2005. Pre-K would be free, and state education officials estimate that seven of every 10 children would take advantage of it. They also estimate the cost at between $425-million and $650-million a year.

The pre-K initiative was led by Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, who has young children of his own. "One of the things that really compelled me to do this was the experience that my own children had in pre-K," he said. "With William, thankfully we were able to afford to put him in a quality pre-K program, and we identified some learning issues that he had, which, thank God, he has totally overcome."

Penelas started gathering petitions after state lawmakers refused to consider a universal pre-K program on their own, and a funny thing happened along the way. Many of the same politicians are now endorsing it.

Gov. Jeb Bush, for example, signed a reorganization bill last year that eliminated all preschool standards and yanked the programs from the Department of Education and put them under, of all things, the Agency for Workforce Innovation. A legislative audit released in January was sharply critical of school readiness efforts and noted that reimbursement to school districts offering pre-K for poor students had decreased so much that five districts had stopped providing it. In August, though, Bush endorsed the ballot initiative, saying "this amendment will build upon our ongoing efforts to improve early education programs in Florida." His education secretary, Jim Horne, says the program should be shifted back to the Department of Education.

By approving this amendment, voters would be following the lead of Georgia, which also offers universal pre-kindergarten. They also would be saying to lawmakers that early learning opportunities are essential in every child's life. Amendment 8 is an easy choice. Help every child be ready for school. We strongly recommend a YES vote.

Ballot summary

Every 4-year-old child in Florida shall be offered a high quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunity by the state no later than the 2005 school year. This voluntary early childhood development and education program shall be established according to high quality standards and shall be free for all Florida 4-year-olds without taking away funds used for existing education, health and development programs.

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