“A coalition of education advocacy groups launched a statewide campaign Thursday to ensure every young Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to attend a strong preschool program.”
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“In the former Washington Jefferson Elementary school building, classrooms are now filled with energetic three and four year olds who are getting some early exposure to public education. The people in charge of the Altoona Area School districts learning express say these very young students take valuable lessons away from their morning or afternoon programs.
“It prepares them to be successful kindergarten students and successful students throughout their life in school. Here in pre- school they learn they can leave their family home and leave their mother and come away for a while and get back to their home, their guardian their family and be safe about it.”
Supporters of the campaign for expanded Pre-K access say only about twenty percent of Pennsylvania three and four year olds currently have access to high quality pre – k programs. That’s why they are pushing to expand existing efforts like those offered through “Begin With Us” pre school.”
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“As the “Pre-K for PA” campaign continues, the advocates plan to release reports and surveys that convey the state’s pre-kindergarten needs and propose solutions for meeting them. The campaign will suggest various financing models, for instance, and releasing a report at the end of February detailing availability gaps in preschool programs statewide.
Kevin Thomas, executive director of the Kiwanis International Pennsylvania District, noted his group has the most difficulty getting young children into preschool in Pennsylvania’s rural areas.
Pennsylvania already offers subsidized preschool for some children who come from low-income households or have special needs, with the state’s Pre-K Counts program serving 11,380 children in 62 counties in 2011-12. Less than 50,000 children enrolled in publicly funded pre-kindergarten in 2011-12, representing about 16.5 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds, state data shows.”
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“Did you send your child to PreK?
Are you planning on sending your child to PreK?
“Children in lead teacher Tessa Scherer’s Head Start class at Eagle View Elementary School in Somerset were learning
about balls on Thursday.
They were painting small balls they had made, mixing chocolate for candy balls,playing with a toy wrecking ball, floating balloons in water and building with magnetic balls.”
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