Erie Recognizes the Importance of Pre-K in PA
At a regional legislative breakfast in Erie, PA on May 28th, Major General (Ret.) Michael E. Dunlavey – a member of Mission: Readiness – Military Leaders for Kids, a national nonprofit organization of more than 500 retired generals and admirals touted the need to expand pre-k as part of an effort to better prepare our workforce, particularly in the armed services, which is reporting fewer graduates are ineligible to join. The breakfast featured state legislators, local business and community leaders who are working together to advocate for expanded access to pre-k for the thousands of un-served kids in Erie County.
The event received a variety of press including this video from YourErie.com:
Erie Times ran an article Retired General Supports Pre-K Effort in Pennsylvania
Senior Judge Michael Dunlavey, a retired two-star general in the U.S. Army Reserve, said access to early childhood education is connected to the nation’s ability to protect and defend itself.
“We can’t defend America if we don’t have young men and women who are going to be able to lead us through the 21st century,” Dunlavey said Thursday.
In a message aimed at legislators, Dunlavey said, “You have not only the opportunity but the duty to fund these programs. It will save the lives of our children.”
State Sen. Sean Wiley, one of several local legislators who attended the event at the Ambassador Center, said the benefits of investing in pre-K far outweigh the cost of those programs.
“It is no longer an option to do nothing,” said Wiley, D-49th Dist.
Pre-K access is directly tied to economic success, said state Rep. Florindo Fabrizio, D-2nd Dist.
“The social ills of this country could be eradicated by good education,” Fabrizio said. “With quality education comes economic success.”
The issue has drawn bipartisan support, including from state Rep. Curt Sonney, of Harborcreek Township, R-4th Dist. The family structure has changed over the years, making access to quality pre-K necessary, he said.
Read the full article here.
York Dispatch: Op-Ed: Wolf is Right: Invest in Pre-K Now, Not Prisons Later
By JOHN WETZEL
Acting Secretary of Corrections
At a recent budget hearing, a senator asked, “If you were to advise us as to an investment that we should be making in another agency, in another part of government, that would impact what you do, change the outcome of what you do, what would you recommend?”
My answer was easy: early childhood education programs.
As I see it, every time we talk about corrections reform, it really must begin with the realization that improving the chances for children, especially those in our most disadvantaged communities, is not just a great investment financially, but our responsibility and the true answer to improving criminal justice in America.
A nonprofit, bipartisan, national anti-crime organization, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, recently released a new report documenting how Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed $120 million state funding increase for high-quality pre-kindergarten programs could boost high school graduation rates and, ultimately, reduce the number of people incarcerated in Pennsylvania. Further, the report says that investing in Pre-K now could save taxpayers more than $350 million.
The report makes the case that by the time at-risk children get to kindergarten, many are already behind in vocabulary development, as well as in pre-literacy and pre-math skills. They can also have problems with behavior and impulse control, which makes it hard to get along with other kids and teachers.
The report also cites state and national research studies showing that quality early learning programs have been proven to reduce these disadvantages and, in many cases, eliminate the need for other costly interventions.
As Fredrick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
We already know what the numbers say. High school dropouts, those from low socio-economic, high-poverty neighborhoods, and especially children of color, have a 70 percent lifetime likelihood of being locked up.
Read the full article here.
Report Shows Young Pennsylvanians Not Prepared to Serve in Military
Retired Generals Call for Better Access to High-Quality Pre-K
Erie, PA (May 28, 2015)—Major General (Ret.) Michael E. Dunlavey – a member of Mission: Readiness – Military Leaders for Kids, a national nonprofit organization of more than 500 retired generals and admirals touted the need to expand Pre-K as part of an effort to better prepare our workforce, particularly in the armed services. The regional legislative breakfast featured State Legislators, local business and community leaders who are working together to advocate for expanded access to Pre-K for the thousands of un-served kids in Erie County.
Dunlavey released the new report calling for better access to high quality pre-kindergarten for the sake of future national security. The new report documented how high-quality pre-kindergarten can help children succeed in school, stay physically fit, and avoid criminal involvement, opening the doors to college, careers and the military for those who choose to serve.
