James Heckman

"It is the large social benefits for the general public – stemming from the savings to taxpayers, victims of crime and employers – that make the firmest case for [preschool] programs."


“The real question is how to use the available funds wisely. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young and improve basic learning and socialization skills.”
James J. Heckman
2000 Nobel Laureate in Economics
See Heckman's report, Investing in Disadvantaged Young Children in an Economically Efficient Policy.

 
Jim Wunderman

"It’s a win-win for California – preschool benefits both our kids and our economy.
Investing in preschool makes sense for California – dollars and sense."
Jim Wunderman
President and CEO, Bay Area Council
Read Wunderman's op-ed in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal: Investing in preschool programs is a no-brainer.

 Julie Meier Wright

"Our future is in high-tech industries that demand a highly skilled work force. And that highly skilled work force builds its foundation for learning in preschool. What happens during finger painting and story time has more of an impact on our ability to create the next generation of highly skilled workers than we originally thought."
Julie Meier Wright
President and CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
See Meier Wright's op-ed in the San Diego Union Tribune: From preschool to a high-tech workplace.

Ned Barnholt

"The practical first step is to get 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families into better preschools. It is possible to envision a future in which every child starts kindergarten ready to learn and 13 years later walks across a stage to accept a diploma. If we succeed, all our children will have the support and tools to achieve their dreams."
Ned Barnholt
Former Chairman and CEO, Agilent
See Barnholt's op-ed in the San Jose Mercury news: Universal preschool would give all kids a chance to succeed.

Ben Bernanke

“Although education and the acquisition of skills is a lifelong process, starting early in life is crucial. Recent research…has documented the high returns that early childhood programs can pay in terms of subsequent educational attainment and in lower rates of social problems, such as teenage pregnancy and welfare dependency.”
Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman

Carl Guardino

“Companies in high-tech, the life sciences, biosciences, telecommunications, software, defense and electronics sectors will continue to prosper only if they can continue to find workers with highly developed, highly trained skills and education. And those workers build their skills on a foundation of learning best gained in preschool.”
Carl Guardino
CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
See Guardino's op-ed in Community Investments: Pre-K: A Smart Business Investment (p. 4).

Jerri Hemsworth

"Our society has learned that early education for children is not an ‘experiment.’ The results are in: Preschool for all children will make a difference for all of California."
Jerri Hemsworth
President, National Association of Women Business Owners-California

Janet Yellen

"As such, programs to support early childhood development, such as preschool programs for disadvantaged children, not only appear to have substantial payoffs early but also are likely to continue paying off throughout the life cycle."
Janet Yellen
President, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Read Yellen's speech to the Center for the Study of Democracy, Economic Inequality in the United States.

Daphne Anneet

“As a business owner, I also am keenly aware that investing in and supporting quality preschool is a wise, far-sighted business decision. Students who attend quality preschools start out with a stronger footing and are less likely to become involved in crime and more likely to have successful, high-paying and lasting careers.”
Daphne Anneet
Partner, Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP

Business Week

“Given the strong evidence of its benefits to society, preschool education for the poor – and perhaps all children -- is a must.”
BusinessWeek, naming preschool one of 25 ideas for a changing world
Read BusinessWeek's Special Report: 25 Ideas for a Changing World.

Federal Researve Bank of Minneapolis

"Investing in early childhood development yields a much higher return than most government-funded economic development initiatives.”
Arthur Rolnick and Rob Grunewald, Economists, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis