Stack, National Security Group Urge Early Education Funding

HARRISBURG, JUNE 3, 2009 — State Sen. Mike Stack joined members of Mission: Readiness today in Harrisburg to emphasize the importance of funding early education programs in Pennsylvania.

“Early education programs give our children the basic skills they need to take the right steps toward achieving a high school diploma and a successful career beyond graduation day, whether they go to college, get a job or join the military,” Stack said. “It’s so important that these programs prosper.”

Mission: Readiness is a non-profit national security organization led by retired generals and admirals working to ensure our country’s safety by calling for smart investments in the upcoming generations of American children.

The organization released a research report today demonstrating how investments in early childhood education will increase the number of young Americans who qualify to serve in and help maintain a strong military.

According to recent findings, over 70 percent of young Americans are ineligible for military service due to poor grades, involvement in crime and poor health.

“The Mission: Readiness study shows far too many of our children lack the educational and social resources that would enable them to obtain a quality education or pursue a career in the military,” Stack said. “I understand their concern that our children are not given enough opportunities to succeed to the point where they can consider joining the military.”

In its report, Mission: Readiness has determined that high-quality early education is a proven strategy to combat academic failure, future criminality and other problems. Solid pre-kindergarten programs increase graduation rates and help children develop the skills they need for success in school and life.
For example, the study shows that 2 percent of children in the Pottstown School District that participated in the state’s Pre-K Counts program needed special education, compared to 14 percent of Pottstown kids that did not participate in Pre-K Counts.

“Clearly, this program works and it’s helping children succeed,” Stack said. “It’s amazing how paramount early education is, when you look at this study.”

Pennsylvania has made several significant commitments to provide early education opportunities, including Pre-K Counts, which has expanded pre-kindergarten opportunity to thousands of eligible children ages 3 and 4.

In addition, the state’s Accountability Block Grant Program has helped hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania students improve their education by expanding kindergarten from half day to full day and reducing classroom sizes in K-3 classrooms.

Unfortunately, due to a mounting state deficit, the Senate Republicans have offered a budget plan for the 2009-10 fiscal year that includes significant cuts to pre-kindergarten programs.

Specifically, the Republican plan calls for eliminating 1,000 slots budgeted for pre-K programs in Philadelphia alone and completely eliminating Bright Futures — another pre-K program — in the city. If enacted, the cuts would also force the School District of Philadelphia to scrap its Imagine 2014 plan to improve education for public school students in numerous ways, including smaller class sizes.

“These cuts are shameful and they could even impact potential future military recruits, which is detrimental to our entire country,” Stack said. “That’s why it’s so important that I and fellow lawmakers fight these proposed cuts to make sure that early education programs are well funded. It’s a wise investment in our youth, it’s a wise investment in our military and national defense, and it’s a wise investment in the future of our Commonwealth and nation.”

###