Tips on working with the media
Although many of you have developed good relationships with media in your community, some
of these tips may be helpful reminders or tools you can use to train others.
In this toolkit you will find tips on:
 What’s News? Developing strong story angles, spokespeople
 Building relationships with reporters/editors in your area
 Talking to reporters – some tips
 Contacting the media with news
o Media Advisory
o Pitch a story
o Press release
 Making your case in the news
o Opinion Editorial (Op-ed)
o Letter to the editor
o Meeting with the editorial board
 Got an article published? Follow up
 Sample media advisory
 Sample press releases
 Sample Op-ed
 Sample letters to the editor
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This toolkit and other tools are available on the Community Outreach/ Resources & Tools page
on the PA Key website at www.pakeys.org. If you have any questions or would like help
developing releases, Op-eds, or letters to the editor, please contact your community
engagement group or Karen Seeber at (717) 213-3731 or karsee@berksiu.org.
What’s News: Developing strong story angles & spokespeople
Before you even contact media, a key to getting a reporter’s/editor’s attention is giving them
information that is newsworthy. It may sound simple, but it means you have to step out of your
own opinions and think objectively “is this really news?”
Take a look at what types of stories appear in your newspaper, or broadcast over radio and TV.
Remember to ask yourself “what is the local angle?”, “How does my story impact or involve
members of the community?”
Some story ideas that might be of interest to media:
 Child Care subsidies keep parents working during recession (have 1-2 families ready to
be interviewed by reporter about how Child Care Works helps them stay employed or
get job training)
 Local child care program that is the first STAR provider in town/county
 Local child care program first to earn a STAR 3 or 4 rating in town/county
 Keystone STARS early learning program opens new classroom for
infants/toddlers/preschoolers (focus on additional quality early learning opportunities
available, high parent demand for quality early learning)
 Programs now accepting applications for the next school year
Last updated: 6/03/10
Tips on working with the media
Some events that may be of interest to media are:
 Legislative forums, breakfasts on early education
 Teacher appreciation events (especially if a legislator or community leader is giving out
awards or certificates)
 “Celebrity” readings by community leaders, legislators, businesses during Week of The
Young Child and PA’s One Book Every Young Child Campaign (April), or Pennsylvania’s
Promise for Children Month (October)
 Kindergarten registration fairs
 Economic summit on early education (business leaders and legislators invited to hear
from experts in brain research and the economic development benefits of early
education)
 Parent fair to teach parents about child safety and early education opportunities
Developing spokespeople. It is a good idea to have people trained and ready to be
interviewed by the media at any time. When a story breaks, it’s going to be a lot easier on you
and the reporter if you have people ready to go, rather than trying to find someone at the last
minute. Look for the following types of people and ask them if they are willing to be
spokespeople. Spend time with them sharing the key messages about early education and
about your program and tips on talking with reporters.
Great spokespeople include:
 Parents (think about diversity, you may want to have several parents available)
 Teachers (both teachers in early learning programs and kindergarten/elementary school
teachers)
 Program directors and administrators
 School principals
 Business leaders – they can talk about the importance of early education to their
employees now, as well as to developing a quality workforce later
 County commissioners and local leaders
Building relationships with reporters/editors in your area
A great way to get media coverage is to develop relationships with individual reporters.
Reporters need to come up with new stories every day, and usually have very little time to
gather facts. If they see you as a trusted resource on early learning in your community,
someone they can turn to for reliable information when they need it, they will be more
responsive to you when you’d like them to cover an event or write an editorial.
So how do you build a relationship?
Research. It’s helpful to first do a little research on which reporters cover stories that address
early education, schools, and community and health issues. Read articles in your local
newspaper and watch your local news to get a sense of how well they understand early
education and what topics they seem to cover most. For example, if the reporter focuses mostly
on school district news, you will want to push the pre-kindergarten angle with them. If the
reporter focuses more on family stories, showing how child care, pre-k, and Head Start help
children develop and helps families continue to work may be more appealing to them.
