State Sen Tony Guglielmo (R- 35) confirmed today final approval for 15 new school readiness opportunities for Vernon’s youngest students. The 15 pre-kindergarten slots are some of the 1,000 created statewide by a new public education reform law.
Beyond these opportunities to help early learners acquire essential skills for kindergarten, the statewide reform enhances primary school reading programs and establishes ten school-based family resource centers around Connecticut, he said.
"I’m pleased to see 1,000 young students and 14 children in Vernon will have the ability to attend an early childhood education program," Guglielmo said. "These students will now enter kindergarten with age-appropriate communications and math skills, and just as importantly, will help teachers, parents, and students alike identify potential obstacles to learning."
Public Act 12-116, An Act Concerning Education Reform, targets $6.775 million in new funding for increased access to high-quality early childhood education.
The seats will be administered through the Connecticut School Readiness program, a state Department of Education initiative designed to strengthen and increase access to high-quality preschool for children ages three and four.
"Connecticut has the widest achievement gap in the nation. My wife Doris was a pre-K teacher for many years and she saw the decline in the class room. These opportunities will ensure an early childhood education to our youngest minds - one of the best antidotes for closing the achievement gap," Guglielmo said.
The 35th district includes the towns of Vernon, Tolland, Coventry, Stafford, Ellington, Willington, Ashford, Union, Eastford, Chaplin, Hampton, Pomfret and Woodstock.
