“During the last seven years, we’ve all worked hard to invest in these reforms because they have a proven track record of success … First Class is ranked as the highest quality pre-K program in the United States. And because we put the Alabama Reading Initiative in every kindergarten through third grade classroom, today Alabama leads the nation in gains in fourth-grade reading!”

No mention of pre-k or early learning

“I think there are many other ways to do this. But I think it is important as we take a look at our economy to understand that jobs follow brainpower. And we can never forget that. That it’s very, very important for all of us in Illinois to invest in education, from beginning of life to the end of life.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis did a study not long ago and said the very best investment the government can make is in early childhood education. It pays dividends for generations. For the first time in our state’s history we included early childhood facilities, education facilities, in our capital bill. We’re going to help build some of those buildings that those young boys and girls will learn in.

… I think it’s very important that that learning begins at birth. Birth to age five is a very key time for all children in Illinois. And we have to, as adults and parents, be custodians of the future. When the history of our time is written, they’re not going to ask us how big our bank account was, or what kind of house you lived in, or what kind of car you drove, they’re going to ask what you did, what we did to help make better the lives of children.

… What are these [needed] human services? They are things like child care to make sure that working parents have a good place for their children to go to, during the day, and to learn; we have to invest in child care in Illinois. I was not going to cut child care in half.”

“Additionally, we must also continue to expand access to early childhood education. To date, we have helped more than 12,000 kids in 175 school districts get a quality preschool education. So, my budget request will include the last installment of our four-year, 60 million dollar commitment to preschool.”

“We’ve created an Early Childhood Development and Education Task Force to streamline and tie together our existing programs. Taking care of our children is not only a moral obligation but a long-term investment in the intellectual capital Kentucky must have to compete.”

“Nothing is more important to our economic recovery than creating and saving jobs … Through strategic use of federal stimulus funds we have created or saved some 4,200 jobs that otherwise could have been lost. This includes teachers and other school professionals, construction workers, correctional officers, child care providers, carpenters and truck drivers. We will continue to use those funds wisely.”

I'm proud we've submitted a budget to you that is balanced, a budget that not only fully funds the MFP formula, it does not cut the MFP formula for Pre-K through 12 .

[A] second initiative we must pursue in education as well, we must reduce our dropout rate going through our Pre-K through 12 school system.

“Attention to early childhood education is also critical for laying the foundation for success in life. Even during these difficult times, we know that we have to invest in early childhood education. Last year, working with the Legislature, we created New England’s first and only Educare site, a public-private partnership that will help improve early childhood education in every part of the State. Educare wouldn’t have happened without the vision and determination of the First Lady.”

"In order to prepare our students for the 21st Century workplace, we need to transform our education system from pre-school all the way through college. We’ve begun that reform by restructuring the Nebraska P-16 Initiative. This partnership includes education leaders and policy makers.

Our colleges and universities need to prioritize their investments as well as redirecting financial resources to higher priorities. Strengthening Nebraska’s education system from pre-school through college is essential to Nebraska’s future success. Now is the time to focus our attention on building an education system that meets the needs of modern students competing in a modern world.

Furthermore, the road to economic prosperity for us as a State and for individual students is a good education. The road out of poverty into a good job is a good education, and a good education starts with parents and early learning activities at home. It continues with outstanding early childhood programs, and as our children enter one of Nebraska’s 253 school districts, the focus must be on learning."

No mention of pre-k or early learning

“Our investment in Pre-K and full-day kindergarten is paying off. New Mexico PreK graduates scored higher on early math and literacy skills than children who did not participate. And last year when the first class of full-day kindergarteners entered the third grade, and took their first round of standardized tests, they far outperformed third graders from previous years. But I want us to go much further.”

“Cynics and critics told us what we couldn’t do:

… We can’t start a Pre-Kindergarten program, or expand full-day kindergarten, and we can’t get junk-food out of our schools.

But we did.”

We increased our commitment to Early Childhood Education by providing more funding for Head Start, Early Head Start, and in February created a birth-to-3 early childhood education program.

“We passed a statewide charter school bill that was the first of its kind in the nation. I don’t believe we would have gotten that bill through – or other choices that now come in education – without the larger debate on full-scale choice in education.

Whether in the additional $2.7 billion that has gone to education above and beyond the level of funding that came at this administration’s start in 2003 – or with the Education and Economic Development Act that offered a tech-prep choice to students – or in physical fitness programs offered as a result of the South Carolina Health and Fitness Act – or even in outright full choice in education now offered in early childhood education, I know that a long list of people deserve credit for work here that is making a difference in the minds of students across our state.”

No mention of pre-k or early learning

“In December, I presented a balanced state budget as required by state law. The December budget was balanced, but it would force us to abandon the values that define this state: fairness and compassion. It would be unjust, unwise and unfair to abandon our friends and neighbors when they need us the most ... The balanced budget eliminates early learning for 1,500 kids and would eliminate state funds for all-day kindergarten. That’s not wise.”

On the need to balance needed cuts with new revenues:

“We can make the cuts and wait for higher dropout rates and all the soaring social costs that will follow. Or we can invest today in early learning, which is a proven tool for increasing the success of kids.”

On building a bright economic future with education:

“We have made progress in recent years. Our historic efforts to improve early learning are guaranteeing more kids success in school.”

“To ensure a good start for all our children, I ask you to continue our implementation of all-day kindergarten for all kids.”

“We must preserve and enhance the early learning initiative we started four years ago when we created the Department of Early Learning. Despite our tough times, now is the time to build the economic future for our children and our state. I ask you to adopt legislation creating ‘All Start,’ a voluntary Washington preschool program to provide early learning opportunities to all 3- and 4-year-olds.”

“To make sure our students get a strong start, we have doubled our spending on Pre-K programs since 2007. We added 17 additional classrooms for three and four year olds in 2009. This year we doubled the number of schools that allow students with disabilities to receive individualized instruction. And we created an Early Stages Center, located in the brand new $50 million Walker Jones Education Campus at Northwest One, a high-tech facility that provides free screenings for children developmental delays.”

“Last year, we added seven additional counties to the Department of Education and the Arts' Imagination Library. This program, started by Dolly Parton, provides free books to children from birth until their fifth birthday.”

“For more than 75 years, Save the Children has helped kids thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities.

They are working in more than 150 communities across the country to help lessen the impact of poverty on children.

With our support, Save the Children will help our most needy kids acquire the skills they need to succeed and build a lifelong love of learning, so I am directing $1 million to their efforts in our rural counties. It will provide another tool to give our children the chance they deserve.

This program was brought to the First Lady's attention by one of our state's most-recognized citizens. She's a mother of two young daughters who truly cares about her home state, and she is a national ambassador for early childhood education. She presents a positive image of West Virginia wherever she goes and is always proud to tell her millions of fans where she grew up."