• Vision / Mission
• History
• Locations
• Board & Management
• Memberships & Licensing
• How We Are Funded
• Partners & Friends
• Employee Recognition
• Lifesteps Newsletter

Conference Stresses Early Education
County businesses, educators to discuss its importance
By Megan Duncan

Quality early childhood education has both an immediate and lasting effect on communities, says a PNC economist.

Tom Lamb Jr., senior vice president of government affairs at PNC Financial Services Group, will explain the economic benefits on the business community of providing early childhood education at a conference Friday at the Butler Days Inn.

A superintendent and an official from the state Office of Child Development also are scheduled to speak.

The Butler Early Care and Education Council is sponsoring the conference, “The Economic Impact of Early Care and Education in Butler County.”

Julie Fabian, council coordinator, said she attended a state training seminar during the past year where she began thinking about how to make area connections with the importance of education.

Members of the council collaborated to organize the conference. Fabian said she hopes business leaders will walk away from the conference with ideas to take to employees.

“They can be spreaders of the work,” she said.

More than 1,000 people, including school officials, legislators and members of chambers of commerce, are invited. The public can register.

Lamb said he plans to speak about why PNC felt early childhood education was such a vital issue that it created the $10 million Grow Up Great program.

He said the program puts together PNC with other companies, such as Sesame Street, because studies show quality education creates more stable communities.

“Early childhood education has startling community effect,” he said. Studies show that education leads to greater employability, stable families, and more attractive communities, he said.

The return on education can be 17 or 18 to 1, he said. “It’s a long-term investment.” He also said with state testing on standards as early as the third grade, the results can be seen in only a few years.

Quality education begins with qualified teachers, he said.

Larry Henry, Karns City superintendent, will talk about how teachers in his district made the transition to full-day kindergarten this year.

Henry said teachers already see advancement in the children. “It’s had a major impact on students,” he said. “It’s allowed us to integrate the traditional kindergarten activities back into classes,” he said, speaking of art and hands-on activities.

Chicora Elementary teacher Mark Jones will give a personal account of the differences from half-day kindergarten.

Deputy Secretary of the state Office of Child Development Harriet Dichter is expected to speak about statewide initiatives for early childhood education proposed by the governor.

Following the speakers, attendees will break into small groups to discuss the challenges for business educators and education providers. All will work to develop an agenda regarding early education for the county.

The conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Days Inn. For information or to register, call the United Way at 724-285-2260. Registration is due today. Cost is $20.

This article appeared in the Butler Eagle on May 1, 2006.