(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) held up Washington state’s
coordination of early education programs as an example of a successful early
education effort at a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
hearing on early childhood education. Murray recently introduced the Ready to
Learn Act that would provide significant federal resources for early learning
programs across the country. At the hearing she stressed the importance of
investing in high-quality early learning programs, as well as the importance of
coordinating resources to best prepare children for success in school and
beyond.
“We know that children who
attend high-quality pre-k programs are less likely to be held back a grade or
to need special education, and they are more likely to graduate from high
school,” Senator Murray said in the hearing today. “They also have
higher earnings as adults and are less likely to become dependent on welfare or
involved in crime….I’m glad to say that my home state of Washington has really
embraced investments in early childhood education. In fact, in 2006, the
Governor and the Legislature in partnership created the State Department of
Early Learning, the first Cabinet-level agency of its kind in the
nation. The work of the department focuses on children’s earliest years of
life. And with almost half a million children in Washington ages birth to six,
we see tremendous opportunities to prepare all of our youngest citizens for
success.”
“In Washington State,
we’ve been a leader in early childhood education, creating the nation’s first
Cabinet-level Department of Early Learning to align programs that will prepare
newborns and toddlers for kindergarten and lifelong learning,” said Governor
Chris Gregoire. “As Congress looks to reauthorize the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), I believe early learning must be a part of the
underlying law that guides our nation’s education system and I appreciate the
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holding today’s
hearing. I also thank Senator Murray for her leadership on early
education, and for introducing the ‘Ready to Learn Act’ that creates strong
partnerships between the federal government, states, and others so that we can
make the best investment possible for our future – our children.”
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