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Tips on working with the media
Set up a press contacts list. When you have an event or news, you won’t want to have to dig
around for the right person to send information. Setting up a spreadsheet of press contacts can
be very helpful. You should have contact information for:
Newspapers:
 News editor
 Education editor (not all papers have one)
 Education/Community reporter
 Family/Life reporter
 Editorial Page editor or guidelines for submitting an Op-ed or letter to the editor
 Reporters that have written on children/ early childhood education
 Events/community calendar
 News Desk (many papers have a general email for all press releases – Using the
general mailbox ensures that someone receives your message, in the event that a
particular reporter or editor is out of the office.
TV/Radio:
 News Director
 Program Director
 Education Reporter
 Assignment Desk
 Producers of public affairs or family shows (talk shows, call-in shows, etc)
In your spreadsheet you should include the following:
 Name of media station or publication
 Type of media
 Person’s name
 Title
 Email
 Fax
 Address
 Articles or segments they’ve run on early education (this can be very helpful when
contacting reporters that cover more than just education.)
Sending a press kit or first meeting. Your first introduction to a reporter may be done by:
sending a press kit; setting up a lunch or meeting; sending a personalized invitation to a public
event; Making a follow-up phone call to confirm receipt of a press release and to offer additional
information if needed. Be sure to include any press clippings on your organization or letters to
the editor you’ve gotten published, even if they appeared elsewhere. If you have a website, also
include the web address in your materials; that will be the first place that the reporter goes to
find out more about you. These items will help validate your credibility as a reliable source for
the reporter.
Be a resource; provide the local angle. Media outlets in Pennsylvania focus on how current
national news affects their readers/viewers locally. You can share with them local statistics and
local stories about early education that can help make a national or state story worth their time.
If a big story breaks, such as the announcement of PA Pre-K Counts grantees, you could be
proactive and contact them with additional information, for example, the grant awards in your
county. This way you establish yourself as a reliable information source that can quickly provide
them with facts or individuals to interview.
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Tips on working with the media
Be sure to provide reliable information and at least one person/source they can contact for
comments or interviews. Reporters are more likely to cover your story, and possibly contact you
for related stories once they know you are a responsive and helpful resource to get them the
information they need.
Offer photo opportunities. Increase your chances of getting media coverage by offering
meaningful images for print and broadcast media. Pictures can really drive home a story’s
message to audiences, and the media is always seeking new and creative ways to graphically
represent local issues and events to their print, broadcast and online audiences. Describe in
detail what images will be available for shooting. For example, you may share fun details
surrounding an event by saying that early childhood educators, children, parents and community
leaders will be celebrating current successes at a local park. Mention that the opening activities
would include a mini-parade led by a school band. Will there be games, balloons, exhibits?
Reporters need more than just a few good quotes or sound bites, they also need some good still
and action photos to accompany their stories.
Talking to reporters – some tips
Most reporters are honest people who are not trying to catch you in a “slip-up” but it is always
good to be prepared before you talk with them. Here are some tips.
Stay on message. You should have no more than three key points that you want to share with
the reporter, and be prepared to stay focused on your message. You don’t have to sound like
you’re avoiding their questions, but this way you will reinforce what you wanted to say. For
example, if you are talking to a reporter about an upcoming preschool graduation and how these
children are better prepared for kindergarten because they’ve had high quality pre-k, and the
reporter begins asking you about a recent bad experience at a local child care center, you can
say, “That is an example on why quality early education is so important. Our children are
especially vulnerable and it is vital that all of our early learning programs strive for continuous
quality improvement.” You can then steer your comments back to your main message and talk
about how you support quality in your program.
Answer the question you want to answer, not necessarily the question you are asked. In
other words, stay on message and don't get distracted by other issues that might come up.
Again, this can be hard to do. For example, if you're asked about whether the drop-out crisis for
middle-grade children isn't a bigger problem right now than providing early education because
drop-outs can end up being an economic drain on local resources and the funding for drop-out
intervention is woefully inadequate:
- DON'T SAY: "No one can deny that the drop-out crisis is serious problem and the
prevention programs we have, while successful, do require a significant increase in resources in
order to reach more children....."
- RATHER, TRY: "Investing in early childhood education is the best way to prevent a child
from dropping out because it lays the critical groundwork for the kind of academic success that
prevents a child from becoming disillusioned with school..."
If a reporter calls you and you are not prepared to answer their questions, you can ask if you
can call them back in a half hour or so. Be polite but you can say “Can I give you a call back in
a half hour so I can collect my information? What would you like to discuss?” If they are on
deadline, be respectful of their time. If you have contacted them first and left a message, keep
all of your notes handy so you are ready to talk to them when they call back.
