Chambersburg Public Opinion : Link between lack of pre-K education and crime
by Chief David J. Arnold, Chambersburg Police Department
I was shocked to read that 87 percent of Franklin County’s three- and four-year-olds do not have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. … I agree that Pennsylvania must expand access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to help them be ready for school and to become productive and law-abiding citizens.
Click here to read the full article online.
Public Opinion, Chambersburg:
Link between lack of pre-K education and crime (Letter)
“I was shocked to read that 87 percent of Franklin County’s three- and four-year-olds do not have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.
For years, I have supported investments in high-quality early education for their proven impact on improving school readiness and reducing future crime. Research clearly documents how high-quality pre-kindergarten can jump start the learning process for children, ensuring that they enter school ready to learn and have a much better chance of finishing high school.
As a police chief, I can tell you that educational failure threatens the futures of too many of our most vulnerable children. Look to the numbers: Nearly 70 percent of America’s state prison inmates fail to receive a high school diploma. Unfortunately for too many children, it is as simple as education or incarceration. By steering these children clear of crime and violence and toward positive community contributions, high-quality early learning programs can return as much as $10 in savings for every $1 invested over the long term.
I agree that Pennsylvania must expand access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs to help them be ready for school and to become productive and law-abiding citizens.”
Chief David J. Arnold, Chambersburg Police Department
See published version online.
TheTimes-Tribune.com : Close gap before it opens
by Gen. Daniel J. O’Neill and Gen. Michael A. Dunn
Only one of six of Pennsylvania’s preschool-age kids currently benefit from existing publicly funded preschool programs. In Lackawanna County, 53 percent, or more than 2,500 kids ages 3 and 4, do not have access to high-quality pre-k. This must change. This is why Mission: Readiness is supporting the Pre-K for PA Campaign – an issue education campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that affording all children the opportunity to enter school ready to succeed is the right choice and an urgent necessity.
Click here to read the full article online.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh) : High-quality pre-K
by CAROL BARONE-MARTIN
Presently available public funds help fewer than 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds to access high-quality pre-K. Far too many children are missing out on this life-changing opportunity. We are encouraged by Mayor Peduto’s work around early childhood education and hope that these efforts help to make quality pre-K available to all.
Click here to read full article online
By Diane Castelbuono, Vice President, Impact
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
At United Way, we see education as a community responsibility. It takes all of us – parents, teachers and other caring adults – to help a child succeed in school and in life.
Teachers know better than any of us that a child’s ability to arrive at school ready to learn is a key indicator of that success. And teachers know that a child who attends a high-quality pre-k program is much more likely to succeed in Kindergarten.
Research shows that students who attend high-quality pre-k are more likely to read at grade level by 3rd grade. And children who read well by 3rd grade are more likely to stay on track through the middle grades have lower drop-out rates, higher graduation rates, and an overall better chance at success later in life.*
At United Way, we believe children who are ready to read are ready to learn. This is one of the many reasons we have joined the coalition supporting Pre-K for PA, a statewide organization that advocates for access for all of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4 year olds to high-quality pre-school education.
The United Way and our supporters work hard to ensure children have every opportunity to succeed, and access to high-quality pre-k is one of the most important ways to make that vision a reality for our region’s children.
Pre-K for PA brings together a coalition of organizations from across the Commonwealth that recognize that ensuring every child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to participate in high quality preK is one of the most important things we can do for our children. — Over 1,600 individuals and organizations have already signed up to support Pre-K for PA.
Please join us in supporting Pre-K for PA: (click here for more info on how to join)
