North Little Rock, Arkansas
I began my day today at Pike View Elementary to take a closer look at a high-quality preschool in action and to see the success of the Preschool Development Grant Program (PDG) in Arkansas. PDG is an initial down payment on President Obama’s vision of high-quality preschool for all four-year olds in the nation through a state-federal partnership.
As a nation, we must ensure that all children — regardless of socioeconomic status, race, background, disability, or zip code — have access to the opportunities that a high-quality education provides. And one of the best ways to deliver on that promise is by giving our youngest kids a great start.
This is why I’m especially proud of our work these past eight years to not only expand preschool but also dramatically improve the quality of the programs. For example, through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, more than $1 billion helped 20 states design and implement cohesive systems of quality early learning programs and services for young children. And through the Preschool Development Grants, 18 states are providing 35,000 four-year-olds with high-quality early learning experiences. Preschool is a critical means of expanding educational equity and opportunity by giving every child a strong start and studies show that attending high-quality preschool can result in children building a solid foundation for achieving the academic, health, and social outcomes that are of benefit to both individuals and society.
Indianola, Mississippi
From Little Rock, we headed to Indianola Mississippi to learn about its Promise Neighborhood. This community-based program provides coordinated services, including high-quality early learning and rich after-school activities, to create equitable opportunities for students and their families.
Inspired by Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone, Promise Neighborhoods takes a place-based, data driven approach to provide a holistic solution to poverty for students, parents and the community at large.
Monroe, Louisiana
Lastly, we ended our day in Sallie Humble Elementary to see how we’re preparing the next generation of teachers through their “Believe and Prepare” Program. The program, with the help from Race to the Top funds, has helped Louisiana prepare its next generation of teachers to work in an environment where all students are held to high standards, by pairing teacher candidates in teacher preparation programs with mentor teachers for a year-long residency.
Day 4 in photos
Little Rock, AR
Indianola, MS
