Kansas Governor Sebelius Testifies On Importance Of Early Learning

Expansion of early education key to closing the achievement gap, Governor says

June 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – A national commitment to early childhood education is needed if the United States is to close the achievement gap that holds far too many children back, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius told Congress today.

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Sebelius testified to the Joint Economic Committee, which is made up of members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.

“Too many children are entering school without the basic skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond,” Sebelius said. “Children who start off school behind their peers are more likely to stay behind throughout their school lives and into adulthood, meaning they never reach their full potential. A federal commitment to early childhood education will give countless young Americans the start they need to succeed in school and in life.”

Sebelius pointed to studies showing a direct connection between problems learning early in life and challenges faced later in school and the workforce.

For example, the Connecticut Longitudinal Study, which tracked students for several decades, showed that problems learning to read at an early age lasted throughout their school lives. These students were more likely to become teen parents and three times as likely to be unemployed than students without similar reading issues.

“What this tells us is that we can help lift children up and expand their opportunities through investments in early learning which close the achievement gap,” said Sebelius.

“It also pays dividends far in excess of the cost, by reducing the need for remedial programs, increasing worker productivity and reducing the number of young people who turn to crime and those who see their horizons limited by poor choices and abandoned dreams,” she continued.

Governor Sebelius pointed to Kansas as an example of how educators, social service agencies, parents and business leaders could be brought together to create a comprehensive early childhood education network.

Kansas has developed a statewide plan for early learning, part of which includes the pre-K pilot projects first proposed by Sebelius in 2006. The first projects created early childhood classrooms in six counties and that effort is being expanded this year.

Sebelius urged lawmakers to help states provide children with additional opportunities for early learning, as well as help training teachers and providing information to parents about the importance of early childhood education and the quality of local early childhood programs.

Source: Kansas Governor