Radnor Patch: Campaign Pushes for ‘High-Quality’ Pre-K
“Pre-K for PA is a campaign that aims to ensure that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has access to high-quality pre-kindergarten.
Last week a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations launched “Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed.” The campaign seeks to “expand access to critical, high-quality pre-k learning opportunities to ensure that all children are able to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to learn and succeed,” according to a press release.The campaign states that research finds that children with access to high quality pre-k are more likely to advance grades and have improved social skills.”
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Lehigh Valley Live: Pennsylvania nonprofits launch campaign to push for more pre-kindergarten funding
“A statewide coalition has kicked of a campaign to ensure every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has the chance to attend a high quality pre-kindergarten program.
Pre-K for PA was launched in events across the state Thursday with civic, education, business and military leaders signing on to the effort aimed at boosting pre-K offerings across the commonwealth.
Many Pennsylvania families cannot afford high quality pre-K.
Fewer than 20 percent of Pennsylvania 3- and 4-year-olds have access to publicly funded, high quality programs, said Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, one of 10 nonprofit organizations involved in the campaign.”
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Norristown Times Herald: Statewide Coalition Kicks off Effort to Expand Access to High-Quality Pre-k
“Kicking off a campaign to advocate for greater investment in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs on Thursday, a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations launched “Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed” to ensure that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to access these initiatives.
“The public funds currently available for pre-k in Pennsylvania help fewer than 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds access high-quality programs. As a result, far too many families cannot access or afford the high-quality pre-k that is so essential to their children’s success,” said Jill Michal, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.”
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WITF: Coalition seeks pre-kindergarten for all PA kids
“A new statewide coalition has formed to advocate for greater access to pre-kindergarten.
The “Pre-K for PA” campaign says children who participate in high-quality early learning programs are 44 percent more likely to graduate high school.
York Police Chief Wes Kahley is backing the campaign. He says today’s dropouts are far too often tomorrow’s criminals.
“High school drop outs are 3.5 times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested and 8 times more likely to be incarcerated,” he explains. “In fact, throughout the country, 68 percent of state prison inmates have not received a high school diploma.””
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Philadelphia Inquirer: Groups form coalition to push for early education
“Ten education advocacy groups have formed a coalition to push for more funds for early education in Pennsylvania, which currently helps less than 20 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds access high-quality programs, according to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC).
The coalition wants to “elevate the discussion about high-quality pre-K and how to make it more accessible to kids,” said Mike Race, a PPC spokesman.
In the spring, it plans to release a report on models for pre-K funding that have been successful in other states, he said.”
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