Pre-K for PA Partners Push for Greater Access to Pre-K at Philadelphia Mayor’s Event
PA’s Missed Opportunity for Federal Grant Would Have Served 2,300 PA Kids
Philadelphia, PA – Several founding members of the statewide Pre-K for PA campaign led an early learning summit today hosted by Mayor Michael Nutter, including The United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, and Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC).
The event, an opportunity for business and civic leaders to discuss the importance of expanding local access to higher quality pre-k, comes a day after federal grants were awarded to 18 states for the development or expansion of pre-k. Pennsylvania had applied for a share of the federal funding, but missed out on a $20 million, 4-year federal grant that could have provided high-quality pre-k for an additional 2,314 Pennsylvania 4-year-olds each year.
“Thinking about more than 2,000 kids missing out on an opportunity to begin early learning, we can’t help being disappointed,” said Steve Wray, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. “The missed opportunity for these kids also placed a spotlight on the enormous unmet needs among early learners in Pennsylvania. Today, 70% of Pennsylvania 3-and 4-year olds don’t have access to quality pre-k.
“The time has come for Pennsylvania to take action on behalf of its future leaders,” Wray continued. “Pre-K for PA and its thousands of supporters are calling on Gov.-elect Tom Wolf and the legislature to make this the top legislative priority in 2015. Each year Pennsylvania lawmakers delay making a serious investment in early learning, more than 200,000 kids are starting school behind their classmates.”
The federal government did announce on Wednesday $11.5 million in Head Start funding for six Pennsylvania grantees. This funding will serve infant/toddler populations up to age 3.
“The grant is welcome news because it becomes base funding for early Head Start, and Pennsylvania will receive that amount annually,” said Blair Hyatt, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Head Start Association. “But, if pre-k continues to be underfunded in Pennsylvania it means that once these children turn three it is very likely they will not move on to a high-quality pre-k classroom, which would be an enormous loss for them developmentally. In order for these children to continue growing in their healthy development, we need the legislature to invest in pre-k for all 3-and 4-year-olds.”
Pre-K for PA is a nonpartisan issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. The campaign’s vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Campaign supporters are urging Democratic Gov.-elect Wolf and the Republican-led General Assembly to work together to enact a multi-year plan to accomplish this vision.
Editor’s Note: The following programs would have benefitted under the Federal Expansion Grants:
- Big Beaver Falls Area School District
- Erie City School District
- School District of Lancaster
- Delaware County Intermediate Unit #25
- Bradford Tioga Head Start
- Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3
- Chester County Intermediate Unit #19
- ARIN Intermediate Unit #28
- Seton Hill Child Services, Inc.
- School District of Philadelphia
- Berks Community Action Program
- Community Action Program of Mercer County
- Greater Nanticoke Area School District
- Community Services for Children
- Pittsburgh Board of Education
- Cen-Clear, Inc.
- Pottstown Area School District
- Child Development, Inc.
- Keystone Human Service, aka Capital Area Head Start
- STEP, Inc. aka Lycoming-Clinton Head Start
- Erie City School District
- Pocono Service for Families and Children
- School District of the City of York
- McKeesport Area School District
- Kings College
- Wilkinsburg Borough School District
- PIC of Fayette & Westmoreland Counties
- Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries
- Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit #13
- Chester-Upland School District
- Pathone Inc.
- Scranton Lackawanna Human Development
For more information please visit www.prekforpa.org.
Founding Member of ‘Pre-K for PA’ Attends White House Summit on Early Education
WASHINGTON D.C.: The executive director of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC), Michelle Figlar, traveled to Washington D.C. alongside Mayor William Peduto today to attend a White House Summit on early education.
“Each day I work alongside many of the commonwealth’s early education advocates fighting to ensure that our children are given the necessary tools to succeed, so to represent them at such an historic event is an indescribable honor,” said Figlar, who also serves as co-chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Early Education. “The summit is a significant opportunity to discuss the lifelong benefits of early learning and I am optimistic the work done today will help precipitate stronger public investments in early learning.”