Major General Dunlavey, a former Erie County Judge, cited new Pentagon data that 72 percent of young Pennsylvanians are unable to serve in the military for three primary reasons: they are too poorly educated, they are physically unfit, or they have a criminal record. He emphasized research included in the report that quality pre-kindergarten experiences enable children to build the pre-math, pre-literacy and social skills that are vital to academic success when they begin school, making it less likely they will fall behind or eventually drop out.
“This high level of ineligibility among our youth is unacceptable as our current military involves complex technology and systems unimagined in past generations,” said General Dunlavey. “We need young men and women who can think critically, work well in teams, and make decisions under pressure. Increasing access to high-quality pre-K programs will result in more kids being prepared for college, the workforce and the military down the road.”
According to data cited in the report, more than 200,000 three- and four-year-olds lack access to high-quality pre-kindergarten in Pennsylvania, and more than 4,200 three- and four-year-olds lack access in Erie County alone.
Local legislators State Senator Sean Wiley, State Representatives Flo Fabrizio and Curt Sonney came out to the legislative breakfast in support of Pre-K for PA.
“It is our duty to engage anyone who will listen on the value of early education as the future of this commonwealth,” said State Senator Wiley.
“The social ills of this country could be eradicate by good education,” said Flo Fabrizio. “We are all on the same team and we’re going to fund this, but we have to fund it adequately. You won’t find any legislator that disagrees with Pre-K. It’s imperative that we do all we can at a young age.”
State Representatives Pat Harkins and Ryan Bizarro were unable to attend, but have been strong supporters of the Pre-K for PA campaign.
“I know that quality Pre K is the bedrock of our going forward with any education initiatives,” said Representative Pat Harkins. “Everything we do as a society is dependent on how we educate our children and statistics show that investing in the first five years of a child’s life reap huge rewards in the long run.”
“If we want to make sure Pennsylvania succeeds, we’ll give our youngest learners the tools they need to grow into confident, intelligent adults,” said Representative Ryan Bizarro. “We know that about 90 percent of brain development occurs between the time a child is born and age 5, so it only makes sense to invest more in our young students. For every dollar we put into high-quality early learning programs, we save as much as $17.
“I applaud Governor Wolf for planning to spend $120 million more on preschool for our three- and four-year-olds, helping them to learn the skills they need to stay off government assistance and out of jail, and instead become upstanding contributors to our society.”
Governor Wolf has proposed increasing funding by $120 million in the coming fiscal year so about 14,000 more Pennsylvania 3- and 4-year-olds are served by high quality pre-k.
Other major findings from the Mission: Readiness report entitled, The Military Gets It: High-quality pre-kindergarten is crucial for youth readiness and a centerpiece of the military’s child development system, include:
- One in five students nationwide and 16 percent in Pennsylvania do not graduate from high school on time.
- Of those who do graduate and try to join the military, more than 1 in 5 nationwide and 22 percent in Pennsylvania cannot score highly enough on the military’s entrance exam to be able to serve.
The report highlights studies of high-quality early education programs that show impressive education and crime prevention outcomes:
- Participants in New Jersey’s preschool program, which serves children across the state, were three-fourths of a year ahead in math and two-thirds of a year ahead in literacy when they reached the fourth and fifth grades. They were also 31 percent less likely to be in special education and 40 percent less likely to be held back in school.
- Participants in the Chicago Child-Parent Centers preschool programs, which have served over 100,000 at-risk children, were 29 percent more likely to have graduated from high school, and those who were left out of the program were 70 percent more likely than participants to have been arrested for a violent crime by age 18.
Mission: Readiness is the nonpartisan national security organization of more than 500 retired generals and admirals calling for smart investments in America’s children. It operates under the umbrella of the nonprofit Council for a Strong America. For more information www.missionreadiness.org.
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 that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k For more information www.prekforpa.org.
