Preschool California Issues Statement on Senator Clinton's $10 Billion Universal Pre-Kindergarten Proposal

In Miami Beach, Florida, on Monday, May 21, New York Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton announced her proposal to invest $5 billion in the first year, increasing to $10 billion over a 5-year period, to expand access to effective pre-kindergarten programs for all of America's 4-year-old children. Clinton's plan would establish a federal-state partnership to create or expand states' efforts to increase and improve preschool opportunity. Preschool California President Catherine Atkin issues the following statement in response to Senator Clinton's proposal:

"Senator Clinton's proposal prioritizes a program that will affect us all: effective pre-kindergarten for America's children. The senator couldn't be more right: Education reform begins with effective pre-kindergarten because, when done right, it is a proven investment in school success.

"Senator Clinton has done her research. Effective pre-kindergarten programs, taught by well-trained and fairly compensated teachers, get kids ready to learn, read, and do their best in kindergarten and beyond. Teachers with the skills to create lively, enriching classrooms put kids on track for lifelong success. National studies show that the programs that demonstrate the biggest gains for children are those with well-trained teachers.

"We applaud Senator Clinton for her leadership on this critical issue, her recognition of the importance of well-trained preschool teachers in the classroom, and her insistence that the federal government do its part to help states give every child a strong start in school and in life. While momentum to increase access to effective pre-kindergarten in California continues to grow, our state still lags far behind most other states. We encourage all presidential candidates to step forward with proposals to help states invest in our nation's most precious resource. When kids start school ready to learn, our schools perform better, and all of society benefits."

This statement does not constitute an endorsement of Senator Clinton as a candidate for President.

Preschool California is a nonpartisan organization which does not endorse candidates. We are a broad-based, multi-year, advocacy campaign to make effective preschool programs available to all of California's 4-year-olds, starting with the children who need it the most. http://www.preschoolcalifornia.org.