Philadelphia Business Journal: Local business leaders call for $90M increase in pre-K funding from state
Pennsylvania businesses and military leaders are calling on state policymakers to put an additional $90 million towards quality pre-K, an investment they say will eventually help bridge a STEM workforce skills gap in the state.
Nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania eighth graders are not proficient in math and science and more than a quarter of students entering the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education require remedial education in math and English, according to STEM and Early Childhood – When Skills Take Root, a report released Friday by Mission: Readiness and ReadyNation.
The two nonprofits, with officials from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Main Line Chamber of Commerce and the African American Chamber of Commerce, said the report’s findings show Pennsylvania lawmakers must address the long-term STEM needs in the workforce.
“You don’t need a businessperson to tell you that the United States is facing changing workforce demands,” said Jim Waddington, the director of strategic marketing solutions at Lockheed Martin.
“Just take a look around,” he said. “Under the hood of your car to the hospital operating rooms to defense systems of our industry, the 21st century workforce is operating technology that one could only dream of just a generation or even a year or two ago.”
The report found more 52 percent of the state’s employers had difficulty hiring people with adequate skills, training or education – especially in technical and skilled trade jobs.
Steven Bradley, of the African-American Chamber added “economic empowerment is crucial to the growth of the African-American chamber,” pointing out the report shows African-American and Hispanic kindergartners’ math scores lag behind white and Asian children.
“Our future’s success and our nation’s technological advantage depend upon the constant supply of highly trained, highly capable technical talent,” Waddington said.
About 40,000 children between the ages of 3 and 4 live in Philadelphia, but 59 percent do not have access to publicly funded, high quality pre-K, according to Kids Count Data Center.
Efforts to correct this issue in the city are already underway as Mayor Jim Kenney signed Monday the sugary drinks tax into law, the funds of which are mostly dedicated to funding pre-K and adding more community schools.
Outside the city, thousands of other children are also in need of more quality pre-K options, according to the chambers.
In Delaware County, 77 percent of the municipality’s 13,856 children do not have access to pre-K. Eighty-three percent of Chester County’s 13,163 children, 82 percent of Bucks County’s 14,384 children and 85 percent Montgomery County’s of 19,320 children also do not have access to pre-K, according to the report.
The call by the business leaders to up the state’s pre-K funding on Friday echoes previous statements made by other officials throughout the state.
Read the full article here.
Main Line Times: Groups join to promote quality pre-K education
By Linda Stein June 20, 2016
Narberth >> A group of business leaders and retired military leaders joined with a state representative and educators at a press conference to garner support for $90 million in additional funding for quality preschool education to improve Pennsylvania children’s math and science learning.
The group cited a new report “STEM and Early Childhood—When Skills Take Root” from Mission: Readiness and ReadyNation that highlights some alarming statistics, including that 52 percent of Pennsylvania employers say they have trouble hiring people with adequate skills, training and education and 56 percent of employers expect that problem to get worse. Also, some $188.9 million is spent on retraining employees yearly in the state and 2/3 of Penn. 8th graders are not proficient in math and science. And 28 percent of students who enter the state university system need remedial courses. The rate for low income students is 40 percent.
James Waddington, director of strategic marketing solutions with Lockheed Martin and member of the PA Early Learning Investment Commission, said his corporation, and many others need people with good STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills. And with 90 percent of the human brain developing by age 5, kids can’t wait until kindergarten to learn those skills.
“The bottom line is, these investments in pre-K are investments in the future workforce,” said Waddington, noting that some 120,000 children ages 3 and 4 do not have access to pre-K in Pennsylvania.
“Our state must do better,” he said
Bernard Dagenais, president and CEO of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, said local companies need tech savvy employees and the lack of those people is a topic that often comes up. Trained workers are needed for the region to compete, he said. So they either spend money training their employees or bringing workers in from out-of-state, he said. And STEM-based jobs, such as computer science and healthcare, are expected to grow by 20 to 37 percent nationally.
Steven Bradley, chairman of the African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE, also spoke, saying it was necessary to start early to “address deficiencies.”
“The first three to five years are crucial in children’s development,” said Bradley. The young brain is building neural synapses at 700 per second.
“Social factors and lack of pre-K (leave) disadvantaged children 18 months behind at kindergarten,” said Bradley. “It’s hard for them to catch up.”
He added, “It is important that we empower our children to achieve success.”
Retired Major General Wesley Craig, former commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard, said that Mission: Readiness began when the military learned that so many young people did not have the education needed to enlist.
Some 72 percent of 17 to 24 year olds in Pennsylvania are not able to enlist because they can’t meet the military standards, he said.
“That’s a terrible, terrible thing when you think about it,” he said. “We are increasingly reliant on technology.” Craig then cited a long list of sophisticated weapons now employed, from laser-guided weapons to drones.
“It’s not your father’s tank,” Craig said.
