April 26, 2005

Pre-K Update: Tennessean Urges Support; Leaves Readers Uninformed

Today's Tennessean carries an editorial endorsing the governor's plans for a new taxpayer-funded pre-k progrm, and dismisses critics of that plan in a single, condescending and false statement.

The only argument worth debating on establishing a solid pre-kindergarten in Tennessee is how to get the program running and to sustain funding once it is.

Only a few detractors argue against pre-K either because they are promoting private programs or they don't want to see the state invest the money in young students. But most Tennesseans recognize that the best way to build a strong educational system in Tennessee is to start at the bottom with strong pre-K programs.

...the legislature should have no problem with the concept. Pre-K is, after all, an investment in elementary, secondary and higher education. It's also an investment in lower crime rates, better health statistics and higher civic participation.

Educators maintain that students who get the earliest start on education have better outcomes later on in life. Few Tennesseans would argue that point.

The Tennessean has intentionally declined to inform its readers in its news pages of the existence of a study published by the non-partisan Tennessee Center for Policy Research, co-written by nationally recognized education policy expert Darcy Olsen, which reviews the performance history of pre-k programs stretching back over the last 40 years and finds that "empirical evidence suggests more early education will do little to improve children’s long-term education outcomes."

You want press bias? That's press bias. A major newspaper cheerleading for legislation in its news and opinion pages and intentionally ignoring a part of the story that conflicts with its agenda.

The editorial writers at The Tennessean compound the problem with their sideswipe today at opponents of the governor's pre-k plan, asserting - without evidence - that the only two reasons anyone in Tennessee opposes that plan are they are promoting a private pre-k plan or "they don't want to see the state invest the money in young students."

That's a slanderous lie. There are plenty of opponents of the governor's plan for universal government-funded pre-k who would gladly support a limited pre-k program focused on at-risk youth. Opposition to the governor's proposal is based on the fact that universal government-funded pre-k is expensive and does not improve academic long-term performance.

Read the TCPR study, in which the authors state this:

To the degree that the state remains involved in early education, we recommend adopting a flexible system of early education grants to cover the average cost of pre-k tuition costs for Tennessee’s most at risk four-year-olds. The current $25 million earmarked from the lottery surplus for a "down payment" on a $250-$300 million pre-k program is more than enough to provide these targeted grants to every economically disadvantaged preschooler in Tennessee not served by existing pre-k programs.

In all my years of writing about Tennessee politics, I have never seen a more egregious example of intentional media bias than the coverage of the pre-k proposal. Not even during the four-year battle over the income tax. Back then, reporters covering capital hill allowed themselves to regurgitate the pro-income tax spin without questioning it, but at least when presented a counter-argument they reported it.

Not this time.

These are the cold, hard facts: The Tennessean knows about the TCPR study. The Tennessean has chosen not to inform its readers about the study. And The Tennessean has deliberately misrepresented the viewpoint of the authors of the study and others who share their views.

Disgusting.

In the extended portion of this entry you will find links to all of my past coverage of the pre-k story. You will note, if you read it, that in one post I mention an MIT study that was encouraging to supporters of the pre-k plan and extensively excerpt a story about that study. Isn't that interesting. You get more balance from a biased blogger than from the supposedly objective newspaper.

Past pre-k coverage:
Pre-K Update: Informed Opinion
Today's Nashville City Paper editorial urges the Tennessee legislature to pass Gov. Phil Bredesen's pre-k program. The paper has yet to mention the Tennessee Center for Policy Research's excellent study showing that government-funded universal pre-k is a costly failure that...

Pro Pre-K Bias in Tennessean Story Today
Drew Johnson of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research emailed to inform me that he provided reporter Claudette Riley of The Tennessean the link to the TCPR's new study on the ineffectiveness of government-run universal Pre-K programs when she interviewed...

Pre-K Update
This report in today's Tennessean reveals that Gov. Phil Bredesen wants to increase funding for his pet Pre-K program to $150 million per year by 2010. The story quotes Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a...

Policy Analysts Give Low Marks to Bredesen's $25m Pre-K Plan
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is questioning Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's claim that state-funded universal pre-kindergarten is a good investment. The TCPR has released a study, Hard Lessons Learned: Applying 40 Years of Government Pre-K to Benefit Tennessee's Children...

UPDATE: The Knoxville News Sentinel's Thom Humphrey mentions the TCPR report in this story today. His story is better than any other so far, but not yet enough - he fails to cite data from the report, or give readers the name of the report and how to find it online.