Childhood education: Invest in Montana’s future today

For Montana to have a strong workforce tomorrow, we need to start investing in our future today by teaching children the skills to succeed from Day One.

Gov. Steve Bullock is absolutely right to work to expand access to early childhood education "in order to guarantee long-term success" (Sept. 7 article http://missoulian.com/news/local/bullock-continues-push-for-early-education-in-stop-at-um/article_ec6ebc1e-1755-11e3-aab9-0019bb2963f4.html , Sept. 11 opinion http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/all-levels-of-education-help-to-form-foundation/article_0bbb1b8c-1aec-11e3-98c1-0019bb2963f4.html ).

As a grandmother of 10, the executive director of the Montana Association for the Education of Young Children and past director of Lolo Preschool & Childcare, I know firsthand that children who attend quality early childhood education programs do better overall in high school, college and careers and are much more likely to become the kind of skilled, educated employees that businesses want.