Typical Democrat. The state has no money, high taxes forcing people out of the state, and schools that do not do the job in the 12 or 13 years the already have our children. And what is the answer? That is a trick question because it is always the same if you are a liberal Democrat, raise taxes and spend more money. Whenever a government program fails the excuse is always the same, if we just had more money and more power we could do it right. Here it is more money and give us your kids for one more year, we just couldn't get the job done with K through 12.

I think Dan has a good point. We already offer 13 different grade levels, K through 12. Ad when you think about, we offer 4 more levels with all the publicly funded state colleges. That's 17 different grades of instruction. Why will adding an 18th level make a difference?

Work with what you've got. Strengthen the K program if that's what's needed. Don't add to the overhead with a pre-school program.

Disagree.
Pre-K has been proven as fundamentally important in a child's development. Programs such as these, should not be delineated as Democrat or Republican. They are addressing the defieciencies that exist in our challenged neighborhoods that allow for a more level playing field.
Spending money on worthwhile educational programs is not the problem with our State.
The problem with Malloy is that he talks last week about cutting educational spending as a way to close the budget gap---and it's obvious that he is simply maneuvering to raise taxes once again. "Oh, lets suggest cutting education as a way to close the gap. Then when there is push-back we can suggest raising taxes. We certainly cant ask the overpaid labor unions to take a cut in pay or benefits. After all, those are the people we need to get reelected. "
Im for education. For strengthening education. We need to consider the kids being brought up living on the edge and determine what steps society can take to bring them closer, in opportunity, to more affluent kids. The research shows that the introduction of kids into the school system can have a monumental effect on their attitudes going forward. If 1/3 of these 500 kids ends up more capable of learning as a result, the compound effects will more than offset the 8,000 per child that is being spent. This is a good idea--even considering our economic state.
Bring down highway construction worker hourly pay from 75 an hour to 35 an hour as other states pay.

Only two systems exist in our society for kids in high poverty areas: judicial and education. If given a choice, I would prefer funding their growth in the education system (which is more efficient and more hopeful to all of us) than the judicial.

The real solution, even more powerful than adding pre-school, is to get the parents involved, to get the parents to take more responsibility in teaching their own children. Get the parents to read and do math with their own kids for 10 minutes a day. Bingo, you will far surpass anything the state can offer in terms of enriched pre-school. (And having the parents do it is free!)

But if the parents aren't willing to put in this small amount of effort for their own children, why should the rest of us pay to have it done for them?

Tom - ignorance is not an excuse.

Try this report: http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/8015PCTS_Prison08_FINAL_2-1-1_FORWEB.pdf

It has pictures and everything. Maybe even you can read it.

Tom

YOu once again -make no sense.
On one hand you are trying to say that spending in inner city is a waste. Then you say its too much. Then.... uh oh , Tom, you forget your point, and choose just to argue mindlessly. Because now you say that crimes is less of a problem in poor areas these days than in affluent areas.
So? The conclusion must be --that spending money on the poor is having positive effects. If they spent more in ridgefield, then maybe there would be less arrests?
Now I dont expect you to follow this--because all you do is identify what is liberal and what is not--and automatically say that the liberals have it wrong.
Im conservative, but the conservatives have become too extreme. The best example of that, is you, Tom.
What happenned to moderates? Or moderation? Educating those who have it tough is exactly what we should be doing.
Paying cops 200k a year is what the Democrats do wrong.
Not every dollar spent is wrongly spent. We just have too many special interest debts that our politicians need to pay back. Thats what is wrong. Dems have to pay back unions and that is ultimately what will bankrupt us. not the banks. Not education spending. Military spending and union spending..... the respective lords of our politicians and what is causing so much financial strain.

As somebody who traveled internationally all of my life as part of my job, I saw the "blighting" effects of high taxation.....Productive people (and jobs) go where taxes are low, and opportunity is not "managed" by government employees who never created anything....As a matter of fact, Governor Malloy's efforts have hastened my own departure from Connecticut. As a member of the productive 1%, I am now a happy resident of Florida. Good luck with your early childhood ed program, Governor Malloy. Why wouldn't you fix the inner-city public schools that we already have, which are broken , BEFORE embarking on another boondoggle funded by sub-prime government debt ?

Florida will elect the Republican nominee, ABO, Anybody But Obama. Another great reason to live here , besides the sun......and the state economy will be great , if the Democrats keep their paws out of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this time, and if the Fed doesn't keep interest rates too low, too long this time....I could go on and on but basically..."greedy bankers" , AIG, Enron, WorldCom, Bernie Madoff, BP, Hurricane Katrina , etc will always "do their thing".....Their are bad people out there ...surprise, surprise ! All I want is the inept government to do its part.....But until they get SOMETHING right, don't ask me to pay any more for it.