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Summer pre-K plan raises questions about resources

Concerns about willing teachers and long days have many wondering whether the the program will work.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published February 17, 2005

When Florida lawmakers approved their plan for universal prekindergarten, they included what they termed a "safety net" - a 300-hour summer program to be held in public schools.

But summer break includes a maximum of 40 days for instruction, meaning pre-K classes would have to last almost eight hours a day. That's too long for most 4-year-olds, experts say.

School districts would have to find enough teachers willing to give up their summers to work longer days than during the school year. Officials say that may be impossible.

"We're really nervous," says Maria Crosby, the school readiness director for Pasco County schools. "We're hugely concerned about it."

So are lawmakers, who are getting questions about the viability of the summer program. State Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Treasure Island, says making the program work is one of the major challenges facing the Legislature when it considers pre-K in its upcoming session.

The urgency stems from concerns that the network of private providers that will offer the bulk of pre-K instruction won't be large enough to accommodate the 150,000 students expected to sign up.

Many private providers are waiting to commit because so many questions remain about the rules and reimbursement rates. If enough private seats aren't available when the program debuts this fall, thousands of eligible 4-year-olds could come knocking on local schoolhouse doors next summer.

Under the law, their parents can expect 300 hours of instruction by certified teachers in classrooms of no more than 10 students. Instruction time does not include bathroom breaks, nap or snack time, says Department of Education spokesman MacKay Jimeson.

"It's just not feasible," Crosby says. "It would take away, I think, the intent of what the voters had in mind."

Summer vacation runs just 10 weeks, Crosby says. Take out a holiday for the Fourth of July, and most districts would have 38 to 40 days to provide the 300-hour program.

That's about eight hours of instruction a day. Most experts, including the governor's task force headed by Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, say four to six hours a day is optimal.

A lot depends on how the state defines 300 hours of instruction, says Susan Morris, Hillsborough County's school readiness supervisor.

If activities such as playing stories on tape while children rest quietly is considered instruction, she says, the problem may not be so bad.

But there are other issues.

"I'm concerned there are not going to be enough certified teachers who want to give up every day of the summer," Morris says.

Her fears are based on experience. Last year, when Hillsborough was supposed to pilot a summer pre-K program for the state, Morris found less than 20 teachers willing to do the job. She turned to neighboring districts, including Pinellas, and still came up short before the state canceled the initiative.

Many teachers use the summer to plan for the next school year, take enrichment courses, or just enjoy time off with their children, she says.

Even if enough teachers sign up, most districts have contracts that employ them for less than eight hours a day. That could require difficult negotiations.

Then there's the matter of classrooms.

"We don't have enough facilities set up to accommodate preschoolers," says Crosby, noting that 4-year-olds use different-sized furniture and require different materials than even kindergarteners.

If lawmakers don't fund the program adequately, some district leaders have said, summer pre-K could force school boards to dip into their K-12 operating budgets.

That is not acceptable, says Jim Hamilton, chief of staff for the Hillsborough school district.

"We certainly cannot divert funding from our mission," Hamilton said. "It remains to be seen if we even can afford the summer program."

[Last modified February 17, 2005, 05:45:06]