WJET: PA ranks 18th out of 30 states in funding pre-k programs
January 30, 2018 by Jackie Roberts
In a study comparing 30 states, Pennsylvania is ranked 18th in investing in high-quality, publicly funded Pre-K.
“We talk about 16501 being the poorest zip code in Pennsylvania. That’s unfortunate and unacceptable and that needs to change. If we get these kids off on the right foot and a good foundation, that can change,” said Nick Scott, the vice president of Scott Enterprises.
Scott said the skills children learn in pre-k, make them stronger students and even more well-rounded employees.
He stood alongside representatives from the United Way and the Pennsylvania Partnership for Children, urging people to question public officials about their stance on funding pre-k, before election season.
Read the full article here.
York Dispatch: York-area business leaders urge candidates to support pre-K push
By Junior Gonzalez January 25, 2018
York County business leaders and child advocates this week urged candidates up and down the ballot in 2018 to make state funding for high-quality pre-K a major priority in their campaigns.
They say early education has consistently shown a return on investment for both the children and society at large.
York County Economic Alliance President and CEO Kevin Schreiber was joined Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the alliance’s downtown York City headquarters by Advancement Solutions LLC President Michael Smeltzer and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children President Joan Benso for a news conference.
They made their plea on the heels of a report published last week on pre-K funding.
According to the report, titled “Pre-K works, so why not PA?,” 64 percent of eligible children — or 112,900 3- and 4-year-olds — are not enrolled in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K.
Pennsylvania ranks 18th out of 30 states in public funding for high-quality pre-K, with $792 invested per capita, well short of neighboring states such as New York ($1,736), New Jersey ($3,227) and Maryland ($1,005).
“We’re asking every candidate, ‘What are you going to do?’” Benso said.
Schreiber said data has consistently shown a correlation between early learning and improvements in a range of settings, from academic performance to reduced crime and increased wealth.
In fact, for every dollar invested in quality pre-K, $4 is returned to the commonwealth in savings and benefits from reduced remedial education and crime, according to the report.
Unfortunately, too few children get the chance to seize the early learning opportunity under current funding, Schreiber said.
“They will enter school unprepared for everything that follows until they have too little to contribute to our community,” he said.
While Gov. Tom Wolf and elected officials on both sides of the aisle say they agree on the effectiveness of pre-K, more state assistance is needed to ensure eligible children gain access, Benso said.
How much more? About $310 million, she said.
About $85 million more in pre-K funding is needed in the next budget cycle, according to Benso, with an additional $225 million by the 2020-21 fiscal year in order to serve all children at risk of failure.
While the numbers might seem high, current funding figures simply don’t meet the demand from parents and students, she said.
“Come fall, many (early childhood learning) service providers turn families away because they simply don’t have enough public dollars to bring another child in the classroom,” Benso said.
While she said the favorability of pre-K is universal, commitments on paper from candidates have been more elusive.
So far, none of the declared Republican candidates for governor have taken a stance on early education policy, Benso noted.
As a business chief, Smeltzer said many of the traits he looks for in applicants, including problem-solving and adaptability, are among the skills reinforced in pre-K classrooms.
Read the full article here.
Bucks County Herald: Schweiker, Rendell visit Bucks to advocate for state pre-K education funding
January 24, 2018 By Jodi Spiegel Arthur
Today in Pennsylvania, just over one third of the children eligible for quality pre-kindergarten education receive it while the remaining 64 percent – 112,000 children – don’t.
“It has to change,” former Gov. Ed Rendell said in a press conference during which he and former Gov. Mark Schweiker spoke about the need for pre-K education, and for candidates running for office in Pennsylvania to make it a priority.
The two former governors, Rendell a Democrat and Schweiker a Republican, spoke at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Doylestown Jan. 17, at a press conference organized by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Pre-K for PA.
According to “Pre-K Works, So Why Not PA?” a recently released report, Pennsylvania ranks 18th out of 30 states that make an investment in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K education. That’s despite the state increasing its investment by $30 million in the current fiscal year to $225 million.
By comparison, New Jersey ranks first in high-quality, pre-K spending at $3,227 per capita for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, compared to $792 per capita for Pennsylvania.
“We’ve been at this now for 16 years, and we’re making progress,” Schweiker said of advocating for pre-K funding. Nevertheless, he added, “We can do better.”
To reach all of the children who would benefit most, the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children and Pre-K for PA say state policymakers should invest at least $85 million in the 2018-2019 fiscal year to double the expansion of the last three years and grow the investment with an additional $225 million by the 2020-2021 fiscal year to serve all at-risk children.
“It’s time for Pennsylvania’s leaders to follow two of Pennsylvania’s greatest governors and step up for pre-K,” said Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. She said Bucks County Intermediate Unit Director Mark Hoffman said the IU could serve twice as many children if it had the funding.
Schweiker and Rendell said spending money on high-quality pre-K programs pays off in terms of lower costs to educate children in grades 3 and 4 and beyond, since less remedial education is needed, and in good-paying jobs in Pennsylvania for those children when they become adults.
“This is not just some feel-good pursuit,” Schweiker said.
“To the leadership in Harrisburg,” he said, “we ask that you look closely at this.” He added that he hoped the candidates also would see the connection between providing high-quality pre-K and the future success of children and pledge their support.
