Here in Arkansas, many parents, educators, and business leaders agree that pre-K is a valuable and effective strategy for preparing children for the future. Students who participated in the Arkansas Better Chance program scored 11 percentage points higher in Math Concepts and Written Language than students who did not participate in a pre-K program.
Despite the strong impact of pre-K in Arkansas, current funding falls short of the great need for pre-K opportunities. Pre-K funding in Arkansas has not changed since 2008, while state prison funding has increased 19 percent. We must change this!

Over the next few weeks, Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families and the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will release a series of videos that highlight voices in support of pre-K across the state. In Beebe, teachers know the value of pre-K in helping children get off to a strong start in school. Beebe needs increased funding for the children they currently serve to ensure they are able to maintain a high-quality program.

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What you can do to stand up for pre-K in Arkansas:

Join this Thunderclap to voice your support for more pre-K funding now! A Thunderclap is a “crowdspeaking” tool that helps people amplify an issue by saying the same message together on social media. Visit: https://bit.ly/standupprek to donate one Facebook post or tweet that will post our message at a pre-arranged time on Nov. 17.