Philly's Pre-K Program Gets Good Report Card From City Controller
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As it nears the end of its first year, Philadelphia's pre-K program gets good marks from city controller Alan Butkovitz. An audit of the program found a lot of success and a few concerns.
The controller praises the program's inclusiveness.
"They've got 2,000 3-and 4-year-old [children] in there. They've taken steps to make sure there are bi-lingual teachers," Butkovitz said. "There are accommodations for disabled children and cultural differences."
He did find flaws, though. He says the city overpaid some providers for students who never attended, and he's concerned about what will happen to providers who don't meet the program's high standards by the June deadline.
Pre-K director Julie Beamon says she's looking into the alleged overpayments and that a plan will be in place by June for sub-standard providers. She says, though, 20 providers have already moved up in quality.
"That allows over a thousand seats across the city to now be moved into quality," she said, "so we really feel like we're having a positive impact on the landscape as a whole."