Governor shows leadership on early learning

GOV. Chris Gregoire's veto of the early-learning portion of the massive education-reform bill won't win her any new friends — quite a few supporters are now critics — but the move was smart and courageous.

It is a mistake to say the governor has let down 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in need of early-learning programs. Gregoire vetoed language in the bill that focused narrowly on low-income preschoolers. State efforts around early learning must be broader.

Nothing will be lost. Gregoire established the state Department of Early Learning and promises it will retain a focus on early learning, including broadening access and improving academic quality.

At both the federal and state level, spending and efforts on early learning are unprecedented. About $1 billion is targeted to the federal preschool program, Head Start, for the next two years. Gregoire boosted funding and enrollment for the state equivalent in 2007. This budget year, she made only incremental cuts despite one of the most challenging budgets in state history.

Other federal funds can be used for early-childhood education, including hundreds of millions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for programs that served disabled children from infancy to kindergarten age.

The recent economic-stimulus package included $13 billion for schools with large populations of children from low-income families. The money can be used to pay for early-childhood programs.

These programs are ramping up after years of being underfunded. There shouldn't be any concern that Washington state will miss out on this expansion. The governor has a reputation for follow-through, leading to a realistic expectation that she will continue the state's push to provide early-learning opportunities for every child.

The governor should be credited for a decision steeped in intellect, rather than politics. It took guts to stand in a room full of education-reform advocates and strike down a portion of their bill.

If the governor was sending any kind of message with her surprise veto, it is one that espouses leadership instead of political expediency.