As a father and grandfather, I want the same thing that every Georgian does: for my loved ones to have every possible opportunity for success. As Governor, I’m proud to lead a state that supports thoughtful, innovative educational programs that offer those opportunities to thousands of Georgians every day. One such program, Georgia’s Pre-K Program, has been helping our state’s youngest learners for a quarter of a century.
Funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education, Georgia’s Pre-K Program has already served nearly 1.6 million four-year-olds in constructive, curriculum-based classroom settings. Pre-K students are exposed to reading, math, science and social-emotional learning in the course of a normal day. The techniques applied by teachers not only provide students with a strong foundation for future success, but also instill within them a joy of learning that carries on throughout their academic careers. That love of learning is essential in preparing children to enter kindergarten and adapt to the classroom setting for the years ahead.
As a former public school teacher and longtime advocate for children, my wife Sandra taught me that Georgia’s children are a precious resource and must be given the support to achieve their dreams from the first day they step in a classroom. In furtherance of that objective, Sandra has read to students in all 159 Georgia counties, including more than 750 schools in 181 school districts. During Georgia Pre-K week this year, October 2-6, Sandra and I will join teachers, state legislators, local officials, parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends to once again visit and read to children in pre-K centers in communities around the state.
We make this annual commitment because it reinforces both the young minds in our state and Georgia’s position as a leader among all other states. When children are introduced to developmentally appropriate learning early in life, they are much more likely to be on track to read at grade level by the end of the third grade. We know that a child who learns to read on grade level by the end of this important gateway year is then able to read to learn thereafter, significantly increasing the chances that he or she will succeed academically, graduate from high school and be prepared to earn a meaningful job placement in our workforce. As the No. 1 state in which to do business for four years running, we need to make further investments in our classroom-to-career pipeline, including at its very beginning with pre-K.
Georgia’s Pre-K Program operates through a public-private partnership and is administered by Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Under this model, families have access to pre-K programs offered by public and private schools, for-profit and non-profit child care learning centers, colleges and universities, and military facilities.
Today, Georgia’s Pre-K Program serves approximately 81,000 children at more than 1,800 locations in all 159 counties. The accessibility of pre-K for young learners sets Georgia apart, as only seven other states provide these opportunities to more than 50 percent of their four-year-olds. Beyond implementing one of most accessible pre-K models in the nation, our model is also one of the most effective in producing positive long-term results.
This year, I encourage you to join me in recognizing and thanking our state’s pre-K teachers during Georgia Pre-K Week. Organized by Voices for Georgia’s Children and supported by Georgia Power and Synovus, this week reaffirms our commitment to the future of our children and our state. I’m proud to say that our efforts over the past 25 years have given our youngest learners the start they both need and deserve. Just imagine what we can achieve together over the next 25 years here in the best state to work, learn and call home.
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