PA Principals Association, Early Learning Advocates in Montco. Urge Support for Substantial Investments in High-Quality Pre-K

PA Principals Association, Early Learning Advocates in Montco. Urge Support for Substantial Investments in High-Quality Pre-K

West Pottsgrove, PA (Sept. 20, 2017)—Elementary School Principals Resoundingly Support Pre-K Investments details findings of a recent statewide survey of elementary school principals to better understand their perception of high-quality pre-k and its importance in building the foundation necessary for children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Nearly 99 percent agree that publicly funded, high-quality pre-k is an important tool for preparing children for kindergarten, particularly those at risk.Representatives from the Pennsylvania Principals Association, the statewide Pre-K for PA campaign, Pottsgrove School District and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Pre-K Counts program today discussed high-quality pre-k and its effectiveness in providing a strong academic foundation before a child enters kindergarten, and urged the state to increase investments in this once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity during a press conference at West Pottsgrove Elementary School.

The event coincided with the statewide release of a new report, “Elementary School Principals Resoundingly Support Pre-K Investments,” produced by the Pennsylvania Principals Association in partnership with the statewide Pre-K for PA campaign. The report shows nearly 99 percent of elementary school principals agree that publicly funded, high-quality pre-k is an important tool for preparing children for kindergarten, particularly those at risk.

“High-quality pre-k provides the opportunity for children to get ready for school, helping to build their early literacy skills, which provides children with the foundation to have the stamina and skills to be successful in elementary school,” said Terri Koehler, Principal of West Pottsgrove Elementary School.

Elementary principals’ perceptions confirm research that shows that high-quality pre-k is especially beneficial for children from low-income families, helping put them at the same starting line as their more economically advantaged peers by the time they start school.

Dr. Lois Robinson, Director of the Office of Student Services for the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit added, “When families bring their children into the classroom, they are so thrilled to have access to high-quality pre-k, and to be able to walk their children to and from this enriching, safe environment. Some of them thought it would never happen. However, for many, it doesn’t ever happen.”

Approximately 64 percent or 2 in 3 eligible preschoolers don’t have the opportunity to attend publicly funded, high-quality pre-k.

According to the report, more than 97 percent of elementary school principals in the Commonwealth strongly agree or agree that additional state investments in publicly funded, high-quality pre-k should be made. They join an ever-growing list of supporters who have articulated strong support for state funding increases in pre-k, which also includes governors and legislators from both sides of the aisle, business and education leaders, law enforcement officials, high-ranking military officers, pediatricians and world-class athletes.

In addition, principals, who are on the frontline of delivering quality education, reported they can easily distinguish between those students who attended high-quality pre-k and those who missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“When a child enters kindergarten unable to recognize some letters and numbers, complete a puzzle, or lacks other skills that can set that child on a path to succeed in school, that child is at an unfair disadvantage,” said Dr. Paul Healey, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Principals Association.

“Principals face challenges leveling the playing field to ensure that child can reach his or her full potential. If every child who needs it had access to high-quality pre-k, we would see fewer children struggling or needing special education or remediation. We would see more self-confident children who love education as much as we do.”

Responses to the survey were received from a diverse group of rural, suburban and urban school principals who are responsible for educating nearly 60 percent of elementary students statewide. They reported improvements in age-appropriate behaviors and the ability to reach academic milestones in students who attended high-quality pre-k.

“Too many children at risk of school failure miss the opportunity to attend high-quality publicly funded pre-kindergarten. Pre-k works! Decades of research has proven it and this survey adds the validation of Pennsylvania’s elementary principals to the value of the public investment,” said Joan Benso, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a founding member of the Pre-K for PA Campaign.

“Elementary School Principals Resoundingly Support Pre-K Investments” is available here.

Pre-K Should be a Top Budget Priority

Pre-K Should be a Top Budget Priority
PPC Report Shows States Outpacing PA in Pre-K Investments

Harrisburg, PA (May 8, 2017)—Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) released a report today in its role as a principal partner of the Pre-K for PA Campaign that commends Pennsylvania for making increased state investments in publicly funded, high-quality pre-k but highlighting that the commonwealth is lagging behind many other states, including economic competitors, in its per capita investment. PPC President and CEO Joan L. Benso was joined at a state capitol press conference by Governor Tom Wolf, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, York County business leader Michael Smeltzer and other partners in the campaign.

The report, “Prioritizing Pre-K in Pennsylvania: A State Comparison,” indicates that Pennsylvania joins 27 other states and the District of Columbia having made the wise choice to invest in high-quality pre-k, but only ranks 20^th among the cohort in per capita investments. This places Pennsylvania behind many of our economic competitors and neighboring states including Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia.

“Countless research studies have proven time after time that pre-kindergarten works. The question is no longer does high-quality pre-k work, but how much is the commonwealth investing in high-quality pre-k to build a solid foundation for academic success,” said Joan Benso, President and CEO of PPC.

