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Despite the uncertain future of 3K, it’s clear that universal pre-K is here to stay in New York. And several of the candidates queueing up to take on Adams in 2025 appear eager to build on that legacy. When Bailin recently unveiled a five-year plan to first establish universal 3K for good and then move down to universal free care for the city’s toddlers and infants, four of Adams’s challengers were in attendance, ready to offer their praise. State Senator Jessica Ramos has put universal child care at the heart of her campaign, and even a more centrist newcomer to the race, Michael Blake, supports the idea. If one of them succeeds in toppling Adams, they would do well to learn the lesson that the best way to get it accomplished is to put relentless pressure on Albany, make it universal, and sprint toward it with every ounce of energy they have.
It’s a lesson Democratic lawmakers outside of the city can learn, too. Voters rewarded de Blasio with a second term after he gave them a groundbreaking public good they could actually use.
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