Bucks County Times: Letter to the Editor: Pre-k for All Children
As a parent and a teacher, I see firsthand the impact pre-K can have on a child. It may not be a silver bullet, but it’s clear from day one which children arrive in my classroom having attended high-quality pre-K and who missed out.
Early literacy, communication, and problem solving are key to success later in life but many children are denied the chance to enroll in programs that cultivate those skills.
Even in Bucks County only a small percentage of families have access to high-quality pre-K because the cost can be prohibitive.
That’s why our legislators need to make pre-K funding a top priority in this year’s state budget. The initial budget offered by the Legislature does not go far enough to expand pre-K for working families. At this rate, it would take 20 years to ensure all children have access! On the other hand, the governor’s proposal of $120 million for pre-K and early childhood education programs would be a down payment towards real progress. Other states are doing it and we should too.
Some day soon, I want to begin my year in September seeing every child ready for kindergarten, not just the lucky ones.
Colleen M Stahl,
literacy specialist
Samuel Everitt Elementary School
