Key Policymaker Support

A leading state policymaker other than the governor has made pre-k a policy priority.

Rationale: Even in states where the governor champions pre-k, other policymakers must also support the effort, and when the governor is not a pre-k advocate, other leaders become critical to generating public debate and realizing legislative success. This official may be an elected leader such as the speaker of the house or senate. Frequently, however, these leaders are behind-the-scenes operators, elected or appointed, such as the chief state school officer or director of early-childhood education. For these less-visible policymakers in particular, success depends upon party affiliation, tenure, record of legislative accomplishments, the ability to secure gubernatorial and legislative support, and the availability of funding. The Council of Chief State School Officers's "cadre of pre-k champions" is a list of such notable state education officers who are working publicly and behind the scenes to advance pre-k.

Examples: Both Louisiana and Oklahoma have achieved significant successes in pre-k funding through the work of key policymakers other than the governors. Louisiana School Superintendent Cecil Picard has worked steadily for more than three years to increase his state's pre-k funding. In 1980, Ramona Paul, now an assistant superintendent in the Oklahoma State Department of Education began working with the legislature to make crucial, technical changes to the state's school-finance laws. This behind-the-scenes work resulted in the creation of a high-quality pre-k program available to every four year old in the state. Oklahoma Representative Joe Eddins shepherded the measure through the legislature.