Morning Call: Make pre-K education a priority
April 12, 2018

We at Cuddle Zone are writing to recognize Sen. Pat Browne’s recent visit to our center. Sen. Browne has long supported public investment in pre-K education, and his visit is evidence that it remains a legislative priority for him.
Pennsylvania ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K. Our state is slipping in the race to expand access.
The new $40 million investment being discussed as part of the 2018-19 budget will serve 4,400 more kids, which represents progress. But what about the more than 100,000 Pennsylvania kids who will not get the opportunity to start kindergarten on par with their classmates who experienced pre-K education?
New Jersey is spending four times more per capita than Pennsylvnia, and even West Virginia, with universal access for pre-K since 2012, is way ahead of Pennsylvania. If Pennsylvania wants to compete, we have to commit to educating our kids.
We are encouraged that Sen. Browne remains committed to expanding pre-K opportunities to more children.

Michele McEllroy, owner/director of Cuddle Zone Learning Center, Allentown
Upper Saucon Township

Read the Letter to the Editor here.