05.05.16

By:  Cherise M. Newsome
Source: The Virginian-Pilot

U.S. Education Secretary John King touts preschool at Norfolk State University

Preschoolers at Norfolk State University perked up when a special guest walked in Thursday.

They didn’t seem to understand the big to-do about U.S. Education Secretary John King visiting the school’s Child Development Lab, with a trail of reporters and school officials in tow.

But they had a special poem to share. The nation’s education chief nodded as they chanted:

“I’m glad I’m me … I am special. No one I’d rather be. I’m glad I’m me!”

King visited the school at the invitation of U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, who represents part of the region. King promoted the federal Preschool Development Grant program, which aims to expand access to high-quality schools. The pair planned to visit schools on the Peninsula later to discuss other education topics.

“High-quality preschool has a huge return on investment,” King said. He pointed to Virginia’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, which rates early education centers and provides training and feedback on their programs.

The grants – $17.5 million to Virginia in 2014 and up to three more years, depending on funding – are aimed at giving families access to preschool for children from low- to moderate-income families. But the goal is ultimately to provide “universal pre-K” programs for all children, King said.

“We have work to do as a country to make sure we’re making that investment,” he said.

The university’s center is a model for diversity, King said, noting that it serves children from income-eligible families as well as those connected to the university staff.

“You’ve got that socioeconomic mix of students, which I think is an asset because we now have to prepare our students for a diverse world,” he said.

Scott noted that the recently authorized Every Student Succeeds Act, which essentially replaced the No Child Left Behind law, includes money to expand preschool. Scott, ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, served as a lead architect of the law.

“We want to make sure it’s available to as many people as possible,” he said.

Providing children with a quality early learning program can improve their academic careers and livelihoods, according to Kipp Rogers, Norfolk Public Schools’ chief academic officer. He visited the center, too.

“It doesn’t start in high school at ninth grade. It does not start in 10th grade. It doesn’t start in middle school. It starts early,” Rogers said. “The earlier we can catch them to instill in them the value of education and learning, the better that they’ll be once they leave.”