In the early 1990s, as the mayor of Maui County, HI, Linda Lingle - now the state's first female governor - began addressing the needs of children, which were not being adequately addressed within the state. So, the mayor's office hired a full-time, early education consultant. Using county funds, they built new facilities for the local Head Start and expanded the program to be full day and year round. The results, says Governor Lingle, were dramatic. Pre-k became a top campaign plank in her gubernatorial election platform, and it remains a priority for her administration.

Since her days in the mayor's office, Governor Lingle has seen first hand how pre-k benefits communities. In particular she cites the support pre-k gives to parents. "It's a huge help to working women and parents on public assistance who need to get back into the workforce." She also points out that pre-k both requires and facilitates active parental involvement with children's education.

Governor Lingle is a Republican working with a predominantly Democratic legislature, but "interestingly," she says, "there wasn't much politics involved with this. In fact, I can't imagine a less political issue. The typical divisions just weren't relevant. Everyone understood why this is important." As a result, pre-k has proven one of her easier policy initiatives.

From the very beginning, the governor has looked to local children's advocates as key resources for building support for pre-k. She cites their critical importance in providing information to parents and as a "seal of approval" for families seeking high-quality providers. Additionally, she says their status as non-governmental entities is useful in engaging Hawaii businesses in the effort.

In the absence of a significant legislative battle, her role, she says, has been to convey to the public that pre-k benefits local communities and the state as a whole as well as children and families. "I like to talk about it as a good investment and also a prevention program."

Since her election in 2002, Governor Lingle has worked to fulfill her commitment to pre-k in Hawaii. The governor and legislature in collaboration have built a strong public-private partnership, involving the state's Department of Human Services, the University of Hawaii, community groups, and local businesses, in support of high-quality pre-k. As a result, a targeted program, serving underprivileged and at-risk four year olds was implemented in 2005.

In the state's 2005-2006 budget, funding for early education and care was increased by $25 million. The appropriations, drawn from state revenues and federal TANF funds, will increase access for about 3000 more Hawaii children by supporting workforce- and facilities-development efforts. Additionally, work is underway to establish statewide content standards, an endeavor that, Governor Lingle says, has been broadly embraced by educators, members of the pre-k partnerships, and parents alike.

For Governor Lingle, the goal has always been pre-k for all four year olds in Hawaii, and she believes that goal can and will be reached. The biggest hurdles will be securing the workforce and facilities necessary for a large, high-quality program. To that end, her administration is working with the University of Hawaii to develop a bachelor's-degree curriculum in early childhood and to provide accompanying scholarships.

While discussing workforce development, the governor is quick to point out that training isn't the only important piece. The state must encourage teachers to pursue early childhood specialization and childcare providers to seek training and accreditation. "We need to raise the levels of pay and professionalism for the pre-k workforce," she says, and she acknowledges that currently those levels are "substantially lower than K-12 and without the valuable union benefits."

Significant challenges remain, but Governor Lingle believes the people of her state are prepared to meet them. "I feel like we've accomplished the 'why,' and I'm very proud of our state. There's a real feeling of support."