South Central PA Law Enforcement Leaders / PA Corrections Secretary Wetzel: “We’re The Guys You Pay Later”
Camp Hill, PA (May 26, 2015) – South central Pennsylvania prosecutors and other law enforcement leaders who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids were hosted by PA Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel at State Corrections Institution (SCI) Camp Hill today to release a report – We’re The Guys You Pay Later – that shows how Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed $120 million state funding increase for early childhood education can boost high school graduation rates, reduce the number of people who are incarcerated in Pennsylvania, and eventually lead to $350 million in Corrections and other cost savings for the Commonwealth every year.
Cumberland County District Attorney David J. Freed, Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico, Jr., Lebanon County District Attorney David J. Arnold, and Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch all spoke at the event. They were also joined by Chambersburg Police Chief David J. Arnold and Franklin County Sheriff Dane M. Anthony.
The law enforcement leaders urged state lawmakers to prioritize expanded funding for high-quality pre-kindergarten to reduce the unmet need in south central Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth. Currently, more than 200,000 out of 296,000 3- and 4-year-olds in Pennsylvania lack access to high quality pre-k every year.
This event received statewide coverage:
Watch video of Gov. Wolf speaking at the event.
Harrisburg Patriot-News: “Midstate prosecutors stand with Gov. Tom Wolf for higher pre-k spending”
“A group of midstate prosecutors Tuesday endorsed Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to nearly double the state’s pool of money to increase enrollment by low-income children in pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs… The prosecutors, appearing with Wolf and State Corrections Secretary John Wetzel outside the main gate of State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, bolstered their arguments with results from national studies showing that investing money in early education now saves more dollars in avoided criminal justice and social welfare costs down the road… Applying the national studies to Pennsylvania, Wolf’s proposed $256 million investment could return the state more than $1.7 billion over the lifetime of the children served.” Read the entire article.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Governor ties early childhood education to crime prevention”
“Mr. Wolf, along with state Corrections Secretary John Wetzel and others, noted a report released from the organization ‘Fight Crime: Invest in Kids’ that says more pre-kindergarten programs would boost high school graduation rates and reduce the number of people in prison… According to the report, the $120 million spending increase for early childhood education included in Mr. Wolf’s budget proposal would eventually save the state $350 million in prison spending each year.” Read the full article.
Allentown Morning Call: “PA Gov. Tom Wolf goes to prison to tout preschool funding”
“The Fight Crime: Invest in Kids report also used parameters established by the Washington Legislature’s research unit to conclude that Wolf’s preschool budget would save taxpayers an average of $26,000 for each newly served child. Those savings would be had by reduced spending in special education, grade retention during the child’s school-age years and by keeping the children off welfare and prison rolls as they move into adulthood. The savings would add up to $364 million if all the newly served children lived to be 65, the report found. ‘This is not soft on crime, this is smart on crime,’ said Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch, a Republican… ‘I can’t think of a better investment and a better reason for us to be joined here by district attorneys, by law enforcement and by the governor himself right outside one of our prisons to really highlight the connections that we have to have the courage to invest today to pay off tomorrow,’ said [Acting Secretary of the Department of Corrections John] Wetzel.” Read the full article.
Newsworks: “GOP prosecutors bolster Wolf’s case for more Pa. pre-K funding”
“Several district attorneys in Pennsylvania are standing behind Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposal to invest more money in early childhood education. Four Republican district attorneys and the Democratic governor appeared Tuesday at Camp Hill prison to urge lawmakers to allocate more funding in pre-K programs. The investment, they said, would boost high school graduation rates and reduce the number of people in prison. All of that would save money.” Read the full article.
Chambersburg Public Opinion: “Law enforcement: Pay for pre-K now, or pay us more later”
“Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel on Tuesday hosted an event urging state lawmakers to expand funding for high-quality pre-kindergarten in expectations of curtailing future crime and costs…. ‘I feel we need to do all we can to give kids the best chance to do well in school,’ [Chambersburg Police Chief David] Arnold said, ‘Education is the great equalizer. If a kid does poorly in school and does not get at least a high school education his future is severely limited and crime becomes a viable option. It’s much cheaper to assist the kids and their families (so they) see the value of education and provide hope and a path to a brighter future’… Gov. Tom Wolf, one of the speakers on Tuesday, has proposed spending $120 million more on preschool for three- and four-year olds.” Read the full article.
