“Superintendent Mark Bedell arrived Friday for his first official day on the job with Kansas City Public Schools and wasted no time making his presence known.

“Before the day was done, Bedell announced his first policy move — a seven-hour pre-kindergarten day at no cost for 1,100 Kansas City children.

“‘This is a great day for Kansas City Public Schools and for the entire Kansas City community,’ Bedell said during the announcement at the Woodland Early Learning Center. ‘We must do everything possible to make sure our children get the preparation they need to succeed in school and achieve their dreams.’

“Expanded early childhood education was a promise Bedell made during his first visits to Kansas City as a candidate for the superintendent’s job.

“‘If money was no object, I would begin educating children at the age of 2,’ Bedell had said then, and repeated Friday afternoon.”

“On his first day leading KC schools, Mark Bedell launches a full-day pre-kindergarten program,” The Kansas City Star, July 1, 2016