NSBA's Letter to the House Committee on Education and Labor: January 21, 2008

January 21, 2008

The Honorable George Miller
Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Howard “Buck” McKeon
Ranking Member, Committee on Education and Labor
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Re:   Hearing on Investing in Early Education: Paths to Improving Children’s Success

Dear Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon:

On behalf of our nation’s 95,000 local school board members, I would like to thank you for your leadership in holding a hearing on Investing in Early Education: Paths to Improving Children's Success and ask that the following Policy Research Brief “Expanding Voluntary Preschool Education: The Federal Role” be entered into the official record for this hearing.

As leaders in their local communities, school board members recognize the critical role that quality early education plays in preparing children for success in school and in life, and believe strongly in the need for increased federal investment in this area. Unfortunately, the United States has relatively low enrollment and invests fewer public resources in preschool programs than other developed countries. Currently, many families do not have access to public preschool programs and are limited in terms of the quality of program they can afford.

Given your leadership, we are hopeful that the committee will work to improve this trend by creating a new federal grant program to assist school districts in developing and expanding quality pre-k programs. As you know, research shows that quality pre-k:

• Helps children develop the cognitive and social skills that are essential building blocks for their future success.
  
• Helps close the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers – a main goal of No Child Left Behind.
  
• Increases the chances that students will graduate from high school.
  
• Pays dividends for years to come, with returns of between $2 and $16 for each dollar invested.

School board members are excited that a number of pre-k bills have been introduced in this Congress, including—the “Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2007” (H.R. 3289) by Rep. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii; the “Universal Prekindergarten Act” (H.R. 4060) by Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio; and the “Prepare All Kids Act of 2007” (H.R. 2859) by Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. We look forward to seeing legislative action in the 110th Congress that will strengthen pre-k opportunities for our children and make a critical difference in our communities.

Thank you again for your leadership in this important area. If you have any questions, please contact Chrisanne Gayl, Director, Federal Programs at 703 838-6763 or cgayl@nsba.org.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Resnick
Associate Executive Director

Cc: Members, House Committee on Education and Labor