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Investing in early education good for state’s economy

A report from the business leaders group America’s Edge shows that early learning investments will actually boost sales of goods and services from Montana businesses and create thousands of jobs. In fact, for every $1 invested in quality early learning, a total of $1.61 will be generated in sales from our state’s businesses. That is a level of performance that is as high as or higher than investments in manufacturing, construction and transportation.

As Montana’s economy continues to recover, now is the time to ask: Do we have the education infrastructure needed to ensure long-term economic security?

Working at a school employees’ credit union here in Missoula, I look at numbers every day and in Montana, the numbers are not where we want. Twenty-four percent of our high school students do not graduate on time, 54 percent of our eighth-graders are below grade level in math and 64 percent of fourth-graders read below grade level. Nationally, 60 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds do not have the basic skills needed to enter kindergarten, such as counting to 10 and recognizing letters in the alphabet.

These statistics turn into staggering losses for our businesses and our economy. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, a single class of high-school dropouts will make $335 billion less over their lifetime than they would have as graduates. That translates into less spending power, lower productivity and less contribution to the tax base. These are hardly the numbers upon which sustained economic growth can be built.

But we can turn these numbers around and boost our local economies through a way that may surprise you: invest in high-quality early care and education.

Guest column by LESLIE WOMACK – Montana Educators’ Credit Union http://www.mtedcu.org

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/investing-in-education-good-for-economy/article_4061af6a-7ccb-11e1-87ce-001a4bcf887a.html

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CED Releases Report on Economic Benefits of Investing in Preschool http://www.matr.net/article-19761.html

The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth http://www.matr.net/article-19295.html

Early Childhood Education Endorsed as Economic Development Strategy http://www.matr.net/article-16895.html

States should invest in preschool http://www.matr.net/article-16764.html

Early education called business asset http://www.matr.net/article-14023.html

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