Business Community Support

A business leader or group has publicly endorsed and/or offered other support (including funds) for pre-k in the state.

Rationale: Pre-k advocates need powerful allies who can gain the attention of the media and state policy makers. America's business community has the kind of influence and access needed to advance pre-k. Business leaders have been active in the school reform movement and are now advancing pre-k as an important part of that effort. They understand that pre-k contributes to economic development by cultivating a more educated and competent workforce, raising income and spending levels, and enhancing our country's ability to compete in the international marketplace.

Examples: In states where the concerns and messages of key business and civic leaders have been aligned with those of child advocates, the results have been consistently positive for pre-k. Massachusetts advocates have engaged leaders from major companies including New England Telephone Company and Genzyme Genetics to assume an active and visible role as advocates for the Early Education for All Campaign. Similarly, in Arkansas, the state's largest utility company, Entergy Corporation, helped secure major funding increases for the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program by distributing "The Economics of Education," a report documenting the public benefits of high-quality pre-k education in states across the region. In Pennsylvania and adjoining states, PNC Bank has made a multi-million dollar commitment to children.