At the summit, President Obama announced several grant awards to help 18 states develop or expand pre-k programs. Pennsylvania had applied for a pre-k expansion grant, but was not among today’s grant recipients, further underscoring the need for stronger investments in high-quality pre-k at the state level.
“Currently, only about 1 in 6 of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds has access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-k, despite its many proven benefits to kids, schools and communities,” Figlar said. “If we want to make the most of all that high-quality pre-k offers, we need to boost public investments in it – and if there isn’t funding available at the federal level, we need to make sure the state prioritizes it as part of Pennsylvania’s budget.”
Mayor Peduto praised Figlar for her organization’s commitment to early learning programs.
“Michelle’s experience and expertise advocating for increased early education makes her the perfect choice to attend this important national summit,” Mayor Peduto said. “The evidence is clear that for every dollar we invest in early childhood education, we see a rate of return of $7 or more through a reduced need for spending on other services, such as remedial education, grade repetition, and special education, as well as increased productivity and earnings for these children as adults.”
The White House Summit brought together a broad array of stakeholders from the philanthropic community, business leaders, elected officials and education advocates committed to expanding access to high-quality early education. The summit builds on the president’s call in his 2013 State of the Union address to expand access to high-quality early childhood education to every child in America.
As part of that effort, the president proposed a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child – beginning at birth and continuing to age 5. The proposal includes extending and expanding evidence-based, voluntary home visiting, growing the supply of effective early learning opportunities for young children through Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, and increasing access to high-quality pre-k.
PAEYC is a principal partner in the Pre-K for PA campaign, a nonpartisan issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. The campaign’s vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. To that end, campaign supporters are urging Democratic Gov.-elect Tom Wolf and the Republican-led General Assembly to work together to enact a multi-year plan to accomplish this vision.
Along with PAEYC, the coalition was created by statewide partners including: the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children; Economy League of Greater Philadelphia; Public Citizens for Children and Youth; United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey; Fight Crime, Invest in Kids; Mission: Readiness; Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children; Pennsylvania Head Start Association; and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
For more information please visit www.paeyc.org and www.prekforpa.org.
York Officials Celebrate Expansion of High-Quality Pre-K, Urge State to Continue Investing in Increased Access
YORK, PA (Dec. 2, 2014) – State, county and city officials today helped mark the opening of two pre-kindergarten classrooms at the York YWCA, but noted the new classrooms are just a small step toward serving thousands of young learners in York County who lack access to high-quality pre-k.
The new classrooms were made possible by the infusion of an additional $10 million in funding for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in the state’s fiscal 2014-15 budget. Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) are the primary state-level funding sources for high-quality pre-k in Pennsylvania.
York County Commissioner Chris Reilly said the new pre-k classrooms are a step in the right direction, but noted access to high-quality pre-k in York County is still among the worst in state.
“Only 9 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in York County have access to publicly funded, high quality pre-k – leaving more than 9,000 of our county’s 3- and 4-year-olds without access each year,” Reilly said. “This is simply unacceptable.”
Statewide, only 1 in 6 of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds benefit from publicly funded, high-quality pre-k, leaving more than 200,000 young learners missing out. This lack of access to high-quality pre-k is especially troubling considering the proven benefits it has for children, schools and communities. A large body of research shows children who benefit from high-quality pre-k:
- Enter kindergarten with stronger literacy, language, math and social/emotional skills;
- Are less likely to need special education services, less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to graduate and enroll in college.
- Over a lifetime, these young learners will see stronger employment opportunities and increased earning potential, and they will be less likely to end up on the wrong side of the law.
York County District Attorney Thomas Kearney, York City Police Chief Wesley Kahley, and York County Sheriff Richard Keuerleber stressed the benefits high-quality pre-k has in reducing disruptive or anti-social behaviors that, if unaddressed, can lead to delinquent or criminal behavior. All three are members of the statewide anti-crime organization FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS. Kearney noted research has shown kids who attend high-quality early learning programs are dramatically less likely to commit crime and more likely to graduate high school.
