Jennifer Egmont
Director, Initiatives & Knowledge Management
Pre-k is a hot topic right now. As evidence piles up that high-quality pre-k is a wise investment with a lasting impact, it’s been the subject of high-profile op-eds in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and featured in the President’s two most recent state of the union speeches. Currently, 39 states have publicly funded pre-k, among them Pennsylvania. The good news is Pennsylvania has high-quality public programs that have been proven effective. The bad news is that public funding allows for fewer than 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds to be served.
Given the growing chorus of support on the issue and the upcoming gubernatorial and state legislative elections, there is a unique opportunity to increase access now, which is where the Pre-K for PA campaign comes in.
Last month, a statewide coalition, including the Economy League, launched the campaign at events in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. The campaign’s goal is that all children in the Commonwealth are ready to succeed in school by ensuring that every 3- and 4-year-old has access to high-quality pre-k. To achieve this, the campaign will make pre-k a key issue in the upcoming state elections. Following the elections, coalition members will work with the administration and legislature to expand access and increase the number of quality slots.
Over the past 15 years, Pennsylvania leaders have demonstrated strong support to increase the quality of and access to early learning. These efforts include the bi-partisan Early Childhood Education Caucus, made up of 125 members from the General Assembly and the Governor’s Early Learning Investment Commission, which includes more than 70 business leaders from around the state who support high-quality early childhood education. Thanks to the work of these and many other advocates, Pennsylvania has established a solid early education system that the campaign aims to build upon.
One of the most exciting and powerful aspects of the campaign is the broad base of support we have. Beyond business leaders, there are school district superintendents, law enforcement officials, and even retired military leaders making the case for investment in high-quality pre-k in Pennsylvania.
What unites these diverse groups around this issue is evidence. For business leaders, it’s evidence that high-quality pre-k is a workforce development tool. It’s the first, crucial step in building a strong, educated workforce, and a public investment with quantifiable, reliable returns. And the retired military leaders who make up Mission Readiness support the campaign for similar reasons. They need qualified men and women to serve. Currently, nearly 75 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds are not fit to serve in the armed forces due to low education levels, poor physical condition, or a criminal record. For them, expanding pre-k is an issue of national security.
For school district leadership, it’s seeing first-hand that children who arrive at school without the social-emotional and emerging literacy and math skills they need have a hard time catching up, and too often, continue to fall behind. Sadly, there is a good deal of evidence that supports these observations.
The law enforcement officials who make up the Pennsylvania chapter of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids see a pipeline of children who aren’t prepared for school, struggle academically and socially, fail to graduate from high school, and end up in the criminal justice system. The group’s recent report, I’m the Guy You Pay Later showed that increasing federal and state investment for early learning could significantly boost high school graduation rates and reduce incarceration rates in the Commonwealth, saving Pennsylvania $195 million annually.
To continue building support among these groups and new ones, the Economy League will be providing the campaign with research and analysis on economic and educational impacts, outlining policy options for expanded pre-k, and leading outreach to the local business community. As the campaign gets off the ground, we were encouraged that Governor Corbett proposed an 11.5 percent increase in public funding for quality pre-k in his budget address earlier this week. While this is good start, the campaign will be looking at options to ensure every 3 and 4-year-old has access to a high-quality program.
In the meantime, follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.
To read other posts from the World Class Greater Philadelphia blog, click here.
On February 11, the Upper Darby Board of School Directors passed the below resolution in favor of expanded state investment in high-quality pre-k:
“THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we the Upper Darby Board of School Directors, support the adoption of state funded policies that ensure every three and four year old child in Pennsylvania can access high-quality Pre-K education and as a result will more likely be ready for kindergarten, as well as academic and lifelong success.”
Public Citizens for Children and Youth’s latest Bottom Line reports on Early Care and Education in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County highlight the following discrepancies in early education in the following areas due to lack of sufficient state funding:
Montgomery County Report: Less than a third of low-and-moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. Nearly seven thousand additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
Delaware County Report: Only 37 percent of low-and-moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. About 8,500 additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
Chester County Report: Less than a quarter of low-and-moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. More than 6,000 additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
Bucks County Report: Only about a third of low and moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. More than 5,000 additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
Visit the PCCY website to view all of the Bottom Line reports.
News Clip
Campaign pushes pre-kindergarten in Pennsylvania
By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“In one room at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill, adults were kicking off a statewide campaign to seek access to high quality pre-kindergarten education for all 3- and 4-year-olds in the state.
In other rooms, 3- and 4-year-olds were living the experience at the JCC’s Early Childhood Development Center. They were reading books, playing with blocks, singing, creating art in small groups with a teacher and cleaning up after snack.”
Read the full story on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website.
- Click here to download PDF
For Immediate Release Media Contact:
David Caliguiri 412.613.7266
PITTSBURGH ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN JOINS STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO MAKE AVAILABLE HIGH QUALITY PRE-K FOR ALL OF PA’S KIDS
Pittsburgh, January 23, 2014: The Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) has joined a statewide campaign advocating for high quality pre-k for every 3 and 4 year old in Pennsylvania. Kicking off the campaign, a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations launched Pre-K for PA today at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill, a provider of high quality pre-k and at the United Way of Westmoreland County in Greensburg.
“As a provider of high quality pre-k, we are excited to be a part of the campaign and to join in today’s statewide launch of Pre-K for PA,” said Brian Schreiber, JCC Executive Director.
We know high quality pre-k works. The percentage of 4 year-olds with proficient academic and social skills more than tripled from 22 percent to 82 percent after participating in PA Pre-K Counts programs and increased more than six-fold – from 12 to 76 percent – after participating in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs in 2012-13. Pre-K is working in Pennsylvania but serves far too few children.
“The public funds available for pre-k in Pennsylvania help fewer than twenty percent of 3 and 4 year olds access high-quality programs.” “As a result, too many families cannot find or access high quality pre-k which is essential to their children’s success, stated PAEYC Executive Director, Michelle Figlar.”
The campaign aims to ensure that every child in Pennsylvania, regardless of socioeconomic background, enters kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. According to research, children with access to high quality pre-k are more likely to advance grades and have improved social skills.
“Every parent in Pennsylvania, regardless of their socioeconomic background, should be able to enroll their children in pre-k programs that prepare them for kindergarten and set them up for success later in life,” stated Dr. Curtiss Porter, Chief Education and Neighborhood Revitalization Officer, City of Pittsburgh.
To turn this vision into a reality, Pre-K for PA is initiating a broad-based campaign to engage the Commonwealth’s businesses, civic leaders, educators and parents in creating the public will for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide the leadership and resources necessary so that every parent can enroll their child in affordable, high quality Pre-K.
Pre-K for PA is a statewide collaboration led in Western PA by the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children. The coalition is joined by statewide partners including: the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children, Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Public Citizens for Children and Youth, the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Fight Crime, Invest in Kids, Mission: Readiness, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children,
Pennsylvania Head Start Association and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
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5604 Solway Street Pittsburgh PA 15217 • 412.421.3889 • www.prekforpa.org