Thomas Wilson, retired rear admiral, said that while the military provides quality childcare more children in civilian life need access to quality pre-K programs and that Pennsylvania lags behind neighboring states in this area. In Montgomery County, 85 percent of children whose families are income eligible or 6,300 children do not have access to quality pre-K, he said. Also, about 120,000 children in the state are in the same situation.
While some people question the cost, “failing to invest in these children will have a far higher long-term cost than sending them to these programs…What we can’t afford is the price tag of these children failing to reach their full potential.”
Wilson added, “Mission: Readiness is supporting the governor’s request for $90 million more for pre-K in the 2016-17 budget.”
State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-148, also spoke. She said the $90 million is “absolutely essential” and would fund pre-kindergarten for some 7,400 more children. Another 6,200 would be able to go to pre-K for a full year instead of a half year.
Democratic women in the state House wrote a letter in support and as mothers and grandmothers they know how important early childhood education is, she said.
Read the full story here.
Reading Eagle: Letter to the Editor: Pre-k Programs Need More Funding
June 18, 2016
At the Albright Early Learning Center there is a waiting list for our high-quality pre-kindergarten program. As a Pre-K provider, I see the difference high-quality preschool can have socially, emotionally and intellectually on a child, and that the number of children who do not yet have access is unacceptable.
High-quality preschool can be such an integral part of early learning, especially for those who are the greatest risk for failure later in life. Without a great start in pre-K, the education gap only widens as children get older. As a director of an early-learning facility, I know this to be true, but I’m clearly not the only one. Pre-K has support from business leaders, law enforcement, parents and both sides of the political aisle in Harrisburg. It is a testament to just how strongly Pennsylvanians feel about the importance of pre-K.
I am aware that local pre-K centers have received some additional funding from the state recently to open up more slots for students (“Celebrating pre-K funding increase,” Reading Eagle, March 19). We must find a way to invest more in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young children. The need is still so great. Let’s provide access to a high-quality education to all of Pennsylvania’s youngest learners. Let’s make it count.
Laura Heckart
Spring Township
Editor’s note: Heckart is director of the Albright Early Learning Center in Muhlenberg Township.
See the letter to the editor here.
CBS 3: Group Makes Case for Increased Funding for Pre-k Education
By Jim Melwert June 17, 2016
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Armed with a new report that ties high-quality Pre-K education to developing future STEM skills, military leaders joined members of regional business chambers to urge state lawmakers to increase funding for pre-K education in Pennsylvania.
Retired Army Major General Wes Craig oversaw the Pennsylvania National Guard. He says he joined other military leaders in advocating for better early education.
“When we became aware that some 70-percent cannot make the standards to join the United States military.”
Craig’s Mission Readiness is one of the groups behind the report on STEM and early childhood education.
“Some 90-percent of the brain development occurs before the age of five. Unfortunately, we as a society spend the least amount of publiceducation on this very young population.”
Along with Pre-K for PA, they’re asking state lawmakers to include a 90-million dollar expansion for Pre-K education in the upcoming budget, giving 7,400 more children access while allowing an additional 6,200 to go for a full school-year rather than a half-year.
The group says children who start behind, stay behind, and they don’t just disappear, instead resulting in higher costs down the road in remedial programs, and even incarceration and rehabilitation.
Listen to the coverage here.
Indiana Gazette: Letter to the Editor: Pre-K now can help prevent crime later
June 16, 2016
When it comes to fighting crime, we can pay now or pay much more later on. In Pennsylvania, we spend $2.2 billion a year on state prisons, and that doesn’t even include county jails. We can reduce that “back end” expenditure with upfront investments that help at-risk children grow up healthy and confident, away from crime and toward productive lives.
Our state budget has long validated proven crime-fighting initiatives in high-quality pre-K and evidence-based home visiting programs. The 2016-17 state budget proposal outlines growth for these two important initiatives to serve more children and families that qualify.
First is a $90 million expansion to enroll thousands more eligible children into high-quality Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental programs. In Indiana County, 58 percent of the approximately 1,480 eligible young learners do not have access to these programs.
Decades of research are clear that at-risk children who receive high-quality pre-K are more likely to succeed in school and steer clear of juvenile delinquency and crime. Expanding access to pre-K must also be accompanied by continued progress on implementing early learning workforce development practices through the Keystone STARS quality improvement initiative.
Second is a $10 million expansion to evidence-based home visiting programs in which trained health care and social work professionals help vulnerable mothers provide their children with good health, appropriate discipline, and developmental learning opportunities. Results of the programs include reduced instances of child abuse and neglect, more positive parenting, improved school readiness for the children and increased family self-sufficiency. One program has demonstrated reduced maternal crime and lower juvenile crime rates when the children are older.
Increased pre-K and targeted home visiting investments will help more children grow up to be good neighbors and good citizens and ultimately reduce taxpayer expense. I urge our legislators to support their inclusion in next year’s state budget.
Robert E. Fyock
Indiana County sheriff
