• Click here for recent pre-K news.
• Click here for research and reports regarding the benefits of pre-K.
• Click here to download a report detailing Tennessee's pre-K collaboration model. The report was developed by the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Early Learning. Read more about the report by clicking here.
• Click here for pre-K eligibility and enrollment information from the Tennessee Department of Education Office of Early Learning Web site.
• Click here to get involved and learn how you can show your support.
• Click here to join the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education group on Facebook.
• Click here to contact your legislators.

Alliance Updates_____________________ 

Legislative Update: State Budget Passes with Recurring Funding for Pre-K - 6.18.09

Thanks to each and every one of you for your hard work this past week. Thank you for personally contacting your legislators. Thank you for telling your legislators that pre-K works. We will undoubtedly have a big fight on our hands in 2010; but for now, pre-K funding is safe.

Please take a moment to thank your legislators for making pre-K funding a recurring part of the state’s budget and for doing the right thing for Tennessee’s children (click here to find your legislators). Also, please consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in support of pre-K and the new budget.

Following is a news release issued by the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education earlier today.

Thank you again for your hard work.

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Tennessee Alliance for Early Education, Stand for Children, United Ways of Tennessee Applaud Legislators for Pre-K Funding - 6.18.09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Alliance for Early Education, Stand for Children and United Ways of Tennessee today applauded members of the Tennessee General Assembly for their ongoing commitment to the state’s voluntary pre-K program.

“We are very pleased that our lawmakers did the right thing for Tennessee’s most at-risk children by making pre-K a part of the recurring budget,” said Andy Spears, director of policy outreach at Stand for Children. “We are especially grateful for the leadership of Gov. Phil Bredesen and to Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Speaker Kent Williams for their pledges of support for pre-K. Pre-K has always been a bipartisan effort, and we salute the members of the Tennessee General Assembly for working together to honor the spirit of the program.”

In a budget compromise that was reached on Wednesday, June 17, legislators agreed to fund Tennessee’s nationally recognized pre-K program from the state’s general fund and not from non-recurring dollars, as had been proposed earlier in the week. This action protects the 250 classrooms that were in danger of being cut next year had pre-K been left in the “non-recurring” budget category.

Throughout the week, members of the Senate and House leadership expressed support for the pre-K program. “I can firmly tell you there’s no intent, no intent, to dismantle the pre-K program in the state of Tennessee,” said Ron Ramsey at a June 16 news conference. “I can assure you that’s the case.”

“We don’t want to jeopardize losing our pre-K program that the administration, the House and the Senate have worked so hard to implement through the years,” House Speaker Kent Williams told Nashville television station WSMV-TV on June 15. “It sort of scares you when you do non-recurring dollars.”

Tennessee is a nationally recognized leader in pre-K education. The program serves 18,000 at-risk 4-year-olds in 94 counties. Since 2003, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has recognized the state for its pre-K program. Tennessee is one of eight states that meet nine of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks.

“The nation has traditionally looked to Tennessee as a model for how to structure an early education program,” said Diane Neighbors, chair of the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education. “Thanks to the members of the Tennessee General Assembly, we will maintain our reputation as a state that cares about children. Our thanks go to the Senate and House leadership for their bold decision to fund pre-K with recurring budget dollars.”

The Tennessee Alliance for Early Education is a bipartisan coalition of more than 900 individuals and groups who believe the expansion of pre-K opportunities across the state is critical to the future success of our children. Visit www.prekfortn.com for more information.

Stand for Children is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving children’s lives by improving public schools. To learn more, visit www.stand.org/tn.

United Ways of Tennessee are working to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks for a good life--education, income and health. Together, we can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow. That's what it means to LIVE UNITED. To learn more, visit www.uwtn.org.

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Legislative Update - 6.15.09

On Tuesday, June 16, the state Senate will vote on a proposed budget alternative that shifts $22 million in pre-K funding to “non-recurring” dollars. This means that after the 2009-2010 budget, a quarter of the pre-K funding is likely to go away. As a result, 250 pre-K classrooms serving 5,000 at-risk 4-year-olds would simply cease to exist in 2010-2011, if funding was not restored.

Pre-K in Tennessee has always enjoyed bipartisan support. But, if the Senate budget passes, it will open the door for pre-K critics to begin to dismantle the program during the next budget cycle. We need your help today to ensure that voluntary pre-K remains an option for our state’s at-risk children.

Please take action TODAY:

1. Call/contact your own senator and representative (click here to find your legislators).
2. Call/contact any others legislators that you know.
3. Call/contact all members of Senate and House Finance committees, as these individuals will most likely be appointed to the conference committee.
4. Share this information with your friends and ask them to help.

Pre-K works. Eighteen thousand of our state’s children are benefiting from the nationally recognized, high-quality program. To lose a quarter of the classrooms would be tragic. That is why legislators must designate recurring funding for the pre-K program this year in order to ensure its future.

NEWS CONFERENCE – YOU’RE INVITED
The Department of Education will host a news conference about pre-K funding on Tuesday, June 16, at 1 p.m., in Room 30 of Legislative Plaza. You are invited to attend and show your support for pre-K in Tennessee.

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Tennessee Alliance for Early Education, Stand for Children Call for Continued Funding of Pre-K Program - 6.11.09

For Immediate Release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Alliance for Early Education and Stand for Children today called on the Tennessee General Assembly to fully fund the state’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program using recurring funds.

A proposed budget alternative shifts $22 million in pre-K funding to "non-recurring" dollars. This means that after the 2009-2010 budget, that funding would go away. As a result, 250 pre-K classrooms serving 5,000 at-risk 4-year-olds would simply cease to exist if funding was not restored during the next budget cycle.

