September 16, 2013 01:21 PM UTC

Amendment 66 is committed to providing access to early childhood education

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• by: Colorado Commits to Kids

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(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Making new friends, trying new things, discovering interests and abilities — we remember preschool and kindergarten as a time of fun and exploration. What you didn’t realize at the time was that spending your days in a preschool or kindergarten classroom was setting you up for success for the rest of your life.

Why is early childhood education important?

• Students who complete preschool and full-day kindergarten are more likely to graduate from high school and are better prepared to enter the workforce. Win for them, win for our communities.

• Preschool and full-day kindergarten give students a head start to tackle critical skills like reading — and when kids are proficient in reading by the 3rd grade, they are much more likely to be successful throughout their entire learning careers.

Where we stand:

• Colorado does have a state program for preschool. That’s a good start, but we spend less than almost all other states that have a statewide pre-K program: 38th out of 40, and the lack of funding shows. Districts have lengthy waiting lists for many kids who are eligible for the Colorado Preschool Program.

• Colorado funds only half-day kindergarten, and relies on parents and taxpayers in each school district to cover the cost of full-day kindergarten.

What we’ll do:

• 25,500 preschool-aged kids will have access to the Colorado Preschool Program. Bring on the learning!

• Want full-day kindergarten for your little ones? Amendment 66 will pick up the tab for districts that want it.

• The more kids enrolled, the more space we’ll need! We’re going to help districts build or expand facilities to accommodate our young learners.

• Creating a stronger early childhood education system for our state’s 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds is an important way to commit to Colorado’s kids.

To learn more, please visit voteyeson66.com