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Tips on working with the media
Never repeat any negative statements, facts or figures that a reporter may incorporate
into their question or go on the defensive when presented with such information. Good
reporters ask follow-up questions from an "opponent's" point of view, or using facts/figures
adverse to my point of view. Most people typically repeat or reflect back the question asked
(because we're taught that doing so is a good "active listening" skill) before attempting to
answer it. The result is that you can now be quoted by the reporter as having said that negative
piece of information.
For example, if a reporter asks about the difficulty that some facilities might face when trying to
achieve their STARS:
- DON'T SAY: "I know that the increased standards being introduced by the STARS
program could result in many local early education facilities losing funding and that it may
adversely affect working parents in some neighborhoods, but I believe....."
- RATHER, TRY: "The most important thing for us is to make sure that every early
childhood facility is in a position to offer the highest quality programs and staffing to our students
--particularly for at-risk children who need it the most. We should be focusing our efforts on
growing the number of meaningful options available to parents, starting in certain targeted
areas."
Contacting the media with news
There are a few standard ways to contact the media with news. But if you have a good working
relationship with reporters or editors in your community, giving them a quick phone call or
sending a quick email is very effective.
A few ways to contact the media with news are:
 Media advisory
 Pitch a story
 Press release
Be brief! Reporters and editors have dozens of issues and hundreds of story ideas in front of
them every day. They appreciate it greatly when you give them the crucial information in a
concise and clear way. Give them the most important information that you feel will whet their
appetite in your first contact – then they can contact you for more details once they are
interested.
Planning an event? Send out a Media Advisory
A media advisory is a quick list of facts to alert media that an event is happening and encourage
them to cover that event. It is much shorter than a press release, which is usually written after
the event.
Here are some tips on writing and distributing a media advisory:
 Send your advisory 3-5 days before the event.
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Tips on working with the media
 The advisory should be short, with one paragraph describing the event (esp. why it would
be newsworthy), and the when, where, who, and any photo opportunities.
 If your advisory is simply to invite media, send to education, community, family/life
reporters and to the news editor. For radio and TV, always send to the news desk, and if
there is a reporter that you think would be interested, send to them as well.
 If your advisory is both to invite media and to be listed as a community event, include
information on registration fees, or how to attend for the public, and send also to the
community calendar. Many papers like community events announcements well in
advance. You should also check their website since many media outlets have community
calendars online where you can enter the event information directly.
 Email your advisory in the main message of the email. Do not include an attachment. If
the reporter asks you to send them something, then an attachment is fine.
 Send your advisory to:
o Newspapers:
 News editor
 Reporters that cover your issue
 Newsdesk
o TV/Radio:
 News Director
 Assignment desk
 Call the editor the following day to make sure they received the advisory. You can simply
say “My name is xxx and I wanted to make sure you received my advisory about our
upcoming event.” It’s a good idea to write out a simple script before you call. If you have
new details to share, you can use that as a reason for calling as well, for example, “I
wanted to let you know that our Executive Director will also be reading to children during
the event.” They may tell you that they don’t remember receiving your advisory or start
asking questions about when and where, and then you can offer to email them the
advisory. If a legislator is coming or other VIP, be sure to mention that in your call.
You can also call reporters that you have built a relationship with. Reporters tend to be
available in late morning around 10:30; also some don’t come in until after 3 or 4. The
best option is to talk with them directly, i.e., not leaving a message on their voicemail, but
if you are short on time, a voicemail message is fine. If you do leave a voicemail, limit it
to about one minute long and be sure to clearly leave your name and number at both the
start and end of the message.
Pitch a story
Pitching a story to an editor or reporter is a short and sweet way of suggesting a story, but you
must be well prepared before you approach them. Your pitch should address:
 Why your idea will be interesting to readers/viewers – what do they want to read/watch?
 What’s new about this idea that hasn’t been covered before?
 Which VIPs are involved (local business leaders/celebrities/ legislators)
 What statistics or key facts are relevant locally?
 What is the “face” for the story – do you have local people that they can interview to get
the human perspective?