Carlisle Sentinel: “Wolf, lawmakers release report for funding of quality early education”
“Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, prosecutors and other law enforcement leaders joined together with Fight Crime: Invest in Kids at the State Corrections Institution at Camp Hill to release a report stating that investment in early childhood education will save on incarceration costs down the road… Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said as a great believer of education, he believes these programs work… Freed said there are nearly 49,000 prisoners in the state prison system, which costs taxpayers $2 billion a year, with 0.004 percent of the population consuming about 7 percent of the state budget. These ‘troubling statistics’ can start to be turned around by investing in at risk children at a young age. ‘Increasing access to pre-k will lead more kids succeeding in school and save taxpayer dollars for years to come,’ Freed said… Lebanon County District Attorney David J. Arnold, and Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch echoed these comments, stating that investing in the front-end will save taxpayer dollars in the back-end.” Read the full article.
AP: “Law enforcement adds backing to Wolf’s pre-kindergarten plan”
“Gov. Tom Wolf is getting help from law enforcement officials in his push to persuade lawmakers to spend more money to raise the quality of Pennsylvania’s pre-kindergarten programs… A 2001 study by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin showed that school participation that starts at ages 3 or 4 was associated with ‘significantly higher rates of school completion by age 20, with lower rates of juvenile arrests’… Under Wolf’s plan, 14,000 more 3- and 4-year-olds would have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, which must meet guidelines for curriculum, teacher training, nutrition and class size, among other things. Currently, 56,000 Pennsylvania children attend high-quality public pre-kindergarten programs. That is 19 percent of nearly 300,000 3- and 4-year-olds in the state… New York, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia are well ahead of Pennsylvania, according to the coalition’s figures.” Read the full article.
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Wolf: Let’s pay for preschool, not prison”
“Wolf, surrounded by area district attorneys and other law enforcement officials outside the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill…cited studies that show children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are less likely to be arrested for a felony or incarcerated as young adults. Among them was a report by the national anticrime group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. It stated that Wolf’s proposed boost for early-childhood education could save the state more than $350 million over the lifetime of those children who would now be able to enroll in prekindergarten programs… The state currently spends just over $2.2 billion on corrections and probation and parole – about 8 percent of the overall budget.” Read the full article.
Bucks Courier Times: Editorial: Helping Our Kids Through Pre-K Education
Much of what is written in this space every day can be debated. But there is no debate when it comes to the importance of educating our children. These days, the lack of a good education is not just a ticket to the limited future; too often, it is a one-way ticket to nowhere.
In addition, certain research shows that the earlier a child’s formal education begins, the greater the chances that child will develop a solid foundation for all the learning that follows. We’re not talking kindergarten but pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds.
There is conflicting research that shows the benefits of this early learning are limited and have little long-term effect.
Notwithstanding that latter research, this much is intuitive: An early start is beneficial in virtually every endeavor. Thus, we recognize that pre-K education can give kids a grounding in basic literacy, language, math and particularly social/emotional skills. However, such education remains out of reach financially for almost 70 percent of Pennsylvanians. The statistics aren’t much better in Bucks and Montgomery counties. And when you talk about high-quality pre-K education that’s publicly funded, access is limited to just 8 percent of children in Bucks and 6 percent in Montco.
These are numbers from Pre-K for PA, a campaign that aims to make pre-K education not mandatory but universally available to all of the nearly 300,000 children ages 3 and 4 in Pennsylvania. And not just any pre-K education but high-quality pre-K that exposes the children to specially certified teachers and programs designed to maximize every child’s potential.
The home environment remains the chief fountain of early learning, and no type of institutionalized program can substitute for a nurturing home environment. That said, children taught only in the home can enter school lacking the ability to socialize and interact well with other children. Most children, we think, eventually will “catch up.” But social skills are an important component of child development, and teaching them is one of the stronger arguments for pre-K education.
Read the full editorial here.
