By Rick Garcia
On May 14th at the State Capitol steps they came by the thousands – Parents, children, educators, early childhood professionals, care givers and advocates all donned in a sea of red t-shirts emblazed with the slogan “Star Power 2013.” What was most impressive was watching everyone do the “Chicken Dance” to celebrate the kickoff.
Over 2,000 residents from across the state arrived to celebrate “Star Power 2013” which symbolizes the growing support and understanding of the role a school ready child plays in developing strong communities by lawmakers and advocates alike.
Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley were honored as Michigan champions of early childhood along with the Michigan Sandbox Party and sponsoring lawmakers to include State
Rep. Rashid Tlaib, D-Detroit, a strong advocate for young families, and Sen. Roger Kahn, R- Saginaw, who leads the charge for young children.
“Michigan parents and their children – from Escanaba to Monroe, from Benton Harbor to Cheboygan made their voices heard on a broad range of issues that impact a child’s opportunity
for future success,” said Sarah Triplett, Michigan Sandbox Party assistant director of communications and civic engagement, who also indicated that Snyder referred to his budget proposal to put $130 million more into the Great Start Readiness program (GSRP) for the next two years as an opportunity to help eliminate the “readiness gap” for the state’s most vulnerable children-The prime recipients of the state-funded preschool program.
The recognition from the Michigan Sandbox Party comes as Snyder’s plan to expand preschool funding in Michigan to 29,000 additional 4-year-olds is under tough debate in the state Legislature.
“Studies which conclusively show at-risk 4-year-olds are more likely to succeed in school and in life if they attend high-quality preschool – there’s no better return on investment than that,” added Triplett.
Compared to plans put forth by the state Senate and House, Snyder’s proposal to expand the GSRP is the most comprehensive of strategies advanced in Lansing during budget negotiations.
Under current funding of $109 million, the Great Start Readiness Program serves only about 32,000 children, half the number eligible. The governor’s plan would add 16,000 slots next year and another 18,000 the following year for a total of 66,000 slots by 2015. Lawmakers hope to finalize the 2014 budget next month.
“To accomplish that we must make vital investments that benefit our children so that all students learn at high levels and are fully prepared for the future. With this additional support for early childhood education we can guarantee that 16,000 more young Michiganders will be off to a great start,” said Triplett.
“This year the focus is on preschool, but there is much more that has to be done – early childhood really is the big picture to put us on a path toward a flourishing state,” said Judy Y. Samelson, CEO of the Early Childhood Investment Corp., a publicly owned nonprofit charged with building and coordinating Michigan’s early childhood development system.
After the rally, parents, children and early childhood supporters met by geographic
regions and met with their respective representatives and senators to share their success stories and illicit their support.
At the end of the day, there were tired but happy faces, including the young toddlers
dozing off in their strollers. Now that’s a way to lobby around the Capitol!
Rick Garcia, a nonprofit executive, a civil rights advocate, blogger and a contributing writer for The New Citizens Press can be reached at rrgarcianrg@gmail.com
This was printed in the May 19, 2013 – June 1, 2013 Edition