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Tips on working with the media
You may want to first send a quick email and follow up with a phone call. Your email needs to
be super-compelling and concise. For example, if you want to pitch a preschool graduation, you
might write an email like this:
Pre-K Graduation may lead to more high school graduations
Ten children from ABC school’s PA Pre-K Counts class will participate in its second annual
graduation ceremony on May 25, 2009. Children who attend high quality pre-kindergarten like
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts are more likely to do well in school, graduate high school and
attend college. Kindergarten teachers share that children who graduated from this class last
year are doing better than their peers and are available to share their stories. Approximately 30
children from City are participating in PA Pre-K Counts this year, up from 25 children last year.
Once you send an email, follow up with a phone call. Be prepared to provide more detail, such
as names of people the editor/reporter can interview.
Got News? Send out a Press Release
A press release is a way to let the media know your good news. It may be that a report was
published on early education, a Children’s Champion spoke at a leadership event, or an
enrollment announcement. Although you will provide enough information in your press release
that a paper may publish as is, many reporters will do their own research and write their own
article.
Many times the PA Key will provide template releases that you can customize for your
community. For example, if OCDEL publishes a report showing an increase in Keystone STARS
programs at STAR 3 and 4, the PA Key may provide you with a template in which you can add
information on STAR 3 and 4 programs in your county.
Here are some basic tips on writing and distributing a press release:
 Is your story newsworthy? Do people really want to read about it? That’s a tough
question for many groups, because to them, everything they do is newsworthy. Part of
the purpose of submitting press releases to the media is to educate them about your
work. However if you send too many press releases that lack news value, media outlets
may become more likely to ignore you. For example, when a CEG publishes their
community report card, the story is NOT that the report card was published, but
something newsworthy included in the report card, such as “new resource for families
looking for child care,” or “more quality child care available in county.” You may want to
run your idea or the release draft by a friend who is not as close to ECE to see if he/she
thinks it is newsworthy. Depending on your relationship with the reporter, you may want
to run the idea by him/her and ask for their professional assistance in finding the
“newsworthy” idea in your event/activity.
 Include a contact name at the top. The heading to most press releases looks like this
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[DATE]
CONTACT:
[NAME]
[PHONE]
The contact person should be your media relations person, not necessarily the person
who may know the content of the press release. The media relations person should have
a general understanding of the content of the release, but it is okay to forward the
reporter to other staff once the reporter has made initial contact. It is helpful to appoint
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individuals in your organization who will be the designated media relations people so you
are not scrambling when a reporter calls.
EMBARGOED. If you have news that you want to let the press know about before it
officially goes public so they can prepare a story to run the day you make the information
public, instead of putting “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” on the top, write “EMBARGOED
UNTIL [DATE AND TIME].” If you attach a report, also place the embargo message at the
top.
 Put the most important information at the beginning of the release. The reporter or editor
may only read the first sentence or two to decide if they want to read further. The first
paragraph should carry the most punch, with lesser information further down the release.
It is also nice to add a quote within the second or third paragraph to break up the release
a bit, but it’s not essential.
 Most press releases should be two pages or less. If you are talking about a report, you
may want to post the report on your website and include a hyperlink in your press
release.
 At the end of the press release, include a general paragraph about your group or
organization. You can use the same paragraph at the end of all of your press releases.
Include your web address if you have one.
 Email the release (as part of the email, not the attachment) to the news editor and
relevant reporter for the paper (depending on the story, it may be the education reporter,
family/life reporter, etc.)
 Later that day or the next day, call the reporter or editor and ask if they received your
release. Don’t ask them if they plan to publish it. You can also share additional new
information with them when you call. If they ask you questions you cannot answer, simply
say that you will get the answer for them and call them back. It is much better to say you
don’t know than to give them misinformation.
Making your case in the news
Making your case in the media can help many others see your point of view. Newspapers offer
several ways to share your opinions with their readers:
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

Write an opinion editorial (Op-ed)
Write a letter to the editor
Set up an editorial board meeting
Got an opinion? Write an Op-ed!
Op-eds, or Opinion Editorials, are essays written by someone in the community to state their
position on an issue. They are published in the Editorial section of the newspaper. Unlike
editorials, which reflect a position of the paper’s editorial board, these pieces reflect the position
of a reader, but are usually quite a bit longer than a letter to the editor and have a more
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prominent position in the paper. The most coveted days to have an Op-ed run are on the
weekends. Legislators and other community leaders often read Op-eds
Major papers run several Op-eds at a time, while other papers will run only one, and some of
the smaller papers almost never run Op-eds (although smaller papers tend to allow larger letters
to the editor). A sample Op-ed is included at the end of this toolkit.
