Easton Express Times: Letter to the Editor: PA Budget Must Address Pre-K Programs, Day Care
As state budget talks continue, it’s important for Pennsylvania parents and taxpayers to understand what’s at stake when it comes to the early learning investments.
Right now only about one in six Pennsylvania 3- and 4-year-olds has access to a high-quality pre-k program, despite its proven benefits in preparing kids for success in kindergarten. That means more than 200,000 3- and 4-year-olds aren’t benefiting from high-quality pre-k. State leaders can shrink this number by boosting Pennsylvania’s pre-k investments in this year’s budget.
The budget talks also could impact access to high-quality child care. Child care can be expensive. Many low-income families need help to pay for it so parents can go to work and know their child is in a safe, nurturing environment. High-quality child care makes employees more reliable and productive, decreases turnover and absenteeism, and increases retention and productivity. It pays off for children, parents and employers.
Together, high-quality child care and pre-k have been proven to help prepare young learners prepare for school by building their academic and social skills. It’s an investment that pays off, but we need to invest more to get a fuller return on investment.
As Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers negotiate a state spending plan, they need to make sure these early learning investments are well represented in Pennsylvania’s budget priorities.
Tamara Hammer
Nazareth
Read the Letter to the Editor here.
Erie Times: Letter to the Editor: Legislature should back more pre-K
As a third-grade teacher in Erie, I see every day the value of high-quality prekindergarten.
I can usually spot right away which of my students had access to high-quality prekindergarten access for 3- and 4-year-old children.
The vast majority of those kids who did have access to pre-K were ready to learn when they entered kindergarten, and by the time they reached my classroom, they were socially aware and advancing academically at an appropriate pace. My students who didn’t have the advantage of attending a high-quality pre-K often need remedial work, and the achievement gap at times seems too wide for them to overcome. With some students, I find myself wondering, what if they had the same advantage as their peers? How unfair it is that they didn’t.
In the ongoing budget negotiations in Harrisburg described recently by Sen. Sean Wiley in “Why I support Wolf’s budget veto” (July 8), we don’t learn that the Legislature has proposed increasing pre-K funding by $30 million to serve another 3,500 children, while the governor wants to increase funding by $120 million to serve another 14,000.
Both are obvious improvements, but given there are still more than 200,000 Pennsylvania 3- and 4-year-olds who lack access to high-quality pre-K, we ought to be making the most aggressive investments possible to expand access.
Over the past several years, teachers have struggled to make ends meet in the classroom. It’s frustrating, but not as frustrating as when we see a bright young student’s bulb dimmed before he ever got a chance to shine. High-quality pre-K can make a difference and is proven to prepare a student for a brighter future.
I urge leaders in Harrisburg to see the light before the final act of this year’s budget saga.
Kim Lesik|Cambridge Springs
Read the Letter to the Editor here.
Bucks County Times: Letter to the Editor: Pre-k for All Children
As a parent and a teacher, I see firsthand the impact pre-K can have on a child. It may not be a silver bullet, but it’s clear from day one which children arrive in my classroom having attended high-quality pre-K and who missed out.
Early literacy, communication, and problem solving are key to success later in life but many children are denied the chance to enroll in programs that cultivate those skills.
Even in Bucks County only a small percentage of families have access to high-quality pre-K because the cost can be prohibitive.
That’s why our legislators need to make pre-K funding a top priority in this year’s state budget. The initial budget offered by the Legislature does not go far enough to expand pre-K for working families. At this rate, it would take 20 years to ensure all children have access! On the other hand, the governor’s proposal of $120 million for pre-K and early childhood education programs would be a down payment towards real progress. Other states are doing it and we should too.
Some day soon, I want to begin my year in September seeing every child ready for kindergarten, not just the lucky ones.
Colleen M Stahl,
literacy specialist
Samuel Everitt Elementary School
Pocono Record: Letter to the Editor: PA’s Children Need Quality Pre-k Care
As state budget talks continue, it is important for Pennsylvania parents and taxpayers to understand what is at stake regarding early learning investments.
Right now, only about I in 6 of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-old children has access to high quality Pre-K, despite its proven benefits in preparing children for success in Kindergarten. That means more than 200,000 of Pennsylvania’s 3 and 4-year-old children are not benefitting from high quality Pre-K. In Monroe county, there are 3,645 children, ages 3 and 4. Of those, 2,757 of them, 76%, do not have access to high quality Pre-K. State leaders can reduce this number by boosting Pennsylvania’s Pre-K investments in this year’s budget.
