According to the report, Michigan's investment in early childhood education over the past 25 years has resulted in savings of approximately $1.15 billion a year in Medicaid, public assistance and criminal-justice costs ... Beyond the dollar amounts, however, we also must recognize that early childhood education is vital to shaping adult lives that are productive and fulfilling.

The Obama administration is planning some big changes to how we measure the success or failure of schools and how we apportion federal money based on those assessments. It’s great that the administration is trying to undertake reforms, but if we want to make sure all children learn, we will need to overhaul the curriculum itself.

The Iowa Senate voted Monday night to begin a sweeping government reorganization effort ... including a proposal a proposal to move the community empowerment program for early childhood education from the neutral state Department of Management to the Department of Education.

[Governor Sonny Perdue] is proposing to pay for about $33 million in taxpayer-funded scholarships and grants this year with lottery funds. The move would increase costs for lottery-funded programs at a time when the cost of HOPE scholarships and pre-kindergarten classes is already expected to exceed lottery revenues.

President Barack Obama today proposed a 7.6 percent increase in U.S. education spending to help American workers compete in a global economy ... The president proposes increased spending on early childhood education, competitive grants to encourage school innovation and new programs to train teachers.

[In his State of the State speech, Governor Brad Henry] said lawmakers should continue early childhood education efforts. "We cannot undermine those efforts and jeopardize the future of our youngest Oklahomans," he said.

Good-paying jobs are central to a strong economy, and those jobs typically require skilled workers with career training and college degrees ... If we want that well-educated work force to attract the employers that will keep our economy vibrant, we must invest in quality early education.

A report recently released by Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit, bipartisan organization led by retired military leaders, calls on the nation to address the challenges that make young people unqualified for military service.

Will the administration ensure that early education programs (including publicly funded pre-K) are explicitly included in [the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation] grant programs?

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Quote of the Day

"Early childhood education is a smart investment in our state’s future."

Battle Creek Enquirer editorial board, on Michigan’s recent pre-k cuts

On the Inside Pre-K blog

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