Pre-K Now
Pre-k provides children with a sturdy foundation for success.

Register for Pre-K Now's National Conference, Dec. 10
90 Conference Viewing Events Ready Now – Not Too Late to Plan Your Own!
Ray Suarez of The NewsHour will host our conference broadcast
Ray Suarez of The NewsHour will host our conference broadcast.
We thank our national conference sponsors for their generous support!

From professional development for teachers to collaboration between early childhood programs, pre-kindergarten advocates encounter a number of pivotal choices and barriers on the road to high-quality, voluntary pre-k for all. Add to these challenges our nation's current economic crisis and the need for advocates to gather and plan for 2009 is even more urgent. That's why Pre-K Now's 2008 national conference is so important and why we want you to be a part of it!

Our live, interactive conference program will be broadcast through satellite television and the Internet. Anyone can set up a conference viewing event with our
PDForganizer guide and online event management tools. Or, sign up for a viewing event hosted by someone else.

National Broadcast Details, Dec. 10, 2008
Starts: 1:00pm ET – Ends: 2:30pm ET‡
Get satellite coordinates or webcast links
‡ Some viewing sites offer activities before and/or after the national broadcast. Be sure to note times on each viewing site's online sign-up page.

 

 

 

On the Inside Pre-K blog

 

 
Today in Pre-K
National Association of Manufacturers Adds Early Education to Agenda
The nation’s largest industrial trade association has announced its support for early education, further indicating the business community’s recognition of pre-k as an investment in the nation’s workforce. In the newest version of its Public Policy Position on Education and the Workforce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) stated, “Access to high quality early education and learning opportunities is integral to helping today’s children prepare for the highly competitive, fast-paced global economy.” The growing trend of business groups endorsing pre-k does not stop there. Last month, business leaders gathered in Colorado for a three-day conference on early education investments, sponsored by the Telluride Foundation and Partnership for America’s Success. In addition, an official from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee Chairman met recently in Los Angeles to urge California business leaders to back early education.
read more 		 
Despite Budget Woes, California Governor Signs Two Early Ed Bills
After struggling to finalize California's FY09 budget—and making severe cuts to address a massive budget shortfall—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger worked with the state legislature to maintain level funding for the state’s investment in pre-k. In addition, the governor signed two early education bills into law last week. The first bill, SB 1629, establishes an Advisory Committee charged to develop an Early Learning Quality Improvement System. This will increase providers' capacity to reach higher program quality and help parents make more informed decisions about programs. The second bill, AB 2759, is designed to allow for more effective use of state funds by consolidating all the early childhood education programs in the state. "Pre-Kindergarten education is the first formal step a child takes toward academic success and California's children deserve the highest-quality programs that put them on track to a successful future," says Governor Schwarzenegger.
read more
Yesterday in Pre-K
Looking for a news item that was here yesterday but is gone today? Click here
 
Resource Center
Pre-K Advocates
Policymakers
Media
Business and Community Leaders
Educators
Families
Middle-Class Families in Difficult Pre-K Pinch
For far too many middle-class families, the program proven to help all young children enter school ready to learn and succeed is beyond their reach, according to a new report released by Pre-K Now. “The Pre-K Pinch: Early Education and the Middle Class” reveals that eligibility requirements and prohibitively high costs leave such families struggling to pay for early education for their kids.
read the report (PDF)
view the press release
Video: Briefing on America's Pre-K Movement
Pre-K Now held a briefing for congressional staff, cosponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kit Bond, on October 1. Hear what a governor, three superintendents, two directors of early childhood programs, and a national teacher of the year think Congress should do to increase families' access to quality, state-funded pre-k.
watch and learn more
Prekinder.org
Visite a prekinder.org
para recursos en español para padres.

Visit prekinder.org
for resources in Spanish for parents.
The movement to establish high-quality pre-k for every child who needs it will be America's statement about its children in the 21st Century.