"We realize that tough decisions must be made about the state's budget," said Andy Spears, director of Policy Outreach at Stand for Children. "But that's not an excuse for telling 5,000 families that they may no longer have access to high-quality, early education. We urge the Tennessee General Assembly to pass the governor's funding proposal, which uses recurring dollars to fund the pre-K program."

TAEE and Stand are urging lawmakers to approve Gov. Bredesen's budget proposal. The governor’s plan maintains funding for pre-K and K-12 education. The two organizations are mobilizing their grassroots networks of supporters to contact legislators in support of pre-K.

Tennessee is a nationally recognized leader in pre-K education. The program serves 18,000 at-risk 4-year-olds in 94 counties. Since 2003, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has recognized the state for its pre-K program. Tennessee is one of eight states that meet nine of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks.

"Tennessee's most vulnerable children need the state's high-quality pre-K program now more than ever," said Diane Neighbors, chair of the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education. "The economy has left many families in dire straits. To lose access to pre-K just adds insult to injury. We hope our lawmakers will do the right thing and keep the original funding proposal intact."

The Tennessee Alliance for Early Education is a bipartisan coalition of more than 900 individuals and groups who believe the expansion of pre-K opportunities across the state is critical to the future success of our children.

Stand for Children is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving children’s lives by improving public schools. To learn more, visit www.stand.org/tn.

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Early Childhood Summit Update - 5.7.09

Due to funding challenges, the Tennessee Alliance for Early Education and the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Early Learning are unable to host the Early Childhood Summit this year. We have been holding off on making this announcement with the hopes that the necessary funding would come through. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all work together to weather the current economic situation.

Although there will be no statewide conference this year, we hope you will take advantage of other professional development opportunities provided by the Department of Education and your local school system.

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Legislative Updates - 5.01.09

Senate Education Committee Passes Education Budget
Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee passed the pre-K-12 education budget 8-0, with no changes to Gov. Bredesen’s proposal. The Senate Finance Committee will take up the pre-K-12 education budget next. Please check back regularly for updates.

House Finance Committee Expected To Vote on Education Budget Soon
On Tuesday, May 5, the House Finance Committee is expected to vote on the pre-K-12 education budget.

ACTION STEPS
Tennessee's lawmakers need to hear from you during this critical time of budget decisions.

• Contact your state senator and representative (click here to find your legislators). This is especially important if your legislators are members of the House Finance Committee, as this committee is expected to take up the education budget soon. Ask them to maintain the current level of funding for Tennessee’s pre-K program.

• Contact each member of the Senate Finance Committee (click here for a listing). Ask them to maintain the current level of funding for Tennessee’s pre-K program.

In these extremely difficult economic times, maintaining existing funding for pre-K in Tennessee is by no means a guarantee – yet, pre-K is more important now than ever. The number of at-risk 4-year-olds eligible for the state’s pre-K program continues to rise. Currently, 40 percent of at-risk 4-year-olds in Tennessee are not being served by either the state’s pre-K program or Head Start.

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Tennessee Law Enforcement Leaders Champion Pre-K To Cut Crime - 4.29.09

Law Enforcement's Case for Pre-K
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee recently released a report entitled “Law Enforcement's Case for Pre-K.” The report cites research showing that children who benefit from early learning experiences are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and avoid crime later in life. To read the full report, click here.

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NIEER Releases 2008 Report Card - 4.8.09

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More Than 90 Alliance Members Make Push for Continued Funding for High-quality, Voluntary Pre-K - 3.25.09

On Wednesday, pre-K advocates from across Tennessee convened on Capitol Hill to voice support for maintaining full funding of pre-K in 2009.

During the course of the day, more than 90 TAEE members from across the state met with about 50 legislators to ask for their support in continuing to fund Tennessee’s high-quality, voluntary pre-K program. Click here to view the photo gallery.

Pre-K in the News___________________ 
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Studies show early education helps prevent crime
WBIR-TV
Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Katie Shands

Local officials got an earful from students participating in pre-kindergarten programs Thursday. Students at Sunnyview Elementary put on a show for Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen and Knox County District Attorney Randy Nichols.

Studies show that early education helps to prevent crime and violence later in life. As the state tightens is purse strings, the funding could run dry. However, Nichols said when you compare the cost of early education to the cost of a career criminal, it's an easy decision. Read more. Click here to view clip (courtesy of WBIR-TV).

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Tennessee pre-K gets high marks
Programs' funding hasn't suffered
THE TENNESSEAN
Thursday, April 9, 2009
By Natalia Mielczarek

Tennessee's state-funded pre-kindergarten initiative has once again been lauded as a national leader, a study released Wednesday said.

The nearly perfect score — Tennessee missed one out of 10 accountability measures — was assigned by the National Institute for Early Education Research, a unit of the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The new report warns that the quality and expansion plans for pre-K programs nationwide may be in jeopardy as states face budget cuts due to recession. Tennessee — much to one local teacher's relief — isn't among them. Read more

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Click here for more pre-K news.

About the Alliance____________________ 

The Tennessee Alliance for Early Education was established in 2005 to support Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposal to expand the state's existing pre-kindergarten education program. The Alliance is a broad coalition of individuals and groups who believe the expansion of pre-kindergarten opportunities across the state is critical to the future success of our children.

There is strength in numbers, and it is vital that our membership list reflect the support we have across the state. You can help us build membership by e-mailing two people you think would be interested in joining the Alliance. Membership is free, and it only takes a minute to sign up.

The Alliance supports maintaining full funding of pre-K in 2009. Learn more about the Alliance here.