This morning, President Obama will be in Georgia to promote his universal pre-kindergarten education initiative. As you might expect, he’s going to be paying a visit to classes at a preschool there, the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center. But College Heights is actually closed for winter vacation, so parents will be bringing their students in to school specifically for the president’s visit. As CNN reports:
President Obama continues his post-State of the Union tour on Thursday by traveling to Decatur, Georgia to talk about quality preschool education for every child in America. He’ll start his time in Decatur off by visiting a pre-kindergarten class in a nearby early learning center. CNN has obtained a letter to parents of the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, saying the president would be visiting their school (despite the school system being on winter break.) Parents are encouraged to bring their kids in specifically for the President’s visit.
In his State of the Union address, the president laid out America’s current preschool situation, and proposed his plan:
Today, fewer than three in ten 4-year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. So, tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America.
With universal pre-kindergarten education, America will take one step toward the European model of education and work regulation — just without the universal right to vacation, it appears.