posted on September 18, 2019 16:08
Advocacy group will focus on economic and social impact associated with investment in early childhood programs
Peter J. Holt, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of HOLT CAT and Joe Straus, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives announced the formation of Early Matters San Antonio. An advocacy group for early childhood education, Early Matters San Antonio brings together business, civic, education, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders to raise awareness about the link between investments in high quality early education and a strong economic future for San Antonio.
“The formation of this Early Matters chapter was sparked by conversation about the importance of early education at the 2018 Regional Public PK-12 Education Forum,” said Pre-K 4 SA CEO Sarah Baray. “Early Matters San Antonio will keep the conversation going as we continue to lead the way in achieving strong education outcomes for our youngest learners.”
Co-chaired by Holt and Straus, the Early Matters San Antonio Steering Committee is comprised of civic leaders with diverse backgrounds and a passion for education including: Dr. Shari Albright, Craig Boyan, John Brozovich, Dr. William Henrich, Elaine Mendoza, Harvey Najim, David Robinson, Sheryl Sculley, Rad Weaver, Tullos Wells, and David Zachry.
“Education is our greatest economic development tool, research has shown that early investments in education lead the future success and produce exponential returns, not just for San Antonio but for Texas,” said Straus. “Texas is growing twice as fast of the rest of the country and our economic engine is dependent on our ability to produce a large and diverse pool of well-education workers.”
Early Matters San Antonio will keep San Antonio at the forefront of early education, allowing leaders to take a broader approach by learning from communities around the country that have taken a more systematic and comprehensive approach to the wellbeing of children from birth to age eight. The Early Matters steering committee will aim to identify specific gaps in San Antonio’s early childhood landscape as well as the creation of a sustainable system and structure to address those gaps.
“Early Matters San Antonio will look to expand the success of the Pre-K 4 SA program while taking a broader look at how we are preparing our youngest learners from birth through third grade,” said Holt. “Research has shown that children who are not reading at grade level by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school, and the single most powerful predictor of third grade reading ability is kindergarten readiness.”
Extensive research has shown that large-scale, publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs have significant benefits for children’s school readiness skills and future academic achievement. A meta-analysis of 22 robust experimental and quasi-experimental studies conducted between 1960 and 2016 found that participation in early childhood education leads to reductions in special education placement and grade retention, as well as improved attendance, increased graduation rates and stronger test scores. Similarly, a longitudinal study conducted by the University of Texas at San Antonio showed that, on average, students enrolled in Pre-K 4 SA’s initial class had stronger STAAR exam scores on third grade reading and math, better attendance and less need for special education services than children who either did not participate in Pre-K 4 SA or who attended lower quality public Pre-K.
The Early Matters San Antonio Steering Committee will convene from September 2019 through May 2020. The committee will consider three main charges during its inaugural year: sustaining and expanding access to high-quality Pre-K programs; Evaluating other best-practice approaches to the wellbeing of children from birth to age eight; and determining whether Early Matters San Antonio should continue as a standalone organization moving forward or fall under the umbrella of an existing organization.
Early Matters programs currently exist in other Texas cities – including Austin, Dallas, Houston and Fort Worth. These statewide Early Matters chapters have vigorously supported San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA initiative, and collectively served as the driving force behind the passage of House Bill 3 – one of the most transformative Texas education bills in recent history to include funding for Pre-K programs.