Issue Position: Expand access to quality public pre-kindergarten

Issue Position

When I first covered then-Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine on the campaign trail in 2005, I heard him advocate for universal access to public pre-kindergarten education. Twelve years later, we're making great strides toward that access but we're not there yet.

Not only should we continue to increase access to pre-K because it's the right thing to do so every child has a fair chance to succeed but also because it's good for the economy, with as much as a $7-to-$1 rate of return, if not more.

West Virginia offers more pre-K access and spends $25 million more than Virginia despite a much smaller population. Meanwhile, we also trail nearly all of our neighbors -- Maryland,Kentucky, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. -- in total funding for pre-K.Those states can afford pre-K because they've prioritized it. It's time for Virginia to catch up to its neighbors and invest in all of our children by prioritizing all-access for pre-K.

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