Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Is Bowie offering universal pre-k? Not exactly.

 By Mike Rauck

“There’s about to be universal pre-k in Bowie,” a Facebook user commented on a Bowie Living post about the future of the Bowie Ice Arena.  “Where’s the post about that? Spread the good news too. I’m so over this obsession with a(n) ice rink.”

 


The comment came days after Bowie Mayor Tim Adams issued a press release on his personal web page about a publicly funded pre-k program coming to Reid Temple Christian Academy in Glenn Dale. Adams described a historic pre-k partnership that will significantly expand pre-k access, “open to Prince George’s County residents, with a focus on residents of Bowie.”

Several local television stations published stories about the program.  Mayor Adams shared a WUSA Channel 9 story on his Facebook page with the headline, “Bowie first Maryland city to offer universal Pre-K.”  WJLA Channel 7 followed shortly with the headline, “One local Md. jurisdiction will be the first in the state to offer free universal Pre-K,” and it was posted to Facebook with a caption that said, “One jurisdiction will become the first in the state to offer universal Pre-K to all residents!”

News 4 Prince George's County Bureau Chief Tracee Wilkins published a very different report about a free pre-k program with 40 seats available to county residents.

 


The claims about the pre-k program were contradictory and hard to believe.  Was universal pre-k coming or was it 40 new seats?  Implementing universal pre-k would be a heavy lift at any time, and county and state budgets are currently under immense pressure.  Schools are run at the county level - not by the city. Universal pre-k hasn't been discussed at any recent city council meetings, and Adams' press release referred to a partnership with “the office of the Mayor.” Why would a school in Glenn Dale focus on Bowie residents? The reports were very confusing.

 


I reached out to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), Mayor Adams, and Reid Temple Church.  I let them know that I was writing a story to clear up the confusion created by conflicting news reports about publicly funded pre-k in Bowie.  I also reached out to City of Bowie staff.

I never heard back from Mayor Adams or Reid Temple.

I was able to determine that the news stories were related to a new pre-k program at Reid Temple Christian Academy in Glenn Dale that's offering 40 publicly funded pre-k seats to county residents for the 2020-21 school year - one class for three-year-olds and one class for four-year-olds. Eligibility for the program is based on household income or participation in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

According to MSDE, the program is a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education, Reid Temple Christian Academy, and Prince George's County Public Schools.  MSDE is providing the funding in the form of a one-year $400,000 grant made possible by state and federal funds. Reid Temple is responsible for running the program, and PGCPS has oversight responsibilities.

Funding for the program is not guaranteed for future years.

City staff told Bowie Living that the city is not part of the partnership.  The City of Bowie does not have responsibility for funding or operating schools for city residents.

The claims that Bowie is offering universal pre-k are false, and the assertion that the new Reid Temple program focuses on Bowie residents is not supported by the grant application that Reid Temple Christian Academy filed with MSDE.

Mayor Adams bears some responsibility for the misinformation. Although the mayor's press release gets many of the details about the Reid Temple program right, it exaggerates the program's links to the city.  The mayor also served as one of the primary sources for the WUSA and WJLA news stories, and he shared misleading information on his Facebook page about Bowie becoming the first city in Maryland to offer universal pre-k.

What's more concerning is that Mayor Adams announced plans to use city resources to support the expansion of the Reid Temple pre-k program to the exclusion of other area pre-k programs that have been serving city residents for decades. That's not only bad governance, but if those plans move forward, they have the potential to open the city to lawsuits.

Although the news about the 40 new pre-k seats at Reid Temple is encouraging, it must be put in the context of the broader effort to bring universal pre-k to the area.

 

What is universal pre-k?

Although the programs described as universal pre-k vary from one jurisdiction to the next, universal pre-k programs share these common characteristics:  publicly funded, free to parents, and wide-scale availability to residents.


Publicly funded pre-k in Prince George's County

Prince George's County Public Schools has a long-term goal to offer publicly funded pre-k education to all families in the county. Full implementation is difficult because it requires funding and classroom space - two things that are harder to come by in recent years.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) also has a long-term goal to make publicly-funded pre-k widely available throughout the state.  Through MSDE's Division of Early Childhood, federal and state grant money has helped fund pre-k education in school districts across Maryland.  MSDE makes these funds available through grants referred to as Pre-K Expansion Grants.

