Building the Pipeline for Virginia’s Workforce of Tomorrow

Virginia’s long-term economic growth and public safety, as well as our national security, depend on the foundation that we lay for students in our state today. However, early care and education programs for Virginia infants and toddlers are scarce and expensive. The commonwealth has a public preschool program, but the program serves only a small proportion of four-year-olds and funding has decreased over time. Similarly, state support for public K-12 schools is still down from cuts made in the wake of the Great Recession and many schools are chronically underfunded. These shortcomings exist in a state where more than one-third of children have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE).

High-quality early childhood education builds a foundation for success in elementary school and beyond. Quality K-12 education focuses on the whole child, to support all aspects of child development (cognitive, social, emotional, physical). Well-educated youth are more likely to finish high school on time and be ready for college or any career they choose, including the military. There is also a link between inadequate education and crime, suggesting that students’ education is not only linked to the success of our state’s economy, but also to public safety.

By investing in education, we are improving our students’ readiness to succeed, helping them to avoid lives of crime, and enabling them to contribute meaningfully to our state and national economy, as well as to the defense of our nation, should they choose that path.