Chris Martes, President and CEO of Strategies for Children, speaking at the launch of Pre-K for MA. Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children
Chris Martes, President and CEO of Strategies for Children, speaking at the launch of Pre-K for MA. Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

Launched this spring, the Pre-K for MA coalition has been growing, and we’re inviting you to join us by becoming a Voice of Support.

As we blogged in the spring, Pre-K for MA is an effort to expand access to high-quality early education programs. This effort is being led by Strategies for Children and Stand for Children Massachusetts.

As the Pre-K for MA website says, “High-quality early education has been shown to have a significant short- and long-term impact on children’s educational, health, social, and economic outcomes. Yet in Massachusetts, we have not invested enough in Pre-K, leaving the ‘kindergarten readiness’ challenge up to parents to figure out on their own.”

That’s why Pre-K for MA supports a bill filed by Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) and Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) called “An Act Ensuring High Quality Pre-Kindergarten Education.”

The bill calls on Massachusetts to follow New Jersey by providing “access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for 3-and 4-year-olds living in underperforming school districts,” as this fact sheet explains. 

High-quality early education also has the support of most Massachusetts voters, as recent polling results show.

The coalition’s work is to build age-appropriate ways for children to succeed.

“Kindergarten readiness is about starting early to support and develop the whole-child: social/emotional skills, vocabulary, early math, executive function, creativity, and a love of learning,” the coalition website explains. “The best pre-kindergarten programs do this, but Massachusetts has not yet devoted enough public funding to ensure that all young children can access them.”

You can help the Pre-K for MA coalition by getting involved. Take action and sign the pledge to become a Voice of Support.

You will be joining more than 650 individuals and organizations. It’s a group that includes parents and early educators as well as leaders in education, business, and civic life who know that high-quality early education can close this state’s achievement gap.

To keep up with news about Pre-K for MA, go to the coalition’s home page or to its more detailed news page. You can also Like the coalition on Facebook and follow along on Twitter @PreK4MA.

And please, sign the pledge. It’s a great way to build public support and inspire Massachusetts leaders to expand high-quality early education so that more children are ready to succeed in school and life.