“It’s not the private sector’s job,” Rendell said. “Educating our children is one of the government’s core responsibilities. There should be no child in Pennsylvania that doesn’t get high-quality pre-K education.
“The education we give our kids today determines the quality of our workforce 10-15 years down the road.”
Schweiker said he recognizes there is a strong sense of fiscal restraint and stewardship among legislators but believes they can be convinced investing in pre-K makes financial sense.
Rendell said a severance tax on natural gas drilling “would basically pay” the $200 million to $300 million for pre-K education for the children who are not currently receiving it. “I propose we pass a severance tax and put 100 percent toward pre-K education,” he added.
“People don’t care about raising taxes if they get something for it,” Rendell said.
“It’s time to elect people who have the courage to invest in things that are important to us.”
Read the article here.
Reading Eagle: Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker push pre-K programs
January 20, 2018
Two former Pennsylvania governors – from two different parties – are urging candidates running for office to support strong pre-kindergarten programs.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, joined former Gov. Mark Schweiker, a Republican, at a press conference in Doylestown this week to draw attention to the issue. Rendell and Schweiker made the case that investing in pre-K programs will help improve Pennsylvania’s economy in the long run.
Only 36 percent of Pennsylvania children receive top-notch, publicly funded pre-K programs, according to a report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
“High-quality pre-kindergarten is not a luxury. It is an investment in Pennsylvania’s economy,” said Schweiker. “An educated workforce is essential if Pennsylvania hopes to compete in the regional and global marketplace, and high-quality pre-K helps prepare our future workforce for success.”
Rendell noted that Pennsylvania ranks 18th out of 30 states that invest public money in pre-K programs. The rankings are found in the report, “Pre-K Works, So Why Not PA?”
“We’ve got a big decision to make this November – as do voters in 12 of the 17 states that invest more than Pennsylvania – when we head the polls to elect a new governor,” said Rendell. “Candidates seeking public office must commit to getting Pennsylvania out of the bottom half of states and make it a top state for pre-k investments.”
Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, noted that other states invest more per capita than Pennsylvania, including Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia.
Read the full article here.
Scranton Times-Tribune: Scranton-area leaders push for greater funding for pre-K
January 19, 2018
SCRANTON — Funding for quality pre-kindergarten programs matters to more than students and families. Additional funding is vital for the state’s economy, said business and civic leaders Thursday.
“Supporting early learners means a bright future for Pennsylvania and is an essential element to ensuring our region’s strong economic development,” said Peter Danchak, regional president for PNC Bank.
The comments came as Harrisburg organization Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released its study, “Pre-K Works, So Why Not PA?” The report calls for the state to increase access to pre-K programs for the children who would benefit most.
Only 36 percent of the state’s eligible children benefit from the public funds, and the organization and business leaders are calling for the state to invest an additional $85 million in 2018-19 — with a goal of an additional $225 million by 2020-21 — to serve all at-risk children. The state budgeted $172.3 million for the Pre-K Counts program this year.
Research shows that investing in pre-K saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the need for special education and remedial instruction, and children who attend pre-K are less likely to commit a crime later in life. Every dollar invested in high-quality pre-K returns the state $4 in savings and benefits in the form of reduced crime and increased earning power, according to the organization.
Of the 30 states that make public investments in pre-K, Pennsylvania ranks 18th.
“We know that pre-K works and the widespread, bipartisan support it enjoys is undeniable,” Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said at the news conference at the offices of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties. “The 2018 elections present an opportunity for those seeking public office to commit to making Pennsylvania a top state for pre-K investments.”
Ann L. Pipinski, Ed.D., president of Johnson College, said she has seen the impact pre-K programs can have on the workforce and that policymakers should support programs that help children in the most formative years of their lives.
“High-quality pre-K is good for kids, businesses, and it’s good for Pennsylvania,” she said.
Read the article here.
WBRE: Report: PA Pre-K programs need more money
Study finds Pennsylvania ranks 18th out of 30 states
January 18, 2018 By Eric Deabill
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) – A new report says Pennsylvania is not making the grade when it comes to funding Pre-K programs.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children says its study found the commonwealth ranks in the bottom half, 18 out of 30 states, that make public investments in Pre-K programs.
The report found that only 36-percent of eligible children in Pennsylvania benefit from high-quality, publicly funded Pre-K programs.
Researchers found that per-student spending is drastically lower than neighboring states like New Jersey, New York, Maryland and West Virginia.
At the United Neighborhood Centers in West Scranton, Eyewitness News found four and five year olds enjoying dance lessons Thursday. They were learning to socialize and follow directions while also having fun.
What the kids don’t know now is the skills they’re learning today will most likely help them succeed in school growing up and later in life.
“Some of these kids, they come to us and their speech is delayed. By the time they leave us, they’re on par with other children,” Tammy Marcinkevich with United Neighborhood Centers said.
On Thursday morning, business and education leaders joined together to urge state lawmakers from the governor down to state representatives to provide more money for Pre-K programs.
A new report found that 64-percent of at-risk, eligible kids in Pennsylvania, roughly 113,000 in total, aren’t able to attend a program.
“Ninety percent of a child’s brain is formed by the age of five. Think about that! Ninety percent! If you can fill up that kid with all the right ideas and all the right habits!” Peter Danchak, PNC Bank Regional President said.
The people in this room know most politicians “say” they support Pre-K programs but now they need to back up those words with dollars.
Read the full article here.
