CT Gov. Lamont pushing forward with early childhood endowment plan with GOP skeptical

CT urged to consider better pay for early childhood teachers

Teacher Grismairi Amparo works with her students on a reading and writing lesson.(Rebecca Blackwell / AP)Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s ambitious goal for universal pre-K in the state should include better pay for teachers, according to a nationally known education researcher.Lamont’s proposal, the largest expansion of pre-K in the state’s history, can only be successful if qualified early childhood educators are retained, said Walter Gilliam, ex…

CT Gov. Lamont pushing forward with early childhood endowment plan with GOP skeptical

Despite federal cuts in Washington and volatility on Wall Street that will hurt state tax collections, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday that he is pushing forward with his major expansion of child care. Lamont will move ahead with $300 million in state surplus funds that will be put into an endowment fund that can continue to be used in the future as he seeks to create 20,000 new pre-school slots by 2032. While other programs could be facing curtail…

On CT universal pre-K, Lamont undeterred by economic uncertainty

Gov. Ned Lamont vowed Tuesday to preserve his $300 million universal preschool plan amid growing uncertainly surrounding the state budget, cuts to federal funding and some lawmakers’ desires to see a quicker return on the state’s investments into child care. As part of his budget proposal in February, Lamont announced his plan to invest $300 million in surplus revenue from this fiscal year into an off-budget endowment that would could be drawn f…

CT Dems Push Forward Child Care Bill with Hundreds of Millions in New Spending

House Democrats are making early childhood care and education a top priority this session, pushing through a bill (H.B. 5003) that could cost Connecticut taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.   The legislation’s proponents claim the measure would improve affordability for working families, while critics warn it comes with a massive price tag and long-term fiscal risks the state can’t afford to ignore. Despite the disagreements, the bill was…