Preschool is absent from Daniels' education agenda
Experts say funding for early ed is crucial; GOP says state can't afford major push
Gov. Mitch Daniels and legislative leaders are pushing a multifaceted plan for education reform, but experts say a crucial ingredient is missing: early childhood learning.
Instead, Daniels' reform priorities, which lawmakers will debate in the coming weeks, aim to evaluate teachers and principals based on student performance, allow parents to use state tax dollars for private schools and expand school choice options.
"All of those things are helpful, but none of them by themselves has a big impact," said Steve Barnett, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
"Of all the things you could do, preschool probably has the largest