PGCPS received $3.1 million in Pre-K Expansion grants from MSDE for the 2019-2020 school year - a fraction of the program's cost.

Despite funding and resource challenges, PGCPS offers pre-k at dozens of locations throughout the county.  Both half-day and full-day programs are available.  The seats are reserved for four-year-olds with some exceptions granted to children about to turn four.  Priority is given to families falling below certain income thresholds.


Publicly funded pre-k in Bowie

PGCPS has offered pre-k at different locations in the city for years.  According to an email sent to Bowie Living from PGCPS, a total of 160 publicly funded pre-k seats are currently being offered at the following locations in the city. 

  • Chapel Forge Early Childhood Center:  80 seats; 4 classes;  serves families in school boundaries for High Bridge ES and Pointer Ridge ES
  • Northview Elementary School:  40 seats; 2 classes; serves families in school boundaries for Northview ES
  • Rockledge Elementary School:  40 seats; 2 classes;  serves families in school boundaries for Rockledge ES, Yorktown ES, Whitehall ES and Tulip Grove ES

 

Pre-K Expansion Grants for non-public schools

In an effort to access additional classroom space and other resources, the Maryland State Department of Education issues Pre-K Expansion Grants to public charter schools, approved non-public schools, community-based child care programs, Head Start programs, and even home-based child care centers. When awarding grants, MSDE tries to achieve a mix of organization types and geographic locations. 

Grants are awarded to religiously affiliated organizations, but those organizations cannot include any religious activity during the 6.5 hour portion of the school day that's funded by MSDE.

Organizations accepting MSDE Pre-K Expansion Grant money must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the local school district to define the curriculum and other details of the program.  Grantees choose from a list of approved curriculum options.


How are Pre-K Expansion Grants awarded?

In order to be considered for a Pre-K Expansion Grant, an organization must submit an application to MSDE that explains how it will meet the grant goals and must provide supporting documentation to help verify that it meets the grant requirements.  All applications are then scored by multiple reviewers using a predetermined scoring methodology.  Grantees are selected based on a combination of score, geographic location, and organization type so that MSDE can vary the locations and types of programs.

  

Eligibility for the Reid Temple Christian Academy pre-k program

The new pre-k expansion program at Reid Temple is open to three-year-old and four year-old county residents only.  Any three year-old or four year-old student in the county with an Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is eligible regardless of family income.  Students without an IEP or IFSP are only eligible if they are part of a household that has income up to 300 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines.

The Federal Poverty Guidelines vary by the number of persons in a household. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services web site, a family of four making $26,200 or less is considered to be in poverty based on 2020 guidelines.  A family of four would have to be making $78,600 or less to be eligible for the pre-k expansion program at Reid Temple.


Status of the Reid Temple program

The memorandum of understanding between PGCPS and Reid Temple Christian Academy was signed earlier this summer, and applications are now being accepted.

The City of Bowie recently shared details on how families can apply.

Implementation of the program may be affected by COVID-19 concerns, and Reid Temple should be contacted for the latest status.


Does the Reid Temple program give priority to Bowie residents?

When asked about recruiting goals in the MSDE grant application, Reid Temple stated that it intended on “reaching families in our service area,” and “increasing the number of children in our community who are ready for kindergarten,” according to an MSDE spokesperson.  There was no mention of giving priority to Bowie residents.

An MSDE spokesperson did say that if more eligible applicants apply than the program supports, Reid Temple will be choosing which students are accepted to the program.


Is the City of Bowie involved in the Reid Temple pre-k partnership?

According to Mayor Adams' press release, the partnership that brought publicly funded pre-k seats to Reid Temple includes the “office of the Mayor,” which implies that the City of Bowie is involved in the program.

Reid Temple announced on Facebook that it is partnering with Bowie, Maryland.

However, city staff told Bowie Living that the city is not involved in the Reid Temple pre-k partnership.

The City of Bowie has a council/manager form of government, and city partnerships must be approved by the city council.  Additionally, cities following the council/manager structure do not have an “office of the Mayor.

