Florida's pre-kindergarten program is in financial trouble — facing a nearly $29 million budget shortfall this year and a worse deficit next year. The budget woes are raising fears that a program meant to offer "high quality" preschool classes is on a downward slide.

With California facing a $21 billion deficit, efforts will be made to use the funds voters earmarked for preschool education to help balance the budget. We strongly believe doing so would be tragically shortsighted ... Quality, accessible and affordable preschool strengthens the fabric of our society and will help sustain California's leadership in the world's economies.

Art Rolnick, whose tenure at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and ready public comments have made him nearly synonymous with the institution, is retiring in July after 40 years ... [He said] he’s planning to focus on his advocacy for early childhood education.

Young children learn more, do better in school and, ultimately, in the workplace when they move seamlessly from home to child care to preschool to the early grades. Unfortunately, far too few children experience such seamlessness, thanks to a herky-jerky educational system that moves them from one place and grade to the next with no sense of continuity.

Anyone concerned about the state of education in Kentucky and whether the Commonwealth is adequately preparing future generations will want to take note of today's rollout of Kentucky P20 Innovation Lab: A Partnership for Next Generation Learning.

The two legislators are proposing an amendment that would allow schools to continue using school averages to comply with the 2002 class size amendment.

At a recent forum in Jackson about early childhood education, leaders on the subject told stories of children starting kindergarten who did not know the proper way to hold a pencil or turn a book page.

While the state Department of Early Education and Care was responding to a genuine health problem when it mandated that day care programs brush children’s teeth, the requirement still places too great a burden on day-care centers and preschools.

Massive presidential budget proposals are worth a second, third and fourth look and a closer examination of President Obama’s plan reveals more good news for early learning, including a fresh focus on early literacy and a boost for child nutrition.

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Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States, collaborates with advocates and policymakers to lead a movement toward high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds.

Quote of the Day

"The people of Florida voted to create the VPK program. It would be a shame to diminish something we know is so important to the state just because we're having short-term challenges in the economy."

Evelio Torres, the chief executive of the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, on consequences of cuts to Florida’s state pre-k budget

On the Inside Pre-K blog

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