"When I ran for governor in 2002," says Bill Richardson, "pre-k and full-day kindergarten were top campaign commitments." After securing the extended school day for his state's five year olds in 2004, Governor Richardson turned his attention to high-quality pre-k. Through the Children's Cabinet, chaired by Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Governor Richardson discussed children's educational needs with pediatricians and parents from all over the state.

Through these interactions, Governor Richardson received a great deal of sincere and valuable input from a variety of perspectives. "It is obvious to me that New Mexicans want pre-k opportunities for all four year olds, not just those who can afford it or have easy access to programs in big cities."

Governor Richardson believes New Mexico will be stronger when all its children, regardless of their background or what neighborhood they come from, have opportunities for school and life success. New Mexico ranks near the bottom on many indicators about children, and the governor considers pre-k a critical part of turning the state around and providing a brighter future for its children.

So the governor employed compelling statistics-including an estimate that about half of the test-score gap already exists by the time a student enters kindergarten-along with research indicating each $1 New Mexico invests in pre-k, will return $7 in future savings to the state, to promote his agenda. He also argued that strong public education appeals to business and brings high-wage jobs, which in turn, improves the quality of life for families and fosters economic growth for the entire state.

Still, the governor admits some in his state were skeptical. Many, he says, "wanted to wait for the full-day kindergarten results" before building a pre-k program. The division within the legislature was a highly partisan one, and the pre-k bill was in danger of stalling in committee. Governor Richardson made the decisive move of threatening a special session if the legislature recessed without voting on his bill. This risky maneuver worked, forcing an eleventh-hour vote, which, though tightly contested along party lines, resulted in passage of the New Mexico PreK Act of 2005.

Despite these hurdles, Governor Richardson's efforts paid off, and nearly 2,000 children participated in New Mexico Pre-K in the 2005-06 school year.

While the first phase is small, Governor Richardson is extremely proud of New Mexico PreK's commitment to quality. "We promised parents that New Mexico's pre-k program would meet higher standards. At the same time we promised teachers and early childhood educators that we would invest in them with professional development. We are making good on those promises." New Mexico PreK dedicates over 20 percent of its pre-k funds to professional development.

Additionally, Governor Richardson has worked to build a public-private partnership with the state's childcare community. This partnership has helped promote developmentally appropriate activities, expand the early childhood community's capacity, and support linguistically and culturally appropriate curricula. School readiness has remained a strong focus throughout the program's expansion.

Pre-k is off to an outstanding start in New Mexico. Governor Richardson has proposed full, permanent funding for the program, which will provide access to pre-k to all 24,600 four year olds in his state. He is committed to achieving this goal before the end of his tenure as governor.

In conjunction with this push to full access, the governor declared 2006 the "Year of the Child" in New Mexico. Pre-k is the centerpiece of a larger agenda to improve children's opportunities. Other initiatives include health insurance for all children under five years old and expanded physical education. "This is a good first step. But my hope, and our challenge, during the next legislative session is to fully fund pre-k so all children have an equal chance to succeed."