HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL FOR ALL CHILDREN

WHEREAS, studies have shown that high-quality early education can save more than $7 for every dollar invested, "boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime"; and

WHEREAS, specific high-quality preschool programs such as those found in Georgia or Oklahoma have seen an increase in students who are more likely proficient at grade level in reading and math as they mature, and who are more likely to "graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own"; and

WHEREAS, our nation will be able to flourish in the 21st century and beyond only when its citizens are able to succeed in the workplace and the community through a quality education:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will go on record in support of the president's proposal to make high-quality preschool available to all children in America.