Pre-K: The Essential Pandemic Response

It was March 2019 and early childhood education supporters, dressed in “pre-K purple,” flooded the State Capitol, asking legislators to “Stop the Yo-Yo” and fund full-day pre-Kindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds. We called it the Power of Pre-K Day.

Thanks to this and the efforts of so many in the early childhood field, the yo-yo finally stopped bouncing. Full-day pre-K funding was part of the bipartisan House Bill 3 investment in Texas public education that passed in May 2019.

Our latest Intersect Ed podcast episode, part of our legislative agenda series, explores why pre-K is more powerful than ever — for all the research-based reasons we’ve touted for more than a decade, combined with the urgency of closing pandemic learning gaps and supporting the state’s economic recovery.

Listen as we hear from an educator, renowned researcher, statewide political leader, and sitting legislator about what it’s going to take to preserve pre-K funding in the face of budget challenges.

And don’t miss our special dedication at the end of the episode. It sums up everything you need to know about why and how we should support our youngest learners.