“A review of the education statistics of Pennsylvania’s inmate population reveals that more than half of inmates have not graduated high school,” Kearney said. “This is more evidence that there is a clear choice to either educate or incarcerate -and it is imperative that education must start early.”
Chief Kahley added: “The cost-benefit studies regarding high-quality pre-k show that for every dollar we invest in high-quality programs like the York YWCA, we see a resulting long-term savings of about $17. The bulk of these cost savings arise from reductions in criminal justice savings.”
The statewide, nonpartisan Pre-K for PA campaign was launched in January with 10 founding partner organizations and has since grown to more than 500 supporting organizations and about 10,000 individuals who support the goal of expanding access to high-quality pre-k through stronger state-level investments.
In York County, supporters of the Pre-K for PA campaign include: York YWCA; York County United Way; York Community Foundation; various YMCA’s throughout York County; York JCC; York School of Technology; and various early learning providers throughout the York region that share the vision that all 3- and 4-year-olds should have access to high-quality pre-K.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by thousands of 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. While the campaign neither endorses nor opposes candidates, it advocates on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. For more information, visit prekforpa.org.
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Contact:
Michael Race (Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children), 717-236-5680 or mrace@papartnerships.org
Bruce Clash (FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS), 717-385-5300 or bclash@fightcrime.org
Kate Philips, 215-850-4647
School boards in Neshaminy (Bucks County, October 28, 2014) and Cheltenham (Montgomery County, October 14, 2014) have issued resolutions endorsing expanded investment in high-quality pre-k. To read the resolutions, visit our “Educators for Pre-K” page.
Neshaminy School Board Passes Resolution Calling for High-Quality Pre-K
Momentum grows as another area school board joins the cause in support of state-funded early learning policies
Philadelphia, PA (Oct. 29 2014) – The Board of Directors of the Neshaminy School District yesterday enacted a resolution calling for the adoption of state-funded policies to ensure that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania can access high-quality early education. Neshaminy is the latest in a series of local school districts that have joined the issue campaign Pre-K for PA in calling on Pennsylvania’s elected officials and candidates for office to support increased access to high-quality pre-k.
The resolution reflects the recognition that children who attend quality pre-k programs are far better prepared to enter school ready to learn and take full advantage of the benefits of classroom learning. It also recognizes that many families in Neshaminy – and across the Commonwealth – do not have access to, or cannot afford quality pre-k. In fact, over 10,000 children ages 3 and 4 in Bucks County do not have access to high-quality, publicly-funded early education. Investment in quality early learning programs is crucial to ensure that our children can have the best chance possible to succeed in school and beyond.
“As a mom, educator, and taxpayer, I am grateful that our School Board is adopting a resolution in support of universal high-quality pre-k,” said Neshaminy School District Literacy Coordinator Colleen Stahl. “Currently, too many of our youngsters are entering school under-prepared, without the social, listening, speaking, and language skills that quality early education provides. Children only have one chance to get on target for lifelong academic success – and this is a step in the right direction for Neshaminy.”
The resolution highlights the benefits of high-quality pre-k programs, which include: improved early literacy, language, math, social and emotional skills; a reduction in special education placements and grade repetition; increased rates of high school graduation and college enrollment; and decreased high school dropout and crime rates.
For a copy of the full resolution, as well as resolutions recently passed by other Pennsylvania school districts, visit Pre-K for PA’s “Supers for Pre-K” webpage here.
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.
Advocates for High-Quality Pre-k Honor Rep. Mundy for Career Contributions to Early Childhood Education
Pat Ward (President & CEO, United Way of Greater Hazleton, Inc.), Bill Jones (President & CEO, United Way of Wyoming Valley), Phyllis Mundy and Gary Drapek (President and CEO, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties). Phyllis Mundy holding an award made by Head Start Children of Luzerne County.
Wilkes-Barre, PA (Oct. 17, 2014) – Retiring state Rep. Phyllis Mundy was recognized today by the statewide, non-partisan Pre-K for PA campaign for her years of dedicated work to increase state investments in early learning programs.
