Sunbury Daily Item: Culver honored for dedication to early childhood education
By: Justin Strawser March 29, 2017
SUNBURY — State Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver started reading to the children at the Sunbury Children Center on Tuesday morning, but it didn’t take long for the students to hop on her lap or help the state legislator of the 108th District with the words.
The same morning at the center, Pre-K for PA presented Culver with a 2017 Pre-K Champion award for her strong commitment and ongoing support of expanded investments in early childhood education across the Commonwealth. Bruce Clash, the state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, representing the Pre-K for PA campaign, presented the award to Culver.
“Honestly, this is an honor,” said Culver, also a member of the United Way Early Learning Investment Committee (ELIC) member. “It’s such a good cause. It’s huge.”
Following the presentation, Culver read three books — “Daniel Finds a Poem,” “Chicken Little” and “Pete the Cat” — to at least a dozen children plus their teachers, parents and those who joined Culver in the presentation. The students eagerly listened, joined in on certain parts and asked the legislator questions that she happily answered.
“I like the fact that I’m learning from the children hopefully just as much as they’re learning from me reading these book to them,” Culver said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Clash was joined in presenting the award by Joanne Troutman, president and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way; United Way ELIC members Norman Rich and Art Thomas; and Patty Edwards, program manager of Northumberland County Head Start.
Pre-K For PA estimates that 84 percent of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds in the 108th district lack access to state-funded, high quality pre-k programs. To satisfy the need, 54 additional classrooms would be needed to serve more than 1,000 more kids every year. Currently throughout Pennsylvania, nearly 113,000 eligible pre-school children — or 64 percent statewide — remain unserved.
“Research is clear that pre-k can make a difference,” said Troutman. “It can reduce grade repetition, special education placements, drop out rates, and ultimately help our school districts, region and the entire state save money. That’s precisely why the United Way has been such a strong supporter of more kids having access to high quality pre-k.”
Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal for the upcoming 2017-18 fiscal year includes $65 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program and an additional $10 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. This $75 million expansion would serve approximately 8,400 additional children, according to Clash.
“These are the most at-risk kids in the community,” Edwards said. “They deserve to be on a level playing field.”
Thomas said the fight to bring early education to communities is real.
“Until early learning becomes part of the public school system, we will have an uphill battle,” Thomas said.
Read the article here.
Pre-k Students Thank Governor Wolf for $75 Million Increase for
Early Childhood Education in 2017-18 Budget
Harrisburg, PA (February 14, 2017) – Today, Governor Wolf was joined by members of the Pre-K for PA Campaign to discuss his early childhood education investments and was presented with Valentine’s Day cards from pre-kindergarten students as a sign of gratitude for his dedication to education. Over the past two years, Governor Wolf has made a new way for Pennsylvania. Instead of allowing schools to become the first casualty of our budget deficit, Governor Wolf has made them our first priority. In just three years, Governor Wolf will have increased funding by nearly two-thirds of those short-sighted cuts to our public school system.
“These children, and thousands of young people like them across the state, are counting on us in Harrisburg to have their backs – and to ensure that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs are available to them, in their communities,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “Last week, I proposed a budget that invests an additional $75 million in high-quality early childhood education programs which will allow for more than 8,400 additional children to enroll in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. When children are given this right – and have the support they need – all our lives are enriched.”
The Principal Partners of the Pre-K for PA organization lauded Governor Wolf for his commitment to expanding access to high-quality pre-k to more Pennsylvania three- and four-year-olds: “The Pre-K for PA Campaign is grateful that Governor Wolf is standing up for kids in his 2017-18 budget proposal. Serving more kids with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will reap strong cost savings in the future in the form of less public spending on special education, social welfare programs, and crime.”
Studies show that children who participate in high-quality pre-kindergarten perform better in school, graduate at higher rates and earn more throughout their working lives compared to peers that do not have access to early learning programs. Additionally, children who were previously enrolled in Pre-K Counts outperform their economically disadvantaged peers in third-grade math and reading.
