“Supers” for Pre-K
Statewide Educators Pre-K for PA
PA Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, PA Association of School Administrators PA, PA School Boards Association, PA School Counselors Association, and PA State Education Association support Pre-K for PA. We’re also proud to have the support of the Pennsylvania PTA! PASA Executive Director Jim Buckheit remarked on August 26, “Too many young learners will be entering kindergarten this fall not fully prepared because they missed out on high-quality pre-k.”
To Pennsylvania Elected Leaders,
We, the below signed Pennsylvania Superintendents, are well aware of the decades of respected research showing the benefits of quality early education. Research shows: children who have had access to high-quality pre-K arrive ready for school, do well in school, and exhibit important skills for further in life. However, we also hold a more tangible understanding of this issue.
Every year, new children arrive to register for Kindergarten with a divergent range of skills and readiness. Perhaps due to the cost of quality pre-school, which is out of reach for many families, too many children are enrolling in Kindergarten unprepared for a classroom setting and in need of extra assistance.
Unfortunately, the preparation children need to be ready to enter Kindergarten is difficult for school districts to provide prior to enrollment. Through no fault of their own, child care centers, nursery schools, and pre-k programs lack the capacity or resources to offer high quality pre-K programs to all children in Pennsylvania.
Yet, research conducted in Pennsylvania found increased enrollment in quality pre-K can decrease the rate of special education placements by nearly fifty percent through the second grade. In Maryland, educators witnessed a direct positive correlation between Kindergarten preparation and third grade literacy. As a result, costs associated with remediation beyond third grade and special education placement could be reduced significantly for school districts.
Considering all of this, as well as additional long-term social benefits, we feel strongly that a child’s early learning should be a state policy priority. In sum, we support the adoption of state funding and policies ensuring every three and four year old child in Pennsylvania can access high-quality pre-K. As a result, all children will be ready for kindergarten, future academic achievement and lifelong success.
Signed,
Dr. Eileen Amato (Greensburg-Salem School District)*
Dr. Jay Badams (Erie Public School District)
David Baugh (Bensalem School District)
Dr. Carl Bezjak (Albert Gallatin School District)
Dr. David Blozowich (Frazier School District)
Dr. Joe Bruni (William Penn School District)
Dr. Rick Dunlap (Upper Darby School District)
Dr. William Ferrara (Morrisville School District)
Dr. Bill Harner (Quakertown Community School District)
Amanda Hetrick (Forest Area School District)
Dr. William Hite (The School District of Philadelphia)
Dr. Eric Holmes (York School District)
Dr. William Kerr (Norwin School District)
Dr. Linda Lane (Pittsburgh Public Schools)
Dr. Daniel Lujetic (Connellsville School District)
Dr. Barbara Marin (Hempfield Area School District)
Dr. John Molnar (Southmoreland School District)
Dr. Joyce Mundy (Centennial School District)
Dr. Christine Oldham (Ligonier Valley School District)
Dr. Gennaro Piraino (Franklin Regional School District)
John Reinhart (Easton Area School District)
Dr. Janet Samuels (Norristown School District)
Dr. Janet Sardon (Yough School District)
Dr. Philip Savini (Brownsville Area School District)
Dr. James Scanlon (West Chester Area School District)
Dr. Jeffrey R. Sparagana (Pottstown School District)
Dr. Judith Swigart (Greater Latrobe School District)
Dr. Jesse Wallace (Laurel Highlands School District)
Dr. Cheryl Walters (Derry Area School District)
Dr. David Welling (Derry Area School District)
Dr. Brian White (Chartiers Valley School District) *
District names provided for identification purposes only
School Boards for Pre-K
The following school boards have passed resolutions in favor of expanded investment in pre-kindergarten:
- Albert Gallatin Area School District
Resolution: May 13, 2014 - Bangor Area School District
- Centennial School District
Resolution: May 15, 2014
- Cheltenham School District
Resolution: October 14, 2014 - Connellsville Area School District
Resolution: May 14, 2014 - Erie School District
Resolution: June 26, 2014 - Frazier School District
April 23, 2014 - Greensburg-Salem School District
September 10, 2014 - Hempfield Area School District
May 13, 2014 - Lower Merion School District
Resolution: April 28, 2014 - Mt. Pleasant Area School District
May 12, 2014 - Morrisville School District
Resolution: May 27, 2 014 - Neshaminy School District
Resolution: October 28, 2014 - Norristown School District
Resolution: April 28, 2014 - Pittsburgh School District
Resolution: May 1, 2014 - Pottstown School District
Resolution: May 6, 2014 - Shamokin Area School District
- Troy Area School District
- Uniontown Area School District
Resolution: May 19, 2014 - Upper Darby School District
Resolution: February 11, 2014 - William Penn School District
Resolution: April 28, 2014 - Yough School District
Resolution: May 14, 2014
Join Supers for Pre-K
If you or your school board would like to sign an endorsement in favor of pre-k, please contact our regional field offices.