Go Lackawanna: Pitch made for more pre-k funds
“Armed with a new initiative called “Pre-K for PA,” leaders at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a Harrisburg lobbying organization, want to bring legislators to the table to prioritize funding for early-learning education.
More than a dozen non-profit education groups are collaborating to develop the Pre-K for PA program.
Fewer than 20 percent of the state’s 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds have access to high-quality programs, said the organization’s president and CEO Joan Benso. Through Pre-K for PA, the organization hopes to see every child have access to some kind of high-quality early-learning program.
While Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming counties may not be short on preschool centers, the learning component is missing, Hildebrandt Learning Centers CEO William Grant said.”
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The Times Herald: Pre-K For PA campaign to launch Thursday
“A new coalition pushing for more pre-kindergarten schools across Pennsylvania is scheduled to launch Thursday, Jan. 23.
“Pre-K for PA: All Children Ready to Succeed” is scheduled to host a press conference at 1:30 p.m. at the Karabots Primary Care Center at 48th and Market Streets in Philadelphia.
Speakers will discuss the importance of bringing pre-kindergarten schools to every child in Pennsylvania.
Scheduled speakers include CEO of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Steven M. Altschuler, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Jill Michal, Superintendent of the Upper Darby School District Richard F. Dunlap, District Attorney of Philadelphia Seth Williams, District Attorney of Montgomery County Risa Vetri Ferman, and Director of Early Childhood Education and Care with the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA Lola Rooney.”
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