Fair and increased education funding for all Pennsylvania schools continues to be one of Governor Wolf’s top priorities to ensure students are college and career ready.
The future of Pennsylvania depends on making investments in what matters most. In this year’s budget, Governor Wolf is proposing an additional $209 million increase in education funding. Our commonwealth is facing a serious budget deficit, but by reducing government bureaucracy and finding cost-savings, we can continue to invest in our children’s futures so we can make Pennsylvania stronger.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Its vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.
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Pre-K, Early Learning Advocates Urge Bi-partisan Support of 2017-18 Investment Proposal
Executive Leaders Laud Gov. Wolf’s Commitment to High-Quality Pre-K
HARRISBURG (Feb. 7, 2017)— The Pre-K for PA campaign lauded Gov. Tom Wolf’s continued commitment to expanding access to high-quality pre-k in Pennsylvania after he announced a $75 million expansion as part of his 2017-18 budget address today.
The principal partners of Pre-K for PA issued the following statement regarding this budget proposal:
“Governor Wolf, along with a large majority of legislators from both sides of the aisle, understands that continued investment in high-quality pre-k programs is an effective long-term strategy to ensure that our next generation is ready to succeed. We are gratified that he is standing up for kids in his 2017-18 budget proposal. Serving more kids with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will reap strong cost savings in the future in the form of less public spending on special education, social welfare programs and crime.
“Pre-K for PA has united a diverse collection of stakeholders across the commonwealth that are urging the governor and legislature to come together behind a budget agreement that generates enough revenue to balance the budget and makes this investment in pre-k – making 2017 the Year of the Child.”
Governor Wolf’s budget proposal included $65 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program and an additional $10 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. This $75 million expansion would serve more than 8,400 additional young children. Currently more than 112,000 eligible three- and four-year-olds do not have access to high-quality publicly funded pre-k programs.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following quotes are offered by members of the Pre-K for PA Executive Leadership Council. This executive-level group includes the commonwealth’s top leaders across business, civic, education, law enforcement and even national security sectors in regions across the state.
Joe Meterchick, Regional President for Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern New Jersey, PNC Bank
“Access to high-quality pre-kindergarten is a fundamental building block of our state’s education system and helps ensure children have the strong foundation necessary to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. As we collectively look toward our future, we encourage Pennsylvania lawmakers to prioritize a commitment to pre-k as an investment in our commonwealth.”
Nick Scott Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Scott Enterprises
“There is overwhelming evidence that when education investment begins early it helps to close the achievement gap before it is too wide and expensive to overcome. Access to quality pre-k means that children are better prepared for future learning opportunities, less likely to need special education and remedial instruction, and more likely to graduate from high school and become a valued member of the workforce. Private funding can only fill the gap so much, and I applaud legislators and Governor Wolf for prioritizing pre-k in the 2017-18 budget.”
Peter P. Brubaker, President, Hammer Creek Enterprises LLC; Commissioner PA Early Learning
Investment Commission
“When it comes to making difficult budget decisions, our leaders in Harrisburg have demonstrated bipartisan support for continued investment in high-quality pre-k programs. In the past two budget cycles, Republicans and Democrats have prioritized pre-k and provided access for more than 6,000 young children. Governor Wolf has proposed $75 million in incremental funding to serve an additional 8,400 children in 2017. I strongly encourage our leaders in the State House and Senate to support the governor’s early childhood budget and to keep the pre-k momentum going.”
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Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Our vision is to ensure that all children can enter school ready to succeed by making high-quality pre-k accessible to every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania. For more information www.prekforpa.org.
Bucks County Courier Times: Former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley and others press for more prekindergarten programs
February 1, 2017 by Chris English
Prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families are sorely lacking in Bucks County and the state, former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley and other pre-K advocates said during a press conference Wednesday morning in Upper Southampton.