Here are some tips on writing and submitting an Op-ed:
 Find out the word count and submission guidelines for your paper. The usual word count
is approximately 500 words. Many newspapers list the word count and submission
guidelines for their papers online in the Editorial Section. If they don’t, contact the
editorial page editor. Some papers ask for photos or one sentence descriptors of the
author, so check before you submit.
Editors prefer that you call or email them before submitting an Op-ed to ask them if they
are interested in it. Sometimes when you call the editorial page editor and tell them the
topic of your Op-ed and who your author is, they will hold a weekend slot for you,
especially around budget time. So, if you call and say “I am interested in submitting an
Op-ed on the education budget on behalf of my Executive Director and wanted to find out
your submission guidelines,” the editor may say “if you can get this to me by Wednesday
afternoon, I’ll run it in Saturday’s paper.”
 An Op-ed needs to express an opinion. Provide local data to support your position. The
more you can relate the issue to your community the better. This is a great opportunity to
use local statistics on numbers of STARS programs, PA Pre-K Counts enrollment,
percentage of children living in low-income families, etc.
 An Op-ed is also a good opportunity for a call to action. If your piece addresses the
importance of quality early learning to workforce development, you can end your piece by
asking business leaders to show their support for quality early learning as a way to insure
higher qualified workers in the future.
 Find a local leader to author your Op-ed. Most papers want a local person to be the
author of the Op-ed. Even though you may write it, try and recruit a local leader to be the
author. It will give the Op-ed a better chance of being published and of having an impact
in the community.
 Once you’ve submitted the Op-ed, call the editor to make sure he/she received it. Even if
you get confirmation, your piece can sometimes still get lost, so if it doesn’t get published
for a couple of weeks after confirmation that they will publish, you can contact them again
to check on the status of publication.
Want to respond to another opinion? Write a letter to the editor
If there’s an article that you don’t agree with or you do agree with and want to reinforce the
message, writing a letter to the editor is a great way to get your message out in the community.
Letters are usually shorter and easier to get published than an Op-ed, and once you’ve had one
published, you can share it with legislators and business and community leaders. You can also
write letters to the editor about an important time-sensitive issue even if there isn’t an article
published to reference. For example, you can write a letter to the editor reflecting on the
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importance of early education during Week of the Young Child, or why early education needs to
be a priority in the state budget during June, the peak month of budget negotiations.
Here are some tips on writing and submitting a letter to the editor:
 Check the submission guidelines for your paper. Most papers have their guidelines for
submitting a letter to the editor online, including the word count and contact information
you must provide. Most letters are between 250-300 words and require the author’s
address and phone number for verification. Stick to the word count! If your letter goes
over their word count, they may edit it for space and inadvertently change the message of
your letter.
 In most cases, your letter should be responding to an article, editorial or other letter
published in the paper, but you can also write a letter related to a current event, i.e.,
reminding people about the Week of the Young Child or encouraging our legislators to
vote in favor of a budget that is good for children. Mention the title and date of the original
piece in your letter. Try to respond within a few days of the date the original article,
editorial, etc. was published.
 Make your letter have local appeal by including data or new information relevant to the
local community. Unless the letter is to be signed by an executive from a state or national
organization, try to get a local person to be the author.
 Newspapers usually have a limit to how frequently you can submit a letter or have a letter
published (usually one letter a month) so if you want to submit several letters in a row,
have different members of your community author each one.
 Most papers will call you to verify your information before publishing your letter, so if you
are going to be out of the office a lot, give them your cell phone number or check your
messages frequently so you don’t miss this opportunity to get published.
 Even if your letter isn’t published, it is still a good exercise in forming your arguments for
quality early learning and a way to educate the editorial staff of the paper.
 Don’t forget the weekly papers. People read local and weekly papers, so this is another
good avenue for delivering your message.
Meet with the Editorial Board
If you want a newspaper to write an editorial or a story on your issue, one strategy is to set up
an editorial board meeting. The editorial board of a paper can consist of the editorial page
editor, editors from other departments, and other leaders in the community. When you set up a
meeting, you are essentially making the case for your point of view and offering to answer any
questions they may have.
