2007

May 23
Preschool California Issues Statement on Senator Clinton’s $10 Billion Universal Pre-Kindergarten Proposal (pdf)
"Senator Clinton’s proposal prioritizes a program that will affect us all: effective pre-kindergarten for America’s children.  The senator couldn’t be more right:  Education reform begins with effective pre-kindergarten because, when done right, it is a proven investment in school success."

May 14
Governor’s May Revision Includes Additional $50 Million for Preschool (pdf) (Preschool California)
In his 2007-08 May Budget Revision, Governor Schwarzenegger proposes a $50 million increase in California’s preschool programs for the children who need it most. This investment is in addition to last year’s $50 million in new funds that Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature approved for preschool with the passage of Assembly Bill 172.

March 8
Hispanic Children Gain an Academic Edge When Their Education Starts Early (The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics)
The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics urges that Hispanic children be enrolled in high quality education programs as early as possible in order to make more rapid progress in closing the Hispanic-White achievement gap.

February 15
California Lacks Facility Space for One in Five Preschoolers, Study Shows (Advancement Project Los Angeles)
The study, “California’s Preschool Space Challenge: What preschool advocates, parents, and policy-makers need to know,” released today by the Advancement Project Los Angeles, also revealed that the facilities shortfall disproportionately affects low-income children, children of color, children whose parents do not speak English at home and who did not finish high school – the very children who would most benefit from expanding
access to preschool.

January 11:
Preschool California Issues Statement Regarding Governor's 2007 Budget (Preschool California)
“Governor Schwarzenegger this week in his State of the State address said, ‘That small child with the sticky hands starting the first day of kindergarten is the foundation of California’s economic power and leadership.’ We couldn’t agree more."

January 3:
Status of California's Kids Undermines Public Health and Economy, According to New Children Now Report Card, "The State of the State's Children" (Children Now)
If significant children’s policy changes are not made in health care and education, current and future generations will be far worse off than previous ones and pay costs, directly and indirectly, for many years to come.

2006

December 12:
States Key to Ensuring Access and Quality of Effective Preschools, Says State Boards of Education Association (National Association of State Boards of Education)
Quality pre-school programs have proven themselves so successful at boosting student achievement that states should expand high-quality preschool systems to as many children as possible as soon as possible, concludes a new study by the National Association of State Boards of Education.

October 26:
Director Rob Reiner and News Anchor Maria Elena Salinas Host New Video to Help Parents Choose Quality Preschool Programs (Parents Action for Children)
Actor/director Rob Reiner and Emmy-winning news anchor Maria Elena Salinas are the hosts of a new video, "The Pre-K Promise," that promotes the benefits of preschool and provides help for parents seeking a pre-k program for their child.

September 14:
High-Quality Preschool Is Key to Closing the Achievement Gap (National Center for Children in Poverty)
As our nation's children head back to school this month, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) urges policymakers to ensure that preschool really does prepare young children to succeed in the early school years. NCCP's new report, Effective Preschool Curricula and Teaching Strategies, identifies ways to strengthen preschool in order to close the persistent achievement gap separating low-income children from their more affluent peers.

September 7:
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Expand Preschool for Children at California’s Lowest-Performing Schools (Office of the Governor)
Specifically, this legislation authorizes preschool programs to spend $50 million to hire more teachers, improve staff training and build literacy and outreach programs.

September 7:
Governor Signs Preschool Bill: First Step in Expanding Preschool Opportunity for California Children (Preschool California)
"We appreciate Governor Schwarzenegger's timely leadership in assuring that the state budget includes some resources to get us started in bringing quality programs to the California kids and schools that need it most."

August 31:
California Senate, Assembly Pass $50 Million Bill for Preschool (Preschool California)
"The passage of AB 172 (Chan) yesterday out of both houses of the Legislature is a victory for California's at-risk children, their families, and their struggling schools.

August 8:
Study Reveals Looming Child Care Crisis in California (First 5 California)
A new study released today by First 5 California, UC Berkeley and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network found that low salaries, high turnover and an aging workforce of early care and education (ECE) providers threaten the future availability and quality of child care services in California.

