One of the main themes of the summit was the need to invest in early childhood education. Of course, the role investment in early education has in economic development is a major theme of Ready 4 K's work. It is amazing to think how far early childhood has come as an issue. Five years ago, when Ready 4 K was just getting started, a summit on education would have likely been focused primarily on k-12 and higher education. Now, people are beginning to talk more in terms of E-16 or P-16 to show how education needs to be a continuous stream from early childhood or preschool through college or university. It's a refreshing change to see. It reminds me that we are making progress in moving the issue forward and promoting the benefits of investing in the first five years, even though we have so far to go.
One of the startling things that was reported from the summit is that, according to research done by Dr. Arthur Reynods at the U of M, Minnesota is ranked 36th in the nation when it comes to children attending state pre-k programs.
A key priority is improving support for kids from birth to age 5. Only 1.9 percent of Minnesota 4-year-olds had access to prekindergarten classes in 2005, placing the state 36th in the nation on that measure. During the same year, Minnesota spent an average of slightly more than $283 per child for school readiness and $270 per child for Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) programs. Those expenditures don't measure up to Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois -- all states that spend an average of $2,980 or more per child for prekindergarten programs.
These statistics are certainly startling. However, they only include children in state funding programs, which in Minnesota are School Readiness and ECFE programs in the public schools. While it is true that Minnesota has dramatically underfunded preschool education and we need to do much more in this area, more than 1.9% of Minnesota 4-year-olds attend pre-kindergarten classes. These pre-k classes take place in community-based settings where children are while their parents are working. Most child care centers have age-appropriate curriculum for 3 and 4 year olds where they are learning the skills needed for school success. To say that less than 2% of Minnesota 4-year-olds are in pre-k is misleading, it is just that they are not in settings directly funded by the state for pre-k.
That being said, we still need to do more. Minnesota needs to expand investments in early childhood education, wherever the children are. That is what Ready 4 K will continue to advocate for. I hope you'll join us.
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