EXCERPTS from the White House backgrounder:
Last year, President Obama called upon Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool for every child in America, proposing investments that would support a continuum of early learning opportunity from birth through kindergarten entry. In January, he challenged more Americans - elected officials, business leaders, philanthropists, and the public - to help more children access the early education they need to succeed in school and in life. Over the course of the past year, significant progress has been made, and bipartisan cooperation has led to a substantial increase in federal investment in early education.
Today, the President convenes state and local policymakers, mayors, school superintendents, corporate and community leaders, and advocates for the White House Summit on Early Education, highlighting collective leadership in support of early education for America's children. Leaders will share best practices in building the public-private partnerships that are expanding early education in communities across the country. Participants will discuss effective strategies and programs that support and bring high-quality early childhood education to scale.
Leading private and philanthropic organizations will commit to new actions at the White House Summit that spur greater access to high-quality preschool and early learning. Together with federal awards, this amounts to a collective investment of over $1 billion in the education and development of America's youngest learners.
Media coverage:
The White House announces $1 billion in early education investments,Time
Obama to announce $1 billion in early education investments,Washington Times
The White House wants you to know that preschool is really good for the economy, Huffington Post