Contact the editorial page editor to set up a meeting. They will invite members of the board or
relevant reporters to participate.
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Tips on working with the media
You should bring between 2-3 people with you to the meeting that can offer their perspective on
the issue. For example, if you want to talk about how early education is making a difference in
our children’s readiness for school, you may bring a pre-kindergarten teacher, a kindergarten
teacher, and a school superintendent. Each can provide their own experiences and
perspectives to show that children make progress in pre-k, those children are doing will in
kindergarten, and the impact of kids doing better in school to the entire school district. It is good
to set up beforehand who will act as the primary spokesperson and what each person will
address. You will only have about 10-15 minutes to make your case, so it is important to be
concise and get the most important information out on the table. You may even want to write
talking points and have a script for your section of the meeting.
Bring a press kit with relevant information, such as fact sheets and Op-eds or letters to the
editor (can be from other papers) that help make your case.
After your opening, editorial board members will ask questions. It is important to note that they
may ask you questions on anything, so if there is a hot topic in your community, they may ask
you about that topic.
The whole meeting usually lasts between 30-45 minutes.
After the meeting, follow up with a letter or phone call thanking them for their time and providing
any additional information you may have promised.
Got an article published? Follow up
After you have an article, Op-ed, or letter to the editor published, there are many ways you can
make that piece live on and impact even more people:
 Forward on to your friends, family, colleagues, members of your CEG or Leadership
Network Team, and other community or business partners. Consider posting links to the
online articles on your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
 Send a copy of the article to your legislative representatives, with a cover letter explaining
the importance of quality early learning in your community.
 Write a letter to the editor in support of quality early learning, how it benefits children and
families. Use examples of how quality early learning benefits the children and families in
your community.
 Include the article in packets for the media, legislators, and leadership events.
- Sample Media Advisory MEDIA ADVISORY
April 7, 2010
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CONTACT:
Kelly Swanson
(717) 213-2074
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Gubernatorial Candidates, National Experts, discuss early education investment with 150
Pennsylvania business leaders at
PA Early Learning Investment Commission 3rd Annual Economic Summit
Michael J. Mandel, PhD, former Chief Economist at BusinessWeek, Timothy J. Bartick, PhD, Senior
Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and leading experts share economic impact
of early education investment with 150 Pennsylvania business leaders
Democrat and Republican Gubernatorial candidates will share their views on early education with 150
business executives at the Early Learning Investment Commission’s Economic Summit, April 19, 2010, at
the Hilton Harrisburg. Hosted by the Early Learning Investment Commission, the Economic Summit will
convene Pennsylvania CEOs and business executives with national experts on brain research, economic
development and early childhood policy to discuss the economic value of investment in early education
and the role of the business sector to support such investment. There is a growing trend of business
leaders sharing their support for early childhood education as a workforce development and economic
development strategy. Attendees will also learn how other business leaders are raising their voices in
support of early education investment and ways they can join the effort.
EVENT:
2010 Economic Summit on Early Childhood Investment
DATE:
Monday, April 19
TIME:
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION:
Hilton Hotel Harrisburg, Harrisburg Ballroom, One North Second Street
PRESENTERS:
 Michael J. Mandel, PhD, Former Chief Economist, BusinessWeek
 Judy Cameron, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh
 Timothy J. Bartick, PhD, Senior Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
 Major General Wesley E. Craig, Jr., US Army- retired, Executive Advisory Council, Mission
Readiness
 Stephen Bagnato, EdD, Director, Early Childhood Partnerships, University of Pittsburgh,
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
 Senator Robert Casey, Jr., U.S. Senate
 Steven Crawford, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor
 Harriet Dichter, Acting Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
 Tom Corbett, candidate for Governor, Attorney General
 Sam Rohrer, candidate for Governor, State Representative
 Joe Hoeffel, candidate for Governor, Montgomery County Commissioner
 Dan Onorato, candidate for Governor, Allegheny County Executive
 Jack Wagner, candidate for Governor, State Auditor General
 Anthony Williams, candidate for Governor, State Senator
 Peter J. Danchak, President, PNC Bank – Northeast Region
 Philip A. Peterson, Senior Vice President, Aon Consulting
Agenda and related information available online at http://paprom.convio.net/ELIC.
