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.
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.
Observer-Reporter: Editorial: Education Funding is Crime Fighting, Too
Debate in Harrisburg will soon begin in earnest to adopt a state budget for fiscal year 2015-16, and education funding will be front and center.
Among the proposals being sought by Gov. Tom Wolf is increased funding for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, an initiative that recently attracted outspoken support from some unusual kindergarten bedfellows: The law enforcement community.
District Attorneys Risa Ferman, Montgomery County; Seth Williams, Philadelphia; Jack Whelan, Delaware County; and Tom Hogan, Chester County, held a press conference April 29 to introduce a report, “We’re the Guys You Pay Later,” by the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids coalition. The report makes the case that more money is spent on jailing adult defendants than on investing in education for children. That early investment can be shown, the report argues, to change the path for at-risk children from potential criminals to productive members of society.
Looking to early education to prevent crime is gaining traction nationwide. According to the report, children who participated in high-quality preschool and parent coaching programs through Chicago’s Child-Parent Centers were found to be 20 percent less likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a felony as young adults than those who did not attend.
The benefits are evident on families as well as the enrolled children, the report states. The Chicago CPC program cut child abuse and neglect in half for the children served, compared to similar children from families not being helped.
In place since 1989, state Pre-K Counts funding has made possible early education slots for 160 children in profit and nonprofit childcare centers who have partnered with the district to ensure quality instruction, qualified teachers and a seamless integration with the district’s curriculum, PEAK Coordinator Mary Reick told Pennsylvania first lady Francis Wolf during a recent visit.
A recent grant from the Kellogg Foundation is also allowing PEAK to reach out to families as early as when children are born and to help with their needs as parents during Literacy Nights and other outreach efforts.
The study emphasizes the importance of getting to children early in life with learning opportunities. Studies have shown that in homes where parents are poor or uneducated, the vocabulary to which children are exposed differs by as much as 30 million words from the vocabulary in a home of educated, professional parents. Early education works to close some of that gap.
Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget calls for increasing funding for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts by $100 million, which will double the commonwealth’s current annual investment of $97.3 million.
Read the full editorial here.
Lancaster Online: Op-Ed: Fund Quality Pre-K in PA for Sake of National Security
Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 6:00 am
DENNIS L. BENCHOFF|SPECIAL TO LNP
When we marvel at precision-guided munitions hitting a small target from miles or even hundreds of miles away, we should note that somewhere in that chain of events are highly skilled soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines who made it happen. Just as civilian employment has become increasingly high-tech, so too has military service.
That message was the focus of a recent visit to Philadelphia by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who highlighted the troubling reality that far too few of America’s young adults now have the skills and attributes necessary for military service. He warned that with the retirement of many highly skilled service members, the nation faces a challenge in recruiting people with the high-tech abilities needed in the 21st- century armed forces.
The disturbing fact is that 72 percent of today’s young Pennsylvanians are not eligible for military service because they are too poorly educated, medically or physically unfit, or have disqualifying criminal records. These shortfalls will continue to undermine the military’s efforts to recruit high-quality individuals.
In the end, this capability gap among our youth threatens both national security and economic prosperity.
For this reason, more than 500 of my fellow retired generals, admirals and other senior military leaders have become members of Mission: Readiness — Military Leaders for Kids, in order to support targeted investments to help young Americans grow up to be educated, healthy, and fit to ensure our defense and to succeed in life.
Fortunately, this key issue is gaining traction in Harrisburg as lawmakers discuss the adequacy and effectiveness of our public education system that is in large part responsible for producing the human capital we need. Among the proposals being considered is a historic expansion of Pennsylvania’s high-quality early learning programs.
Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed increasing state funding for high-quality pre-K by $120 million; this would provide access for an additional 14,000 children.
As I maintained last week at a legislative breakfast in Lancaster, decades of research have shown this would be a sound use of taxpayer dollars.
Front-loading our education system with high-quality pre-K and other early learning programs can better prepare our children by boosting graduation rates, deterring youth from crime, and reducing obesity rates — all while providing a strong return on investment.
Read the entire op-ed here.