The budget talks also could impact access to high quality child care. Child care has become the norm for young children and it can be expensive. Many low-income families need assistance to pay for child care so parents can go to work and know their child is in a safe, nurturing environment that provides appropriate learning experiences for young children. High quality child care makes employees more reliable and productive, decreases employee turnover and absenteeism and increase employee retention and productivity. High quality child care benefits children, parents, employers and society as a whole — both now and in the future. In 2014, accredited high quality child care was available to just 11.9% of Monroe county children ages infant to four.
Together, high quality child care and Pre-K have been proven to help prepare young learners for school by building their academic and social skills. It is an investment that pays off, but we need to invest more to get a fuller return on investment.
As Governor Wolf and lawmakers negotiate a state spending plan, they need to make sure these early learning investments are well represented in Pennsylvania’s budget priorities.
Judith Locker Fanelli
President Northeastern Child Care Services
Treasure House Child Development Centers
Scranton
Scranton Times: Letter to the Editor – Fund Pre-k Programs
Editor: As state budget talks continue, Pennsylvania parents and taxpayers should understand what is at stake regarding early-learning investments.
Right now, only about one in six of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-four-year-old children has access to quality pre-kindergarten despite the proven benefits in preparing children for success in kindergarten. That means more than 200,000 of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds do not benefit from quality pre-k. State leaders can reduce this number by boosting Pennsylvania’s investments in this year’s budget.
The budget talks also could affect access to quality child care. Child care has become the norm for young children and can be expensive. Many low-income families need assistance to pay for child care so parents can go to work and know their child is in a safe, nurturing environment that provides appropriate learning experiences for young children.
Quality child care makes employees more reliable and productive, decreases employee turnover and absenteeism and increase employee retention and productivity. Quality child care benefits children, parents, employers and society as a whole — both now and in the future.
Together, quality child care and pre-k have proved to help prepare young learners for school by building their academic and social skills. It is an investment that pays off, but we need to invest more to get a fuller return on investment.
As Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers negotiate a state spending plan, they need to make sure these early learning investments are well represented in Pennsylvania’s budget priorities.
JUDITH LOCKER FANELLI
PRESIDENT, NORTHEASTERN CHILD CARE SERVICES
TREASURE HOUSE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS,
SCRANTON
Pre-K for PA Urges Leaders in Harrisburg to Negotiate a Budget that Boosts Early Learning
Harrisburg, PA (July 1)—The Pre-K for PA campaign, along with the Early Learning PA coalition, today called on leaders in Harrisburg to continue negotiating a budget that builds on the increased investment in early childhood education.
The coalition partners called the budget passed by the House and Senate on Tuesday, which included a $30 million increase, a good first step. That increase would serve about 3,500 more 3- and 4-year-olds who can benefit from high-quality pre-k programs. The campaign urged more significant investments so more children can benefit in the coming school year.
Nearly 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds – more than 200,000 children in all – don’t have access to high-quality pre-k. The campaign supports an investment of an additional $120 million in fiscal 2015-16, which would allow another 14,000 children to benefit.
The principal partners of the Pre-K for PA campaign (listed below) issued the following statement:
“Our coalition leaders understand that negotiations can be difficult, particularly when it comes to expanding investments, but we know that high-quality pre-k works and the failure to invest at a higher level will have negative impacts on many children. An investment of $120 million this coming fiscal year and in the subsequent three state budgets will set us on a path that will allow every child born today who is at-risk of school failure and some middle class kids access to high-quality pre-k.
“Our coalition members have spoken to dozens of lawmakers who have enthusiastically voiced their support for investing more in our state’s youngest learners, far too many of whom are left out of this budget. Gov. Wolf’s original budget proposal only increases access to 1 in 4 of our 3- and 4-year-olds, which is why our commitment to high-quality pre-k investments needs to be a long-term one that goes beyond a single budget year.
“We urge lawmakers and Gov. Wolf to keep in mind those children who will start kindergarten behind their peers because they missed out on the benefits high-quality pre-k provides. There are no do-overs for these children.
“We encourage Gov. Wolf and all legislative leaders to advance negotiations on behalf of each kid who would gain access to high-quality pre-k and craft a budget that adequately invests in this proven learning resource.”
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. We will not endorse nor oppose candidates, but rather we will advocate on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. For more information www.prekforpa.org.
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