Editorial Pa. children wait Quality preschools for working-class kids won't happen under this governor. That was the reply from State Budget Secretary Robert A. Bittenbender during a briefing on the fiscal 2002 budget that the governor proposed last week.
Research shows long-lasting benefits, particularly for children from impoverished households.
The benefits of a statewide program would extend to many middle-class children as well. Now it apparently will be left to the next governor to help Pennsylvania catch up with the states that border it. Last year, some business leaders connected the dots. They grasped the link between Pennsylvania's status as one of 10 states with no state-funded preschool and the lagging work readiness of its public school graduates. Fortunately, that may be easier than counting on the incumbent.