Despite some claims that the city is involved in the partnership, those reports never included what the city's responsibilities to the partnership would be.




Do Bowie residents have universal pre-k?

City residents currently have 160 publicly funded pre-k seats offered by PGCPS with limited availability based on age and household income.  Bowie residents are also eligible to apply to programs offered by the following Pre-K Expansion Grant recipients in the county.

The age groups supported by these programs may vary by location, but the eligibility requirements are the same as the Reid Temple program.

Organizations offering pre-k classes funded by Pre-K Expansion Grants may also offer pre-k classes that require payment or tuition, so it's important that applicants specify that they are interested in the free publicly funded classes when applying.

These pre-k seats represent progress by the county and state officials over time, but it's hard to imagine anyone describing the availability to Bowie residents as “universal.


A governance concern for city government

According to Mayor Adams' press release, the mayor, “has assigned Bowie City Council Member Roxy Ndebumadu, the Council’s Liaison to the Education Committee, to coordinate with Reid Temple AME, Prince George’s County Public Schools, City staff, and the Bowie community to craft a strategic multi-year plan to move RELC (Reid Early Learning Center) into City limits and expand the program’s capacity towards the goal of universal Pre-K.

Regardless of the virtues of bringing additional publicly funded pre-k seats to the city, and regardless of quality of a Reid Temple Christian Academy pre-k education, the mayor's plan is a governance concern. Without debate, council vetting, and public input, Mayor Adams' plan assumes that the best way to increase publicly funded pre-k seats in the city is to support an expansion of the Reid Temple program.

A statement was read during the Citizen Participation portion of the July 13th city council meeting from Christin Vare, the Director of the St. Matthews Early Education Center in Bowie. Vare spoke of the importance of pre-k education, and she asked the mayor and city council to please consider expanding funding collaboration with pre-k programs to include schools that have been serving the Bowie community for decades.  She mentioned Holy Trinity, St. Pius, the Children's Centre, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and St. Matthews EEC.

If the city is favoring one pre-k program over another, that decision needs to be backed up by a policy that explains what makes a pre-k program eligible for city support.  If only one pre-k program is eligible for city support, that needs to be backed up by a competitive application and review process.  Any conflicts of interest need to be disclosed, including instances where a city official is a member of a church associated with a pre-k program seeking help from the city.

Implementing the mayor's plan without a pre-k policy will create liability concerns for the Bowie.

The Maryland State Department of Education is clearly picking some programs over others when it assigns Pre-K Expansion Grants, but that process is supported by a well-defined scoring methodology and a mission to vary grant recipients geographically and by organization type.  If asked, MSDE is prepared to answer why one program is selected over another.

During the August 3rd city council meeting, Mayor Adams sought support from the council to use city resources and communication channels to publicize the application process for 40 publicly funded pre-k seats at Reid Temple.  That's obviously something that would be very helpful to some residents, and the council unanimously agreed to the mayor's motion.

What the motion didn't include, however, was instructions to city staff to publicize the application process for the 160 publicly funded pre-k seats available to city resident through PGCPS.  It seems like such a small oversight, but it illustrates the lack of a pre-k policy, possible ignorance of the existence of the PGCPS pre-k seats, and the council involving itself in a mission where it hasn't traditionally been involved.


The future of publicly funded pre-k in Bowie

The primary impediments to having universal pre-k in the city are funding and classroom space.

It's unlikely that universal pre-k could be funded by the city, so county, state, and federal dollars will continue to be needed to expand the number of pre-k seats.

The MSDE Pre-K Expansion Grants initiative and the PGCPS pre-k program are equitable with their funds, spreading the benefits across their jurisdictions.  It's unrealistic to think that either program could be used to concentrate funding in Bowie - especially when there's greater need in other parts of the county and other regions of the state.

If city officials want to play a role in publicly funded pre-k programs, they should identify pre-k funding resources, and educate residents and area preschools on how best to obtain those resources.  Having multiple and varied institutions apply for Pre-K Expansion Grants might increase the chances for more publicly funded pre-k seats in the city.

Mayor Adams deserves kudos for bringing the issue of universal pre-k to the forefront, but he needs to work closely with the council, he needs to practice good governance, and he needs to be honest with Bowie residents.


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