I thank our state's leaders for their continued commitment to children's health. But I know education is a part of that well-being, too, so I respectfully urge the governor and Legislature to reconsider any cuts to Pre-K Counts and Head Start.

Below are excerpts from The Southern Education Foundation's report, Pre-Kindergarten in the South: Preserving the Region's Comparative Advantage in Education: The South continues to lead the nation in 2010 in only one major area of public education: the enrollment of 3- and 4-year-old children in early education programs.

The Washington Legislature is wrestling with severe cuts in support for families with low incomes whose 3-year-olds are able to enter preschool only because of the state Early Childhood Education Assistance Program.

While working with the Washtenaw Great Start Collaborative − which brings together service providers, county and state officials − and others dedicated to early childhood education and services, I've seen how investing in early childhood programs saves Michigan taxpayer money.

Local Craven Smart Start officials joined business and community leaders from across Eastern North Carolina in a summit held in Greenville this week to identify areas of need in the care of children aged birth to 5 years.

After learning that pre-kindergarten will be among budget cuts to help the Ball Chatham School District cope with a projected $2.2 million loss in state funding, parents are lobbying to keep the program intact, circulating a peti¬tion to be given to the governor, leg¬islators and school board.

The 2010-11 school year is the first time the state has allotted funding for free, full-day pre-k classes in day-care centers and preschools on Staten Island ... But whether the classes will materialize in the upcoming school year remains a question.

After his speech, [Governor Ed Rendell] sat down with The Morning Call to discuss education, a hallmark of his administration ... [Rendell]: As you'll recall, before my administration Pennsylvania was one of only nine states that didn't give a dime to early education.

Today we are examining Head Start’s strategy, particularly its emphasis on supporting home languages. In the coming weeks, we will report on the efforts of a bilingual school in Washington, D.C. and provide resources and recommendations for educators and policymakers.

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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

"Research continually shows that quality pre-kindergarten helps get kids ready for school by improving literacy, numeracy and social skills."

David S. Feinberg, president of the board of directors, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

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