GoErie.com: Erie County Council expected to call for pre-K funding
by Kevin Flowers
Erie County Council is poised to show its support for a new statewide early childhood education plan.
Councilmen Phil Fatica and Andre Horton have co-sponsored a resolution on council’s Tuesday meeting agenda that asks the state Legislature to increase funding for pre-K programs across Pennsylvania as part of the Pre-K for PA campaign.
Former Pennsylvania Govs. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and Mark Schweiker, a Republican, visited Erie last week in support of the initiative, which seeks expanded access to pre-K programs for children.
Read the full story on GoErie.com.
Philadelphianeighborhoods.com: Data Shows Lack of Quality Pre-K Childcare
Data released in March suggests residents in South Philadelphia west of Broad Street severely lack access to quality pre-kindergarten care.
Of the 114 certified childcare facilities in the area, just eight rated high-quality by Keystone STARS, an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Keystone Stars rates childcare programs on a scale of one to four stars, with three and four star programs considered high-quality.
Those eight high-quality programs only have about 800 slots though, leaving a significant shortage of quality care. Forty-three percent of childcare facilities in the area either rated at zero stars or were not certified altogether.
Read the full story on Philadelphianeighborhoods.com.
Want to guarantee a kid a sound future? Invest in early childhood education: Ed Rendell and Mark Schweiker
“There are few occasions when two former governors from opposing parties find themselves in total agreement, but investing in early learning is one issue where we see eye-to-eye.
“By increasing access to early learning opportunities for all children, we will improve our state’s economic future and most certainly better the life chances of each child who is given this important head start.
“We are not newcomers to this issue. We both took very seriously the need to boost the skills of all students, even those as young as three and four years old. It all starts with great parents and well-prepared teachers.”
Read the full op-ed at:
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2014/06/want_to_guarantee_a_kid_a_soun.html
ABC Erie Jet 24 Action News: Former Govs Show Support for Pre-K Expansion
Former Governors Ed Rendell and Mark Schweiker spoke to local educators, elected leaders, and community members about a need for universal pre-k education in Pennsylvania. This morning a Pre-K for Pa. rally focused on why support for early education is so important. Campaign officials told us that it’s been proven that pre-k education can change lives and the community.
Ron Dinacola, Pre-K for Pa. NWPA campaign co-chair said this about the effort “if we invest in three and four year old universal education, we’re gonna have a multiplier effect of savings in special education, grad repetition, literacy problems, dropouts…with more students going on to college and with more students becoming responsible earners.” Campaign officials also told us this is just the beginning of the push for pre-k. And that more rallies, meetings, and forums will be taking place in the near future.
GoErie.com: Rendell, Schweiker to stop Monday in Erie
Former Pennsylvania Govs. Ed Rendell and Mark Schweiker will visit Erie on Monday to urge more access to quality prekindergarten education for children ages 3 and 4.
They also will urge leaders in Harrisburg to expand access to early childhood learning to give children a better chance to succeed in school and to improve the state’s economic competitiveness.
The Pre-K for PA rally will include Erie educators, administrators, community leaders and preschool children. The event is scheduled at 9 a.m. at the United Way of Erie County, 420 W. Sixth St.
Read the full story on GoErie.com.
Petition Deliveries to Gubernatorial Candidates Highlight Growing Support for Pre-K
340 Organizations and Thousands of Pennsylvanians Have Signed on in Support of Access to High-Quality, State-Funded Early Learning Programs
Philadelphia, PA –Pre-K for PA grassroots organizers and supporters today delivered a petition signed by 340 supporting organizations from across the Commonwealth and 5,500 Pennsylvanians to the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf, highlighting the rapidly growing support for access to high-quality pre-k for every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania. The same petition, which demonstrates the vast and diverse bipartisan support for this issue, will also be delivered to Governor Tom Corbett’s campaign next week. Support for access to high-quality pre-k has grown throughout the Commonwealth since the launch of the Pre-K for PA campaign in late January – just four months ago.
Organizers and supporters – including local parents and children – delivered the petition this morning to Tom Wolf’s South Philadelphia campaign office on Castle Avenue. Among them was South Philadelphia mom and Pre-K for PA supporter Jen Devor, who said “I am proud to help deliver this message to the candidates because Pennsylvania’s children deserve better. The next governor of Pennsylvania should make investing in high-quality pre-k a priority to help ensure that pre-k is accessible to all 3- and 4-years-olds, not just the privileged few.”
Between now and the general election, Pre-K for PA is aggressively expanding its leadership and grassroots support. While the campaign will not endorse, the goal is to reach more and more voters who will want the gubernatorial candidates to make a clear and convincing case that, if elected, he will make access to high-quality pre-k a reality for every 3- and 4-year-old in the Commonwealth by 2018.
In a recent open letter to the gubernatorial candidates, Pre-K for PA expressed a sincere willingness to work with each of the candidates to offer ideas for how that can happen. Polling shows this issue has broad bi-partisan support and that the Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support increasing funding to ensure all children have access to high quality pre-k programs – even if it means raising their taxes.
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.
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