Obama Announces $1B for Early Childhood Education

[hue]

Source: abcNEWS

Declaring early childhood education "one of the best investments we can make," President Barack Obama on Wednesday followed up on a promise to expand early education opportunities for tens of thousands of children by announcing $1 billion in public-private spending on programs for young learners.

Obama said that less than one-third of 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool and blamed the high cost of these programs for essentially shutting off access to poorer infants, toddlers and preschoolers. He said studies repeatedly show that children who are educated early in life are more likely to finish their educations, avoid the criminal justice system, hold good jobs and have stable families. All those factors are good for the U.S. and its economy overall, Obama said.

"We've got kids in this country who are every bit as talented as Malia and Sasha but they're starting out the race a step behind," Obama said, referencing his teenage daughters. He said the investments announced at a daylong White House summit on early education will help level the playing field.

Nationwide, 28 percent of America's 4-year-olds were enrolled in a state-funded preschool program last year.

"We're not close to where we need to be," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during a morning panel discussion on how to pump more investment into early learning.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/obama-announcing-1b-early-childhood-education-27494542

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Our President is the real Santa Claus. Giving Children, our Future, what is needed most!

Once again Thanks President Obama!!

[lovemydog]

1. Good.

I can use some really good news.

[femmocrat]

2. Sounds promising! Details from the same source:

At the summit, 18 states are being awarded a total of $250 million in Education Department grants to create or expand high-quality preschool programs. Those states are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. In all, 36 states had applied for the grant money.

Another $500 million from the Health and Human Services Department is being sent to more than 40 states to expand Early Head Start and child care programs for youngsters from birth to 3 years old.

Although, since I don't trust Duncan.... I wonder how those 18 states had to qualify for the grant money and why the other 18 failed to receive it.

[liberal_at_heart]

9. good question about what they will have to do to qualify to receive the funds.

My state, Washington State, is currently considered non compliant with Duncan's demand to tie teacher evaluations with state standardized tests. We have lost our waiver under No Child Left Behind and all of our schools are considered failing schools.

[NewDeal_Dem]

10. That's wise of you.

[shenmue]

3. Yes!

[steve2470]

4. k&r nt

[hopemountain]

5. and the congress are the grinches

ensuring kids lunches in schools are primarily "cheaper" gmo and insecticide/herbicide loaded and processed grains.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. What charters are getting the gold? Cuz I don't expect even 1 red cent to go to public schools

from this Administration...

[bekkilyn]

7. Wolf in sheep's clothing?

Not saying that any of the Republicans would have been any better, but this administration with Arne Duncan has been a continuing disaster for education in general. When I first saw this headline on my local news site, my very first thought was wondering how many standardized tests would be inflicted on these poor pre-K students as payment for these money grants. As if Pearson and the other corporations aren't getting enough profit from the K-12 students and teachers, so we're going to sell our pre-K kids to them too.

[liberal_at_heart]

8. yeah sounds like a great opportunity for Pearson to make money off of our 4 year olds.

And I bet the emphasis will be put on STEM education. The robot, I mean human brain soaks in so much information during the first 5 years of life. Our 4 year olds need to evolve to learn pre-algrebra. Maybe that's what all of this is, one big experiment to see if we can force evolution. Only one problem. We're experimenting on babies. My son is a guinea pig to these people, and I find it reprehensible.