RE: Question 1: Pre-school support-What's in the Plan

Janice Brittain has raised the question of how preschool support will fit with other areas of the Master Plan and funding.

All areas contained in the draft Master Plan and that remain in the final version are considered to be part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve the education outcomes we desire for California students of all ages.  Preschool is a vital component of such a strategy.  The Joint Committee recognizes that a significant additional investment in education will be required to fully implement the Master Plan as currently conceived.  Because there will always be other demands for General Fund expenditures and because the economy will inevitably go through "boom and bust" cycles in the future several "rules of thumb" will likely guide the legislature's investment decisions.

*  New funding for educational activities not now receiving General Fund support will have to be phased in over time, beginning with communities whose students are served by the lowest performing schools and progressing until students in all public schools offer a comparable service.

*  Creatively using incentives to encourage businesses to also invest in education services

*  Using the Master Plan as a guide to future budget decisions that require reduction in expenditures, establishing expenditure priorities, and allocation of new resources.

The components of a quality education should be available to every student enrolled in a publicly supported education institution throughout the state, including our early child care providers.