But Won't Add Teachers
City Aid to Expand Pre-K Classrooms

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

The Bloomberg administration is expanding universal pre-kindergarten to the city-funded day-care centers, but while the initiative will bring in needed funds, they won't be enough to hire new certified Teachers.

NEAL TEPEL: A good starting point.

Union officials praised the increase in funding, but noted that it would not be sufficient to give the pre-k Teachers in the centers salary parity with pre-k Teachers whose classes are located in the public schools.

Pays for More Classes

Union officials have been pressing the city to use the centers to add pre-k classes, since the state allocated an additional $61 million for the program this year. The city initiative should help to fill some of the empty classrooms in the centers, which directors had worried could cut centers' funding or force them to close.

"This initiative is more sensitive to union contracts," said Neal Tepel, assistant to DC 1707 Executive Director Raglan George, who represents the day-care workers. "The funding formula was reshaped and increased. It's a good starting point, but it's not enough for certified Teachers."

ANDREA ANTHONY: 'The money's not enough.'

Beginning next year, there must be one certified Teacher in every city pre-k classroom. Starting salaries for certified Teachers in the day-care centers are more than $10,000 below those in the public schools. Pay parity will be a topic of conversation when DC 1707 officials sit down at the bargaining table with city negotiators later this month. The day-care workers' contract expired on March 31.

A Standardized Rate

The joint initiative between the Department of Education and the Administration for Children's Services establishes a standard rate of $3,332 per child, in place of an individually negotiated budget process. Each center can also apply for an additional $800 per child to be used for curriculum enhancement, training, and consultants. ACS will continue to pay for the pensions and health benefits for the pre-school Teachers.

Daycare Council of New York Executive Director Andrea Anthony, who runs the membership organization for child-care providers including the ACS-funded day-care centers, said the money was an improvement but still not adequate.

"I have mixed feelings," said Ms. Anthony. "The $800 is not enough. We needed more to address the certified Teacher issue, upgrade the directors, and to bring quality to the classroom. We need to move towards parity with the Department of Education."

ACS officials said the new program would help to streamline the process for families and providers. "With this initiative, the city and its non-profit partners will achieve a more seamless and integrated early care and education system for children and families," said an ACS spokeswoman. "By having UPK and child care or Head Start integrated in one contract and serving the same children, the two programs will be more aligned with respect to standards and instruction."

ACS Eases Process

Centers can apply separately for additional money they might need to upgrade their facilities in order to serve the four-year-olds entering the program. For example, if they need to add a bathroom or knock down a wall to enlarge a room, ACS officials will examine the space and make the determination, also taking responsibility for contracting out the work. Union officials say this process will make it much easier for the centers to house the programs.

DOE officials said that the expansion into the centers will greatly help the city to use the state pre-k funding. City officials had expressed concern in the past that the state's limitation on using the funding solely for half-day pre-k slots, which run for 2-1/2 hours, would make it difficult for working parents to use the services.

The joint ACS-DOE program uses the half-day money and then adds in other child-care funding streams to provide "wrap-around" services, allowing the child to remain at the center for up to eight or 10 hours.

Proposals to house the expanded pre-k program are due on Oct. 22, and centers will be notified of awards beginning Oct. 25.