Rebecca Gagnon: From birth to college, MPS must provide quality every step of the way
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One morning a week for the past 5 years I’ve volunteered at a pre-K program in North Minneapolis sponsored by my church. For 2 ½ hours, myself, another volunteer and a teacher work with 10 to 15 four and five year olds to prepare them for kindergarten and provide them a solid footing to graduate from high school. Quality early childhood programs are a proven best practice to closing the achievement gap. MPS’s High Five pre-K program has expanded significantly since its inception almost a decade ago, and 82% of our students entering kindergarten with a High 5 experience are meeting or exceeding the standard benchmark for literacy. It is unconscionable that we continue to have a wait list of over 500 students and inadequate funding and space to meet the need.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. Continue Reading