Today, we rallied over 100 students (Pre-K to college), parents, teachers, and advocates from all over New York State to Albany to call on our legislators to invest in quality early education. Early childhood education (we used the hashtag #ECEd) has been repeatedly cited as one of the most important factors in a child’s future opportunity and success, in addition to boosting local economies. More than three quarters of a child’s intellect, personality, and social skills are developed by age five. Estimates state that every dollar invested in early childhood education returns over seven dollars by the time a child turns 19. However, only 14% of public education dollars are spent on early childhood education in the U.S.
Citizen Action of New York, along with a coalition of other organizations including Winning Beginning NY, Early Care and Learning Council, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, New York State Association for the Education of Young Children, Center for Children’s initiatives, Alliance for Quality Education, and the Long Island Progressive Coalition presented a list of demands prepared for our legislators and Governor Cuomo for the funding needed to ensure all kids receive the quality education they deserve. We want our representatives to:
- Follow the recommendation of the Board of Regents and reprogram $53 million from the competitive grants proposed in the Executive Budget to Universal Pre-Kindergarten to expand the program to cover thousands more children, prepare qualified teachers and provide the technical support necessary to ensure sustainable quality,
- adopt the $93 million in child care funding as proposed in the Executive Budget,
- make an advance on the proposed $215 million in child care preservation funds for FY 2013-2014 to ensure that children of low-income working parents are able to receive subsidies,
- invest $20 million in the QUALITYstarsNY program. For those of you that aren’t familiar with QUALITYstarsNY, here’s an explanation.
Early education experts agreed these steps would lead to the benefits proven to come from investment in quality early education programs.
One notable speaker at the event was Abram Lansing Elementary School principal Cliff Bird. Cliff discussed the gross inequalities faced by differing school districts, and how students in wealthier districts are offered far more opportunities in every academic discipline, whether it be foreign language, music, art, after school programs, college prep, or any other necessary program. Most notably, he pointed out how this privilege results in students from affluent districts receiving 1300 more education hours before they turn six years old. How are students from less wealthy districts supposed to be able to compete with such a disadvantage?
Billy Easton, the executive director for the Alliance for Quality Education, closed out the press conference with a powerful warning for legislators: we’re going to live to see our kids grow up with either the accomplishments or consequences of the education funding they receive. We’ll either see a generation of success and prosperity, or continued economic hardship and increased incarceration.
After the press conference, the more than 100 education advocates met with legislators to urge them directly the need for good, quality schools and put a face to inequality. Their presence in the Capitol building helped put a face to school districts, forcing legislators to view them as real people rather than just statistics.
Here are some other quotes from presenters:
“My two older grandchildren are doing very well in elementary school because of their strong foundation in Pre-K,” said Amparo Sadler, Central Islip Grandmother and a member of the Board of the Alliance for Quality Education. “In Central Islip, Pre-K and kindergarten have both been cut to half day and now we are worried that the programs will be cut out completely due to State budget restraints. I worry about my youngest granddaughter who should be starting pre-k in the fall. Will she be getting the same early education that the others received?”
“The early years are where we can invest and expect strong returns,” said Kate Breslin, President and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy. “High quality early childhood education brings both short – and long-term economic benefits to taxpayers and communities when it is available to all children, starting with those who are most disadvantaged. Research shows that high quality early childhood education, including pre-kindergarten, can raise achievement levels and narrow disparities.”
Earlier this month, a new report showed that in the past three years, New York’s commitment to Pre-K has shrunk by $67 million. The report also found that within ten years of investment in quality Pre-K programs, New York State would realize cost savings of 40-60% in the areas of special education, grade repetition, and higher learning productivity. Going to college and higher paying jobs, lower teen pregnancy, lower welfare dependence, and reductions in crime were all found to be more likely for children who have access to quality Pre-K programs. The report can be accessed by clicking here.
“As the mother of a child in Pre-K, and an early learning provider, I know firsthand the impact that quality early education can have on the future success of our children,” said Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York and a Capital District resident. “And the benefits don’t stop at giving our kids the opportunity they need to succeed. Quality early childhood education programs are proven to offer a huge return on investment, which is exactly the kind of investment we need to make right now to get our economy going in the right direction again.”
“The early childhood years are critical to future success in school and in life,” said Marsha Basloe, Executive Director of the Early Care & Learning Council. “More children than ever are in child care programs at a very early age and research has proven that quality child care provides the key to unlocking opportunities and pathways to becoming more healthy and productive adults.”
“Research clearly documents the benefits of early childhood education in setting the foundation for lifelong acquisition of skills,” said Nancy Kolben, Executive Director of the Center for Children’s Initiatives. “These investments benefit all children and are particularly crucial to prepare our most at risk children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. New York State cannot afford to do less.”
“Early childhood education is easily the most cost effective educational reform available,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education. “The prescription for action is as simple as one, two, three: the legislature must enact the $93 million in child care funding the Governor proposed, add the $53 million for pre-kindergarten proposed by the Board of Regents, and ensure quality early childhood programs by investing in a quality rating and improvement system as championed by the U.S. Department of Education.”
[toggle title=”Here’s a roundup of press from the event (updated as we find more)”]
The Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter
Public News Service
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