U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will travel to the Detroit area on Monday, May 6, for a series of events highlighting local education reform and the importance of investing in efforts to prepare all students to be successful in college and careers, starting from a student’s earliest years. Capping off the visit will be an event at the Perry Child Development Center in Ypsilanti to discuss the benefits of providing high-quality early learning opportunities for children in Michigan and around the country.
To kick off the day, Duncan and Snyder will visit Thirkell Elementary School at 11:15 a.m. to meet local leaders and tour preschool classrooms. Then, they will travel to the Brenda Scott Academy of Theatre Arts, where they will visit classrooms and host a town hall discussion about education reform and what is working in Michigan. The town hall will be followed by a press availability at 2 p.m.
Later in the afternoon, Duncan and Snyder will travel to the Perry Child Development Center in Ypsilanti where they will visit classrooms and lead a panel discussion with parents and education leaders on the advantages of expanding access to high-quality preschool programs. A press availability with Duncan and Snyder will follow the panel discussion at approximately 4:25 p.m.
The HighScope Perry Preschool Study has examined the lives of children born in poverty with a high risk of failing in school and studied the impact that providing high-quality preschool has had on their lives. In addition to finding a considerable return on investment for taxpayers, the study also found that adults at age 40 who experienced the preschool program had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not have preschool.
Michigan has been a leader in providing children with the foundation they need to succeed, and President Obama has proposed to build on Michigan’s success by partnering with states to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities to more American children, especially those from disadvantaged communities. The panel discussion will highlight how leaders in Michigan have set the right example by making early childhood education a priority — and why now is the time for the rest of the country to follow suit.