Thu, 12/6/2018
Authors - Yasmina Vinci & Sarah Rittling
OPINION — The intensity of this fall’s midterm election campaigns could make it easy to forget that there is one priority both political parties have consistently come together to support: early childhood education.
Despite the growing partisan divide, which seems to be worsening by the day and has left Washington unable to reach consensus on even routine items, lawmakers from across the political spectrum in Congress and the 50 states still view advancing early childhood education as a critical objective.
Voter support for this objective manifested itself on Election Day; for example, the vast majority of governors-elect have previously expressed support for early learning and care initiatives in their respective states.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Members on both sides of the aisle have a long history of supporting our youngest learners, and that support is only growing stronger. Over the past several years, whether power in Congress has been held by Republicans, Democrats, or split between the two, funding for important early learning opportunities has been a top priority.
This year, one need only look at the fiscal year 2019 federal appropriations legislation to see how lawmakers came together to build on years of progress and include significant commitments to crucial early childhood education programs, such as Child...
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Categories: Our Voice Tags: NHSA, Yasmina Vinci
