Pre-K Now Conference a Success – Thank You! Thousands of Pre-K Advocates Participate in 35 States
More than 2,000 pre-kindergarten advocates gathered in 35 states on December 10 to share and learn lessons about professional development, collaboration between early childhood programs, and partnering with home-based care providers.
Our special thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who hosted more than 180 conference viewing events! The results of their hard work are obvious in our map of viewing events below.
On the Inside Pre-K blog
Today in Pre-K
Pre-K Now State Policy Fellow Publishes Mississippi Op-Ed
Shad White, Pre-K Now State Policy Fellow and recently named Rhodes Scholar, published an op-ed in The Clarion-Ledger on strengthening early education in his home state Mississippi. He asserts, “Given the multitude of facts and the overwhelming support for pre-kindergarten in states similar to Mississippi, state leaders should acknowledge that it is again, boat-rockin' time in our state.” A Truman Scholar and graduate of Ole Miss, Shad plans to study comparative social policy with a focus on early education next year at Oxford University. His op-ed also highlights the Mississippi Economic Council's Marathon Tour, which has rigorously promoted the importance of education, including pre-k, in securing a strong future economy for the state. The tour kicked off in September and will visit 26 cities by the end of the year.
National Association of Manufacturers Adds Early Education to Agenda
The nation’s largest industrial trade association has announced its support for early education, further indicating the business community’s recognition of pre-k as an investment in the nation’s workforce. In the newest version of its Public Policy Position on Education and the Workforce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) stated, “Access to high quality early education and learning opportunities is integral to helping today’s children prepare for the highly competitive, fast-paced global economy.” The growing trend of business groups endorsing pre-k does not stop there. Last month, business leaders gathered in Colorado for a three-day conference on early education investments, sponsored by the Telluride Foundation and Partnership for America’s Success. In addition, an official from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee Chairman met recently in Los Angeles to urge California business leaders to back early education.
For far too many middle-class families, the program proven to help all young children enter school ready to learn and succeed is beyond their reach, according to a new report released by Pre-K Now. “The Pre-K Pinch: Early Education and the Middle Class” reveals that eligibility requirements and prohibitively high costs leave such families struggling to pay for early education for their kids.
Pre-K Now held a briefing for congressional staff, cosponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kit Bond, on October 1. Hear what a governor, three superintendents, two directors of early childhood programs, and a national teacher of the year think Congress should do to increase families' access to quality, state-funded pre-k.
a recorded webcast (