Mundy was honored at a reception this morning hosted by the Pre-K for PA campaign and some of its local supporting partners, including the United Way of Wyoming Valley and the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne counties.
The Luzerne County lawmaker has been a tireless advocate for early learning investments during her 24-year tenure in the state House of Representatives. Mundy helped start the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Early Childhood Education Caucus, a bipartisan group of 129 House and Senate members, and serves as co-chair of the caucus.
“Her positive impact in early childhood education cannot be understated and truly will be felt for generations to come,” said Steve Doster, the Pennsylvania state director for Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired military leaders that is one of the founding partners of the Pre-K for PA campaign.
“Pennsylvania’s early learning community has been very fortunate to have Phyllis Mundy in its corner year after year as we worked to increase state investments in high-quality pre-k and other proven programs that prepare children for success,” Doster said.
Along with advocating for increased state investments in pre-k and other early learning programs, Munday has been a leader in calling for high-quality standards in early learning.
Despite the dedicated efforts of Mundy and her legislative colleagues over the years, today only 1 in 6 of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year-olds has access to publicly funded, high-quality pre-k. Increasing Pennsylvania’s investment in high-quality pre-k can increase its proven benefits, including decreased dropout rates, increased graduation rates and college enrollment, and higher lifetime earning potential.
Recent polls show the majority of Pennsylvania voters support increased investments in pre-k, in part because they recognize its long-term benefits to students, schools and communities.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by thousands of 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. While the campaign neither endorses nor opposes candidates, it advocates on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities.
Phylis Mundy speaking at the event.
New Poll Finds Strong Support for Access to High-Quality Pre-K Among Likely PA Voters
Survey Conducted by National Pollsters Reveals Bipartisan Support for Pre-K, Strong Support Among Seniors
Philadelphia, PA (Sept. 19, 2014) – As the November election approaches, likely voters in Pennsylvania are demonstrating clear, bi-partisan support for access to high-quality pre-k. According to a recent poll commissioned by Pre-K for PA and conducted by national pollsters Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research & Consulting, a majority of Pennsylvania voters favor access to voluntary, high-quality pre-k programs for every 3– and 4-year old. The poll also revealed that support for pre-k is particularly strong among seniors – 60 percent of whom favor ensuring access to high-quality pre-k.
“This latest poll released today demonstrates the clear recognition among those who will vote in the November election, that pre-k must be part of a viable solution to our education system in Pennsylvania,” said Steve Wray, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia – a Pre-K for PA coalition member. “Our research supports what voters are saying – high-quality pre-k is crucial to ensure the right start for our kids and is a sound investment for Pennsylvania taxpayers.”
“What we are seeing around the country in the campaigns of many candidates this election cycle is broad support for access to high-quality pre-k – and no where is that more prevalent than right here in Pennsylvania,” said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners.
Christine Matthews, President of Bellwether Research & Consulting, added: “This latest research underscores that access to high-quality pre-k for all young children is an issue that has bipartisan support among Pennsylvania voters.”
“Pennsylvanians want smart public policy that gets results and has a strong return on investment, so it shouldn’t be surprising that most voters, regardless of party, are increasingly supportive of high-quality pre-k,” said Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, one of the founding organizations of the Pre-K for PA campaign. “Given only 1 in 6 of our 3- and 4-year-olds has access to publicly funded high-quality pre-k, it seems voters are willing to seek out candidates who are committed to boosting pre-k access.”
A summary of the full poll findings can be viewed on Pre-K for PA’s website here.
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by thousands of 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. While the campaign neither endorses nor opposes candidates, it advocates on behalf of this vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities.
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CONTACTS:
Philadelphia:
Andrea Mead, Pre-K for PA
215-2805-3746
andrea@jacobsonstrategic.com
Harrisburg:
Mike Race, Pa. Partnerships for Children
717-236-5680
mrace@papartnerships.org
Pittsburgh:
David Caliguiri, PAEYC
412-613-7266
david@caliguirigroup.com
