PennLive: Military, business and law enforcement leaders push candidates to learn about early childhood education
Rear Admiral Thomas Wilson, Steven Wray, and Bruce Clash met with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie McGinty and voiced support for high quality pre-K from their diverse perspectives:
“They said the coalition, which calls itself Pre-K for PA, will release a policy paper with options and projected costs for Pennsylvania in May.
In the meantime, they want the gubernatorial candidates to understand the issue. Rob McCord is meeting with the group tomorrow. Allison Schwartz, they said, has expressed support, and Tom Wolf is still in negotiations to schedule a meeting.
Pre-K for PA neither endorses nor opposes candidates.
After listening to the men’s appeals, McGinty told them their message was strengthened by the fact they came to the same conclusion from so many different perspectives.”
Read the full story here.
Military, Law Enforcement and Business Leaders Host Candidates at Early Learning Centers
Statewide partners of the Pre-K for PA campaign have invited all PA gubernatorial candidates to participate in site visits of early education centers. At the visits, representatives from the military, law enforcement and business communities will discuss the beneficial impact of high-quality pre-k on school readiness, workforce development, crime prevention and national security.
Participants will visit the pre-k classrooms and read to children. Local early childhood providers will discuss unmet need data for early learning services in the lower Susquehanna Valley. Pre-K for PA is a non-partisan issue education campaign supported by more than 2,200 individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. The campaign is working to educate candidates and the public on the importance of high-quality pre-k.
Pre-K for PA neither endorses nor opposes candidates, but rather advocates on behalf of its vision for Pennsylvania’s children, schools and communities. All Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates have been invited to attend pre-k classroom visits by the campaign.
Confirmed site visits (as of 4/15):
- Katie McGinty, April 15, Hansel and Gretel Early Learning Center, Harrisburg, PA
- Rob McCord, April 16, Children’s Village, Philadelphia, PA
Site visits are organized by Mission:Readiness. Contact: Steve Doster, 717-343-6403 or sdoster@missionreadiness.org.
WJAC TV: Week of the young child aims to showcase the importance of early childhood education
“Two mayors in Centre County proclaimed all this week, the week of the young child. After hearing from advocates about just how important an early childhood education is, the mayors of State College and Bellefonte made those proclamations.
Even though this is only a week of awareness, those who are behind the cause said this is just the start. They are on a mission to make sure every child in the state of Pennsylvania has access to a quality educational experience early on.
“Well we really only have about one space for every six children and this is what we really want to do is expand access to make sure all children have access to whichever kind of program they want to go to but we always want to guarantee that those programs are high-quality,” Wendy Whitesell, of Penn State Children’s Programs, said.”
Read the full story here.
York Dispatch: OP-ED: A smart investment for York County
Op-ed from Joan Benso, CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children:
“If we could invest tax dollars in a way that reduces public school costs, increases graduation rates, lowers spending on crime and social services and helps build a more competitive workforce with stronger earning power, would you get behind it?
Such an investment opportunity already exists in York County in the form of high-quality pre-kindergarten. Unfortunately, we aren’t doing enough to take full advantage of it here or across Pennsylvania, and that means lost savings for taxpayers and missed opportunities for kids.
A growing body of research shows children who attend high-quality pre-k head to kindergarten better prepared to learn and have improved social and emotional skills throughout school. They tend to perform better academically and need fewer special education and remedial learning services. As a result, taxpayers and society benefit in all those ways I mentioned earlier.”
Read the full story here.
Pittsburgh Business Times: Group says investing in PreK good for business
“If companies want to have a skilled and educated workforce in the future, supporting quality early education is key, according to Pre-K for PA, a statewide issue campaign.
Capitalizing on this year’s gubernatorial election, the goal of the campaign is to provide access to high quality pre-kindergarten education to each child in Pennsylvania.”
Read the full story here.
PennLive: McGinty to visit Allison House school tomorrow
“Katie McGinty will highlight the importance of early education during a campaign stop in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill tomorrow morning.
McGinty will visit the Hansel & Gretel Early Learning Center on Walnut Street at 10 a.m. to visit the pre-k classrooms and read to children. She will be joined by representatives from the military, law enforcement and business communities affiliated with the Pre-K for PA campaign.”
Read the full story here.
