WSEE/WJET: Legislatures Head Back to School
October 4, 2016
Last spring, Iroquois Elementary started its Pre-K program. Tuesday, legislatures that helped get funding for the program, had the chance to look inside.
About 30 students make up the two Pre-K classes at Iroquois Elementary. Legislatures gathered for a round table discussion about the new expansion part of Pre-K Counts.
“Pre-K Counts is a high quality, there are measures of standards for qualifications of teachers, curriculum, how it’s integrated with the kindergarten program. So, we’re investing in programs, that are shown by decades of research that meet these high quality benchmarks,” says Bruce Clash, state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.
Part of that investment, $30 million for Pre-K, included in the 2016-2017 budget, by the legislatures.
“I’m incredibly fortunate, and very proud of our students, and proud of our district, for being willing to accept this grant and collaborative effort…It’s an opportunity for our students to get a head start on learning how to be a student and learning how to treat one another,” says Iroquois Elementary principal, Brian Bronson.
After the round table discussion, everyone gathered inside for the ribbon cutting of the Pre-K classroom.
Principal Bronson says major highlights of the Pre-K classroom is learning from play.
“There’s so much brain activity going on in play…That our students wouldn’t have that organized opportunity to be with one another,” says Brian.
Co-chair of Pre-K for PA NWPA, Ron DiNicola says the sooner we get kids in school the better.
“All the studies show the good science, the solid economics shows that children that have access to pre-k are more likely to perform better in school, reduce the cost of special education, graduate with, from high school, and go on to post-secondary education,” he says.
Read the full article here.
