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This election, vote for Minnesota’s youngest learners.
The kindergarteners of Minnesota may not have lawn signs or sound bites, but they do have an important message for us this election: their shot at academic success is up to us.
Today in Minnesota, whether a child succeeds comes down to a coin toss: only 50 percent enter kindergarten ready to learn. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We need to make sure all of our kids are set up for lifelong success. Please tell your Minnesota legislative candidates to stand up for increasing access to high-quality early education in your community.
Research shows for every dollar we invest helping low-income kids access high-quality pre-K, we as a society get $16 back. Kids who attend quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school and college, more likely to get well-paying jobs, more likely to stay out of prison. That’s an investment worth making.
Minnesota’s on the right path. In 2011, we expanded the Parent Aware rating system statewide to connect parents with high-quality education. But we haven’t completed the job. We need to create a dedicated funding stream like other states have to ensure all families have access to great pre-K.
Remember to vote on November 6!