August 8:
Child Development Institute Awarded $2.5 Million Federal Grant (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Today, while most preschool classrooms have at least one child with a disability, teachers often have little or no training in educating and caring for these children.

July 25
New Research, Top Business Executives Tout Economic Benefits of High Quality Early Childhood Education (Committee for Economic Development)
Bolstered by new research that confirms the enormous economic returns from investments in high-quality early childhood education, the Committee for Economic Development (CED), a business- led public policy research organization, today hosted a forum in Washington, D.C. to more broadly disseminate the important new findings.

July 10:
High-Quality Pre-Kindergarten for Hispanic Children is Key to Closing Achievement Gap (Pre-K Now)
Pre-K Now will hold a press conference on Monday, July 10, 2006 to release Latinos and Pre-K: The Foundation for America's Future, a new report examining the benefits of pre-kindergarten programs and suggesting policy solutions to improve Hispanic access to those programs.

May 10:
Preschool for All Will Help More Kids Become Strong Readers in Elementary School (Preschool California)
That research is highlighted in a new report, Building Blocks of Reading, released today by the non-profit, nonpartisan Preschool California.

March 23:
California’s Preschool Program Earns Low Quality Marks; Spending Per Child Drops (National Institute for Early Education Research)
California’s state-funded preschool program served only one-tenth of the state’s preschool-age children, met few quality standard benchmarks and reduced spending per child, according to The State of Preschool: 2005 State Preschool Yearbook, released today.

January 24:
Say Yes to Children Network Comments on Gap Heir's Opposition to Preschool Initiative (Say Yes to Children Network)
An heir to the Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) clothing fortune is leading the opposition to a California ballot measure that will provide preschool to all four-year-old children in the state, Say Yes to Children Network has learned.

January 10:
National Poll Reveals American Business Leaders Link Access to Pre-Kindergarten Education to Country's Economic Prosperity (pdf) (The Pew Charitable Trusts, Committee for Economic Development, and the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
Facing a decline in the number of skilled workers, American business leaders overwhelmingly back public funding for pre-kindergarten for all children to keep the U.S. economy globally competitive, according to a survey by Zogby International.

2005

November 17:
Preschool for All Initiative Gathers 1 Million Signatures (Preschool for All Campaign)
Standing with business leaders from across California, children’s advocate Rob Reiner announced today that the Preschool for All Act has collected one million signatures to qualify the initiative for the June 2006 ballot.

November 15:
Kindergarten Teachers Near Unanimous in Support for Preschool (Preschool California)
More than 9 out of 10 kindergarten teachers in California say it is important for children to go to preschool before they start kindergarten, according to a new statewide poll of California public school kindergarten teachers.

September 29:
NCLR and the NCLR California Affiliate Preschool Coalition Endorse "Preschool for All Act" (National Council of La Raza)
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., and eight California Latino-serving community-based organizations – members of the Education Committee of the California NCLR Affiliate Network (CNAN) – today endorsed the “Preschool for All Act.” 

September 13:
National Study Raises Alarm about Declining Preschool Teacher Qualifications and Low Pay (Preschool California)
Preschool California issued the following response to the Economic Policy Institute report: Losing Ground in Early Childhood Education, which is embargoed for release Thursday, September 15.
The report uses U.S. Census and Current Population Survey (CPS) data to show that since the early 1980’s, qualifications and pay for those who teach young children have steadily declined.

Aug. 31:
Preschool Advocates Converge on Capitol (Preschool California and Children Now) 
Film director and children’s advocate Rob Reiner today joined an influential group of California business, education and labor leaders and 450 preschool advocates at the Sacramento Convention Center for a back-to-school rally supporting greater public investment in preschool opportunity for all.

July 27:
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Endorses Preschool for All Initiative (Joint Release from the Preschool for All Campaign and the Chamber)
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce announced today that it will support a ballot measure aimed at providing preschool for all four-year olds in California, nearly a year before it is expected to go before voters.

May 16:
Expelled from preschool: National study highlights lack of adequate preschool funding in California (Preschool California)
“This study carries two important lessons for California. The first is that the few public preschool programs offered in California aren’t funded well enough to provide the training and professional support teachers need to identify and manage children with behavior problems. California funds public preschool at half the rate of kindergarten.”

