With less than 24 hours before the May 19th Primary Election, District Attorney Seth Williams made an impassioned plea for ballot question number four.

And that ballot question, which eighty percent of Philadelphia voters supported, asked if the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter should be amended to create a Commission on Universal Pre-Kindergarten. Once formed, the commission will recommend an implantation and funding plan for achieving universal pre-kindergarten for three and four year olds without taking away funds used for existing education.

“I’m an unexpected messenger,” DA Williams explained on the ground floor of City Hall Monday, May 18th. “Why would a the DA be here?” Williams asked. “Why isn’t he out there arresting people? I can assure you that from no matter where I am today, about 150 people will get locked up. This is to prevent that.

DA’s and police from around the country,” Williams continued, “will tell you that the most effective crime prevention tool is education. We know for every $100 invested in early education, it saves $700 for prison costs. We need early education to get kids ready for the first grade. If they are, then the chances are that they will succeed.”

To Williams getting kids ready for the first grade applies to both socializing and academics. If they enter first grade without any previous education, “they fall behind and can never catch up.

In Philadelphia,” Williams continued, “almost fifty percent of all public high school students drop out. And you know, if your drop out of high school, you are eight times more likely to go to state prison than a high school graduate. And you’re twenty times more likely to be a homicide victim.”

Children from Friends Child Care Center joined Williams in City Hall for the mock vote, organized by the Public Citizens and Youth (PCCY). In fact, the PCCY led the charge to introduce the special ballot question by collecting thousands of petitions from voters and delivering them to city council this past February. Notably, city council unanimously approved universal pre-k as a special ballot question in the primary election.

“This ballot question is a historic opportunity for Philadelphia,” said Donna Cooper, executive director of PCCY. “We know for a fact that when children can access high-quality pre-k, more often than not they grow up to become successful adults. Unfortunately high-quality pre-k remains out of reach for far too many children in our city.

“Voters made it crystal clear that pre-k is an issue they care very deeply about and that every child in the city should have access,” Cooper, stressed. “This commission’s work will be critical to expanding access to high-quality pre-k for approximately 60% of our city’s three-and four-year-olds who currently do not have access because of a lack of funding. We are excited to see Philadelphia heading in the same direction as other major cities like New York, Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, and Chicago in providing Universal Pre-K for its children.”

The commission will consist of 17 members, including public officials and members appointed by Mayor Kenney and Philadelphia City Council. The commission is required to make recommendations that would not decrease existing funding for education. City Council is required to consider any funding plan recommended by the commission. If council fails to adopt the commission’s recommendations, then the Commission will reconvene each year until council grants approval.

Weekly Press – May 18, 2015 – Leer artículo en línea