“Sixty-four percent of eligible preschool children in our state still cannot access this critical intervention as we have failed to invest enough resources,” she said.

Benso and her campaign partners call on the legislature to join the governor and expand pre-k investments in the state budget by $75 million for the coming fiscal year.

Children who attend high-quality pre-k are also less likely to be involved in crime later in life. Cumberland County District Attorney David J. Freed said, “I know from years of experience that we cannot simply arrest, prosecute and incarcerate our way out of our crime problems. We have to implement effective approaches that keep people from turning to crime in the first place. High-quality pre-k is a key focal point of that strategy.”

Business leaders have prioritized pre-k funding as a valuable public investment that helps create a productive workforce as it returns $4 in savings and benefits for every dollar invested.

“I know firsthand that if we fail to provide state support for early learning, we’re missing a critical opportunity to invest in the future of our economy,” said Michael Smeltzer, Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC) member and President of Advancement Solutions LLC. “Children who attend high-quality pre-k enter school better prepared and while the research tells us that they enjoy higher academic achievement, we also know that they learn the soft skills necessary to become valuable future employees.”

Benso also presented an award to the governor from Pre-K for PA commending him for his leadership. The governor is joined by more than 50 bi-partisan legislators who are also being honored this spring.

“Prioritizing Pre-K in Pennsylvania: A State Comparison,” can be found at www.papartnerships.org/prekinpa or www.prekforpa.org.

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Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf Join Pre-K for PA to Host Easter Egg Hunt at the Governor’s Residence, Highlight the Need to Invest in High-Quality Early Childhood Education

Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf Join Pre-K for PA to Host Easter Egg Hunt at the Governor’s Residence, Highlight the Need to Invest in High-Quality Early Childhood Education

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf were joined today by preschoolers from Harrisburg-area pre-kindergarten centers and members of the Pre-K for PA campaign for an Easter Egg Hunt at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. During the event, the Governor reiterated his commitment to investing in high-quality early childhood education.

“Frances and I are excited to host Harrisburg-area preschoolers at the Governor’s Residence today,” said Governor Wolf. “These children – and thousands of others like them from across Pennsylvania – are counting on us in Harrisburg to ensure that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs are available to them in their communities. That is why I called for a state budget that includes an increase of $75 million for pre-k, which will allow for more than 8,400 additional children to enroll in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. The stronger the investment in high-quality early learning the greater the return – for our children and our commonwealth.”

Studies show that children who participate in high-quality pre-kindergarten perform better in school, graduate at higher rates and earn more throughout their working lives compared to peers that do not have access to early learning programs. Additionally, children who were previously enrolled in Pre-K Counts outperform their economically disadvantaged peers in third-grade math and reading.

The Pre-K for PA campaign lauded Governor Wolf for his commitment to expanding access to high quality pre-k to more Pennsylvania three- and four-year-olds: “Research continues to show that pre-k can make a difference – it can reduce grade repetition, special education placements, dropout rates, and ultimately save the commonwealth money,” said Jodi Askins, Executive Director of PennAEYC and principal partner of Pre-K for PA.  “Governor Wolf’s steadfast commitment to investing in an early education system that provides access to 8,400 more Pennsylvania children this year is further evidence that he gets the value of pre-k and has Pennsylvania’s future as a top priority.”

Fair and increased education funding for all Pennsylvania schools continues to be one of Governor Wolf’s top priorities to ensure students are college and career ready.

The future of Pennsylvania depends on making investments in what matters most. In this year’s budget, Governor Wolf is proposing an additional $209 million increase in education funding. Our commonwealth is facing a serious budget deficit, but by reducing government bureaucracy and finding cost-savings, we can continue to invest in our children’s futures so we can make Pennsylvania stronger.

The 2017-18 budget investments in education include:

*   $100 million increase in Basic Education Funding. Following $415 million in basic education and Ready to Learn Block Grant funding increases over the past two fiscal years, this increase will be distributed through the Basic Education Funding Formula, providing an equitable and predictable allocation to school districts across the commonwealth.
*   $25 million increase in Special Education Funding. This increase, allocated to school districts through the formula adopted by the bipartisan legislative Special Education Funding Commission, builds upon a $50 million increase over the last two years.
*   $75 million increase in high-quality early childhood education. Children who participate in high-quality pre-k programs perform better in school, graduate at higher rates and earn more throughout their lives compared to peers without access to early learning programs. Building upon $60 million in additional investment over the past two years, this nearly 40 percent increase in funding will allow more than 8,400 additional children to enroll in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
*   $8.9 million increase for the 14 universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The governor will continue to work with PASSHE to develop individual college plans that address performance, affordability, and accountability, while partnering with employers to create structured career pathways.