April 19:
Rob Reiner Leads Coalition to File Preschool for All Initiative (Preschool California)
Children’s Advocate Rob Reiner and a broad-based coalition of business, labor and education leaders today announced they will file a June 2006 ballot initiative to offer quality preschool programs for all California 4-year-olds whose parents choose to enroll them.

March 30:
RAND Study Says Creating Universal Preschool in California Would Create Benefits That Surpass Costs (RAND)
Investing public money to make preschool available to every 4-year-old in California would generate an estimated $2 to $4 in benefits for every dollar spent, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.

Feb. 9:
Law Enforcement Report Finds: California’s Preschool Shortage Threatens Public Safety (Fight Crime Invest in Kids California)
California is failing to meet the overwhelming demand for preschool, denying tens of thousands of the state’s most at-risk kids the education and support proven to help them succeed and steer away from crime.

2004

Nov. 18:
From Preschool to Prosperity: Researchers Report Big Benefits from Quality Preschool (Preschool California)
The nation’s most respected long-term study of the effects of quality preschool has documented dramatic benefits to children, society and the economy, offering a powerful lesson for California, which lags the nation in preschool enrollment. Researchers calculated that the Perry Preschool program has returned more than a quarter of a million dollars to the public, per child, on an initial investment of $15,000 per child. The study followed the children from their preschool years to age 40.

August 4:
California Children Left Out of Preschool: Local, State and National Leaders Converge on Capitol To Call for Preschool for All 4-year-olds Statewide (Preschool California)
An influential group of national experts and California education, business and law enforcement leaders gathered today at a preschool near the state Capitol to say that California can no longer afford to allow hundreds of thousands of children to start school each year without solid preparation for success in school.

June 2: 
Rob Reiner, Santa Clara County Leaders Announce Major Local Funding Commitment to Preschool (Preschool California)
Education, law enforcement and local government leaders joined FIRST 5 California Chairman Rob Reiner today at a San Jose preschool to announce FIRST 5 Santa Clara County’s new, $50-million commitment of Prop.10 funds to increase access to quality preschool for children in Santa Clara County.  Even while lauding that commitment, however, Reiner and local leaders called on the state of California to make quality preschool available to all preschool-age children.

May 20:
Sacramento Children Left Out of Preschool: High Profile Regional Leaders Convene Forum on Benefits and Public Demand for Preschool for All (Preschool California)
Education, law enforcement and local government leaders gathered today at California State University, Sacramento, to call attention to the alarmingly low number of Sacramento area children who are enrolled in preschool programs.

May 13:
Advisory: Community Leaders Call for Preschool for All 4-year-olds: New Data Show Fewer Than Half of Riverside County Children Enroll (Preschool California)
As many as 100 leaders from diverse sectors including education, business, and law enforcement will convene a special community leader forum on Thursday, May 13, to discuss the critical need and public demand for more quality preschool programs for Riverside County children and their families.

May 11:
Advisory: Community Leaders Call for Preschool for All 4-year-olds: New Data Show Fewer Than Half of Orange County Children Enrolled (Preschool California)
As many as 100 leaders from diverse sectors including education, business, and law enforcement will convene a special community leader forum on Tuesday, May 11, to discuss the critical need and public demand for more quality preschool programs for Orange County children and their families.

May 4:
San Diego Children Left Out of Preschool: High Profile Regional Leaders Convene Forum on Benefits of and Public Demand for Preschool for All (Preschool California)
An influential group of education, law enforcement and business leaders gathered today at the Linda Vista Child Development Center to call attention to the alarmingly low number of San Diego children who are enrolled in preschool programs.

April 27:
Valley Children Left Out of Preschool: High Profile Central Valley Leaders Convene Forum on Benefits and Public Demand for Preschool for All (Preschool California)
Education, law enforcement and business leaders gathered today at Fresno State’s Joyce M. Huggins Early Education Center to call attention to the alarmingly low number of Valley children who are enrolled in preschool programs.