OPINION PAGES

A skills gap among our workforce threatens our future economy … both here in Franklin County and across the Commonwealth. Boosting access to high quality pre-K and investing more long-term state funding through Pennsylvania’s fair education funding formula will address these inequities and help to close the skills gap ensuring a brighter economic future for all.

I believe in the promise of every kindergartner, but it saddens me to think that some have a late start on the journey to graduation day. With high-quality pre-K, every child in Pennsylvania starts a lifetime of learning, preparing to contribute to the community and pursue their dreams.

We know, instinctively, for instance, that if a child is given the tools to succeed early on in life that they are more likely to stay in school, stay out of trouble and go on to become an active and contributing member of society. And that investment begins before a child even sets foot in the classroom through access to quality and widely accessible early childhood education programs. 

Perhaps, like preschool learning itself, this requires repetition: Children from low-income families who aren’t afforded the same advantages as other kids need high-quality pre-K.

As a superintendent, when it comes to early learning, I can’t stress enough the importance of the little things. So, a great deal of coordination goes into aligning pre-K curriculum with kindergarten expectations in math, reading and vocabulary — even installing a universal alphabet across classrooms, so kids will always have a bird as their picture clue for the letter “B.”

We must do more to help children and families overcome the financial barriers to quality pre-K education. This is the time to keep the pre-K momentum going; to ensure that all children can meet their potential.