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Early Education Still in Jeopardy
The city is just days away from passing a budget proposal that provides no funding to the city's model, Pre-K Incentive Program and reduces funding to key professional development and quality improvement programs designed to strengthen early education programs in the District. As a result of these reductions, over 500 teachers could lose programmatic and scholarship support for their continuing education. Take action now to demand that city officials fully fund early education in next year's budget.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Restore early education funding
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Next year's proposed Early Care and Education Administration budget reduces funding to vital professional development
and quality improvement programs. In addition, the budget proposal doesn't provide funding for the city's model Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program.
The 2005 DC Council-mandated Pre-K Incentive currently serves more than 400 children in community-based centers, and is funded by DCPS. All of these children will be cut from this program and forced to go on waiting lists. If the Pre-K Incentive Program ends, DC will stand alone as the only jurisdiction in the nation to reduce funding for pre-k at a time when a record 29 states are planning to expand pre-k in the next year.
At the April 23 Human Services Committee Hearing, administration officials confirmed
that next year's budget proposal also disrupts the continuum of education and pipeline for producing well-qualified early education teachers in two ways: (1) reducing funding to programs that train, certify, and provide credentials to entry-level teachers (CDA) and, (2) reducing funding to the city's only scholarship program for early educators to receive higher degrees.
As a result of these reductions, more than 300 teachers will lose access to entry-level credential programs and more than 200 teachers currently enrolled in degree programs will lose scholarship funds and be forced to stop their education.
The proposed budget also provides no funding to programs that assist child care
centers in meeting national standards of quality and no funding to support the
implementation of newly published, more stringent licensing regulations.
Providers unable to meet these new standards will be forced to close - reducing program availability for families.
Nearly 80 percent of programs in the District of Columbia fail to meet national
standards of quality. At a time when education reform is at the top of the political agenda, why are we cutting successful programs aimed at improving early learning experiences for our children?
I urge you to restore funding to these programs and move forward with pre-k
for all three and four year olds. Thank you.
Sincerely,
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