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Download Letter to Editor: Sample Dear Editor: As a member of this community, I encourage everyone to support the Governor's FY 2008-2009 budget proposal to increase funding for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts by $12.6 million to serve an additional 1,000 children and expand some part-time programs to full-time. Additionally, another critical investment is the $48.8 million to improve child care programs through Keystone STARS and increase access to child care subsidies through Child Care Works. However, even with this investment, more than 8,000 children remain on the child care subsidy waiting list. Please urge your legislators to increase this investment by an additional $9 million to reduce this waiting list by a total of 4,000 children. Research shows that young children who are exposed to high-quality pre-K experience greater behavioral, emotional and cognitive development that increases their school readiness. They score better on standardized tests, have greater academic success, experience fewer grade retentions, need less special education remediation and are more likely to graduate from high school. Once they graduate from high school, they are likelier to earn family-sustaining wages, contribute to the tax base and require less welfare involvement than their peers who did not attend pre-K. Without a doubt pre-K and other early childhood education investments positively impact students, schools and communities in our area as well as across Pennsylvania. Let's support pre-K. Sincerely, Dear Editor: Kudos to you for your recent editorial in support of PA Pre-K Counts that served 11,000 3-and-4-year-olds in preschool this school year. Pre-K enhances the social, emotional and cognitive readiness of tomorrow's students. Because 90 percent of a child's brain development occurs before age 5, kids at this age are like little sponges - they love to learn!! So helping very young children harness this quest for knowledge is a wonderful thing: We can help our children get off to the right start through high-quality pre-K programs that foster a child's desire to learn. Thank you for supporting pre-K and for challenging the Legislature to step up and make a difference in a child's life. Our policymakers can do this by supporting the governor's request for an additional $12.6 million for Pre-K Counts and other early childhood education programs. We know pre-K works. There's landmark research to back it up. It's good for kids, schools and communities. Let's do the right thing. Name
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