Washington Post Reporter Michael Alison Chandler weighed in on the "pre-k as good investment" angle, after attending a forum of education advocates in Fairfax County, on the topic. Virginia is working on a new formula for matching grants that would help the county expand its pre-kindergarten offerings.

This might have been just another local story on pre-kindergarten, but Chandler added the kind of background and context that instantly improves journalism about pre-kindergarten. She noted, for example, that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine had to pare down his pre-kindergarten campaign promises due to a budget shortfall that could reach $1 billion. Chandler included statistics on how many children in the country are in a child-care setting and also noted that 32 states including Virginia have increased spending on pre-kindergarten despite the tough economic times. With a worsening economy, it's important for reporters to quantify both the need for pre-kindergarten in areas they cover as well as funding methods and costs to the taxpayer.