TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Education found about 42 percent of voluntary pre-k providers across the state are failing to properly prepare children for kindergarten.
Its why Gov. Ron Desantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran are rolling out new standards VPK providers have to meet or they could be shut down.
“A 42 percent failure rate is simply not defendable and certainly not good enough for Florida’s youngest learners,” DeSantis said in a news release. “I have asked Commissioner Corcoran to prioritize this issue and direct available funding to make enhancements. Nearly three-quarters of Florida parents rely on VPK programs to lay the academic and social foundation necessary for their children to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”
Moving forward, VPK providers will be held to higher standards.
If they don’t make the grade, they’ll have to pay the following consequences:
Corcoran said these standards will serve as a rallying cry that early learning is taken very seriously.
Nearly three-quarters of Florida parents rely on VPK programs to teach children the essentials needed before kindergarten.
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