DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — A group of Dallas city leaders are making a plea to Texas legislators to not cut funding to early education.
Governor Greg Abbott initiated a grant program two years ago that puts $118 million per year toward improving public preschools, but Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, former Dallas Police Chief David Brown, and other education advocates say budget proposals in the Texas House and Senate threaten to cut some of those funds.
“Believe it or not, even with the [Dallas Police and Fire] pension fund, there’s nothing more important to the City of Dallas than the future of these young boys and girls,” Rawlings said.
Brown said he is the “poster child” of high quality education.
“People brag about my performance during July 7 and my tenure as chief, but the outcome of quality Pre-K contributed to my education,” Brown said.
Abbott said in his 2017 State of the State address that 80 percent of voters support funding higher quality preschool education. Advocates say keeping the standard high for public pre-school helps students perform significantly higher on standardized testing, such as the STAAR test.
“What happens with a child’s brain when they’re three and four years old is critical to the rest of the equation throughout their life,” Rawlings said.
