[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16507]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT ACT

  (Ms. MENG asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly urge my colleagues' 
support for the Early Childhood Education Professional Improvement Act, 
H.R. 3357, which I introduced earlier this week with Congressman Jared 
Polis. Our bill would establish a framework of incentives and standards 
for the much-needed education and development of pre-K teachers.
  Equality of opportunity cannot be achieved without ensuring that all 
American children have access to high-quality pre-K. By the age of 2, 
affluent children already know 30 percent more words than low-income 
children. These disparities are then exacerbated when affluent children 
attend high-quality pre-Ks and poorer ones don't even attend pre-K at 
all.
  Senior military leaders, budget wonks, economists, and education 
advocates all agree that pre-K reform is essential and necessary for a 
strong and prosperous America. Furthermore, it is the most cost-
effective investment in education we can make.
  Let's do this now, and let's do this right. Let's work together for 
high-quality pre-K for our children.

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