John Edwards for President-Edwards Praises Kaine's Pre-K Plan

Edwards Praises Kaine's Pre-K Plan

Sep 10, 2005 9:00 AM

Bob Gibson
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Sep 10, 2005

Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine campaigned on Friday with former U.S. Sen. John Edwards at a Charlottesville preschool where Edwards endorsed Kaine's plan to expand early childhood education as governor.

"It's a very smart thing to do, a very practical thing," Edwards, who directs a poverty center at the University of North Carolina, said of Kaine's proposal to provide universal access to pre-kindergarten education for 4-year-olds.

The Democrats toured the Barrett Early Learning Center on Ridge Street, where Kaine attempted to read a book to nine 3- and 4-year-olds who quickly made clear that they would rather play outside.

"You guys are harder than the Senate of Virginia to corral," Kaine said after reading several pages of "Miss Bindergarten Stays Home" to the nine who constantly interrupted with questions and exclamations until Kaine agreed they might all go to the playground.

One of three teachers with the group, Joetta Wright, said she hopes Kaine is successful in finding more funding for universal early childhood education in existing schools.

"I'm hoping we can get monies that can keep these centers open and help out parents who don't have money for child care centers and contribute to the development of our kids," said Wright, a 30-year veteran of preschool centers.

Barrett, founded in 1935 as a Great Depression-era Work Projects Administration program, is one of Virginia's oldest preschools and operates with Head Start backing to take 36 students.

"The collaboration Barrett has with Head Start works very well," Barrett Director Rebecca Perini told Kaine and Edwards.

Edwards, last year's Democratic vice presidential nominee, said the Hurricane Katrina disaster is a tragedy that the nation can use "as an opportunity to do something terribly important. We can rebuild New Orleans in a way that makes it an example for the rest of the country."

Looking very much like a Democratic presidential hopeful for 2008, Edwards told reporters, "The question is what are we going to do now. One of the things I believe we need to do is we ought to create a WPA kind of project in New Orleans. These people who've been displaced, let's put them to work. Let them work rebuilding their own city."

Edwards, 52, said the displaced poor of New Orleans could gain employment and self-respect through a government-sponsored public works project.

"Give them a decent job with decent wages," he said. "They didn't leave because they didn't have a way to leave. They didn't have a car. They didn't have a way to get out. Some of them stayed behind to protect the little bit of stuff they'd been able to accumulate over their lives."

Poverty is not just a problem in New Orleans, Edwards said. "Most of America has seen these pictures on the television and now recognize that poverty is a huge issue in America."

Edwards said governmental response to the disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi "was slow. It was indecisive." Despite that, "I think the country is responding in a very powerful and positive way."

Kaine said the Katrina disaster may even affect the Nov. 8 election for governor.

"It may change the issues that people are concerned with," Kaine said. "I certainly get more questions out on the road now about how is Virginia in our preparation."