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Installment No. 1:
People all over Arkansas are talking about pre-K. Here’s what they’re saying:
Quality Pre-K is Worth Investing In
Thankfully, many state leaders know the value of pre-K. They understand how important it is to invest early in student success while brain development is peaking. They understand that building Arkansas’s economy means developing a strong workforce by investing in all our children’s academic progress.
A few nay-sayers disagree despite all the evidence to the contrary. Both national research and Arkansas program research tell a different story. Even quality pre-k will begin to suffer when no new funding is provided for eight straight years. However, the overwhelming majority of Arkansas programs have done amazing work with scant resources.
Limiting investment in pre-K requires, at best, more expensive solutions to address student needs later in their education. At worst, some students never catch up and Arkansas is left with an under-educated workforce that thwarts our plans for an improved economy across the whole state.
Here are a few examples of leadership from business and education leaders who get it.
Marla Johnson, CEO & Co-founder, Aristotle, Inc.
In Arkansas, developmental gains have been significant among children who are served by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) pre-kindergarten program. In the fall of 2005, an average of 23.7 percent of ABC children demonstrated proficiency across seven areas of development. By the next spring, after only one year of Pre-K, that number had increased to 82.2 percent. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette March 12th, 2015)
Justin Eaton, Owner, IDK? Café, Bentonville, AR
Pre-K helps kids succeed in kindergarten. Pre-K provides high-quality learning opportunities for Arkansas children while their parents work. Pre-K is a great investment for Arkansas’s future workforce and a critical resource for working families.
Jamie Gates, Senior Vice President, Conway Area Chamber of Commerce
The Conway Chamber is putting its own money into quality pre-K. It’s a major priority for the Chamber.
Scott Shirey, Executive Director, KIPP Delta Public Schools
The research around quality pre-K is clear. Students who have a strong start to their education have an advantage over those who do not. Beyond improving academic gains, students coming from quality pre-K programs learn essential life and character skills such as curiosity and grit that stay with them well beyond their formative years. Thus, given the fact that the lessons learned in pre-K stay with our children for a lifetime, it would follow that a comparable level of attention and funding as K-12 would be appropriate.
Gary Ritter Ph.D, Professor of Education Policy & Faculty Director of the Office for Education Policy-University of Arkansas
From our review of the research, we believe that students participating in Arkansas’ Pre-K programs are entering kindergarten academically ahead of their peers and are less likely to be retained. These are very positive outcomes for young students, and we are looking forward to reviewing continued research examining how these effects can be carried on throughout the academic careers of these young students.
Business and Community Leaders Signing Pre-K Letter to Gov. Hutchinson
- Jill Dabs, Mayor, City of Bryant
- Carlton Billingsley, Owner, Floors and More
- Allan Dabbs, Owner, Back and Body Chiropractic
- Jean Harper, Deputy Director, Central Arkansas Development Council
As a member of Arkansas’s business community, we can attest to the need for responsible, educated, hard-working employees, and support an increase in funding for the Arkansas Better Chance Program as an answer to this need. By adequately funding early childhood programs, we can create a strong workforce, strengthen our state’s economy, and build an Arkansas that is prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
Governor Asa Hutchinson
Thank you, Governor Asa Hutchinson. In a tight budget situation, you made the call to include $ 3 million for the first funding increase for the ABC program in many years. This first step and the efforts that must follow are critical to building a strong workforce.
Arkansas Legislators
Thank you to the bi-partisan group of legislators who fought to see this pre-k funding increase among so many competing interests also seeking funding.
The list is too long to include everyone such as Arkansas pediatricians, Arkansas evangelical church leaders, the Interfaith Alliance, those participating in the Little Rock 2015 GradNation Community Summit, and more. Leaders from all across the policy spectrum understand the value of pre-K and support increased funding for it.
Join with these leaders now. Speak up for pre-K and help us insure success for all Arkansas kids.