Gathering at the Jolly Toddlers Early Education Center on Second Street Pike, Cawley and others said a healthy infusion of public money and other pre-K support is needed so that families who meet income guidelines can send their children to quality programs like those offered at Jolly Toddlers.
Joan Benso, president and CEO of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said research done by her group showed that 112,900 children in the state and 3,900 in Bucks County currently qualify for publicly funded pre-K but are not getting it because of a lack of state or other public funding.
Fixing that situation would mean a better future for thousands of children across the county and state, Benso and others at the press conference said.
“We are looking for a sizeable investment in pre-K in the governor’s budget address (on Tuesday) that moves us toward allocating enough public funds ($340 million) by fiscal year 2020-2021 to ensure that all eligible children have access to high quality pre-K,” she said. “It is an investment in our future.”
Cawley, who now lives in Wrightstown and is president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, said his adopted son, Nick, benefited greatly from quality pre-K programs that Cawley and his wife, Suzanne, were able to send him to.
“This is a very personal effort for me,” said Cawley of his pre-K advocacy.
“Nick was very introverted but the pre-K seems to have unlocked a future for him and he’s now a reasonably well adjusted fourth-grader at St. Andrew (Catholic School in Newtown Township),” he continued. “Nick got lucky, but we need to make sure that all kids in Pennsylvania who need it get lucky. Quality pre-K programs give children a leg up educationally and also a chance to be social, and also gives educators an early opportunity to identify anti-social behavior and deal with it.”
Bolstering pre-K programs across the state would make for more solid citizens of the future, Cawley said.
“You can either invest today or be taxed two decades down the road for things like increased corrections system and welfare costs,” he said.
Christine Matik, supervisor of curriculum and instruction for the Centennial School District, said the district’s soon-to-come full-day kindergarten program is going to be great but will be even better with better prepared students entering it from quality pre-K programs.
“All research tells us a strong early foundation sets a trajectory for success,” she said.
Benso added that “military leaders, law enforcement officials, philanthropic groups, pediatricians and many state and local lawmakers have also talked about research that shows pre-K can make a difference. It can reduce grade repetition, special education placements, dropout rates and ultimately save the commonwealth money.”
Read the full article here.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Letter to Editor: Let’s keep the momentum for pre-k in Pennsylvania
January 29, 2017 by Allen Kukovich
I was encouraged to read Mount Aloysius College president Tom Foley’s piece “Invest in the Bookends of Education” (Jan. 1 Forum). He got it right! All of the benefits correlated with access to high-quality pre-K that Mr. Foley described help explain this groundswell of support for it.
Over the past three years, I have supported an effort known as Pre-K for PA, which is urging greater state investments in high-quality prekindergarten. Statewide, 112,900 3- and 4-year-olds who qualify for publicly funded, high-quality prekindergarten are not served. That’s more than 64 percent of eligible children, according to “A Path Forward: Publicly Funded High-Quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania,” from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. This unmet need is fueling a wide array of voices supporting the goals of the campaign.
Our efforts are paying off! In the past two-years, under the shadow of a difficult political atmosphere, leaders in Harrisburg chose to prioritize pre-K by providing 6,000 more kids access.
Clearly, this is the time to keep the pre-K momentum going and help all children fulfill their promise. We believe that Gov. Tom Wolf will, once again, prioritize new investments for pre-K in his upcoming budget proposal. The Pre-K for PA movement is calling for an $85 million investment to serve an additional 10,000 children.
By uniting to make these pre-K investments a top priority, we assure that our children, families and communities reap the benefits of preparedness for school and life that Mr. Foley described. Let’s tell our leaders in Harrisburg to position access to pre-K as a top legislative priority and make 2017 the Year of the Child.
ALLEN KUKOVICH
Manor
The writer, a former member of the Pennsylvania Senate and House, is on the Pre-K for PA advisory council.
Read the Letter to the Editor here.
