Research is clear that at-risk children, who benefit from quality early education programs enter school ready to learn, do well, graduate on time and get good jobs -- while avoiding the pitfalls of juvenile crime and violence that would make them a drain on our government and economy.

With Virginia facing what lawmakers say is the grimmest financial picture in memory, the House of Delegates and Senate adopted budgets last week that would shrink general spending to about $15 billion ... [Schools advocates] have been bracing for the hit ... JustChildren, a program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, says proposed House cuts could force cities such as Richmond, Danville and Petersburg to eliminate preschool programs under the Virginia Preschool Initiative.

Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge visited Longfellow Elementary School Tuesday morning, touring classrooms and reading to a group of preschoolers to draw attention to her message: Iowa needs to spend more on early childhood education.

Early Childhood of Colorado, a clearinghouse for information and resources related to the development of children, states that Colorado's vision is that all children are to be valued, healthy and thriving. Healthy children translate into healthy communities and brighter futures.

Whether it`s a preschool or a daycare center, large or small, there aren`t enough quality facilities to satisfy parents. But in the last legislative session, lawmakers approved half a million dollars for the Department of Commerce to award grants to daycares across the state to upgrade.

Plain and simple, the racino bill is a jobs/stimulus bill that won't cost taxpayers a dime; infusions of $125 million every year ... The bill's authors propose the profits into five pots of $25 million each. One goes to early childhood education.

Nevada is among the states that require the most education and training for pre-kindergarten teachers, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Institute ... The report advocates more uniform training to improve early childhood education, raising salaries for pre-K educators and consequently improving teacher retention.

State-funded pre-kindergarten programs seem to be most beneficial for economically disadvantaged students, but only in their first two years of school, according to a study released Tuesday.

A group of local business leaders are going to unveil a new study Thursday morning that shows that investments in child care and pre-kindergarten education provide a "surprisingly big boost" to the economy, even more than investments in manufacturing or transportation.

Congressional leaders are considering packaging health care reform as a reconciliation package that also could include the early learning fund legislation, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate this year, according to the Education Week’s insightful blog. Check out K-12 Politics for all of the details.

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Quote of the Day

"Education -- specifically early childhood education -- has been proven to be the starting point of a successful trajectory for an at-risk child."

Roger J. MacLean, chief of police, Allentown, Pa.

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