The Pennsylvania Early learning Investment Commission was created in September 2008 through
Executive Order. The purpose of the Commission is to secure public investment in early learning by
focusing on practices that are educationally, economically and scientifically sound by increasing business,
civic and public awareness of the importance of early childhood education. Approximately 50 business
leaders were appointed by Governor Rendell from across the commonwealth to be members of this
Commission. The Honorary Chairs are Governor Edward G. Rendell and James Rohr, Chairman and
President of The PNC Financial Services Group.
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The 2010 Economic Summit on Early Childhood Investment is made possible with support from the
Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and the William Penn Foundation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Agenda and background materials available online at http://paprom.convio.net/ELIC.
###
- Sample Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2010
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Department of Public Welfare
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
CONTACT:
Leah Harris, PDE
(717) 783-9802
Beth Myers, DPW
(717) 787-4592
PA Department of Public Welfare: New Report: Early childhood education
opportunities still lag in many Pennsylvania counties
HARRISBURG – Children in three-quarters of Pennsylvania's counties face a moderate to high risk of
failing in school, in part because they lack access to high-quality education resources in their earliest
years, according to a new state report.
The 2008-2009 Reach and Risk Assessment Report, released today by Pennsylvania's Office of Child
Development and Early Learning, finds that while the commonwealth continues to make progress serving
young children, gaps remain in serving those children who could benefit the most from a quality early
education experience.
"We are seeing amazing results from our early education initiatives, and we know these programs are
preparing our children for success in school," said Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak. "This
report highlights the advancements we've made in reaching more children, but also makes clear that
there are thousands of at-risk children that could benefit."
Secretary of Public Welfare Harriet Dichter said the report is a valuable tool to identify regions and cities
most likely to benefit from expanded programs designed to offset risk factors for young children.
"In this economy, we need to work harder than ever to be strategic and resourceful in our public
investments," Dichter said. "This report gives us a targeted snapshot of both the places our early
education programs are reaching as well as the regions where more efforts and investments need to be
made."
The Reach and Risk report compiles information by county on the number of children affected by seven
risk factors for school failure, as well as the number of children served by early childhood programs. The
findings are intended to help better target funding for early childhood programs such as Pennsylvania
Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS, Early Intervention and Head Start.
Among the findings of the Reach and Risk report:
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• Children in 51 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties and 24 of the state's 27 largest cities are at moderate-tohigh risk or high risk of school failure.
• More than one-third of children under age 5 are living in low-income families, which the report identifies
as one of the seven major risk factors for school failure.
• In every Pennsylvania county, at least 15 percent of children under age 5 live in low-income households.
• In 20 of the 27 largest cities, more than half of children under 5 live in low-income households.
The report finds only about one-third of Pennsylvania children under age 5 currently participate in state or
federally funded early education programs. The majority of these children are served through the
Keystone STARS program, which ensures technical assistance and high voluntary standards for child
care providers in the community. However, only three percent of children under age 5 in Pennsylvania
were served in high quality STAR 3 and 4 programs.
Evidence-based research shows children who have access to quality early childhood education show
measurable gains in early learning skills – gains that can translate into long-term savings in special
education and remediation costs.
These children also are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college or quality job training
programs and become valuable members of the workforce. Evidence also suggests that quality early
education programs for children and families translate into a more competitive workforce and greater tax
base, while reducing expenses related to public assistance and crime control.
The full Reach and Risk report is available at www.pakeys.org. More information on Pennsylvania's Office
of Child Development and Early Learning can be found at www.education.state.pa.us or
www.dpw.state.pa.us.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Risk level scores for each county are listed below. Risk level was determined based on
seven family and educational risk indicators. A rating of one (low risk) to four (high risk) was given for
each risk factor, based on the percentage of children affected.
Low risk
Bucks 1.0
Montgomery 1.0
Moderate-low risk
Butler 1.14
Centre 1.14
Chester 1.14
Pike 1.14
Westmoreland 1.14
Cumberland 1.29
Elk 1.29
Union 1.57
Washington 1.71
Monroe 1.86
Snyder 1.86
Wayne 1.86
Moderate-high risk
Beaver 2
Cameron 2
Carbon 2.14
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Columbia 2.14
Delaware 2.14
Fulton 2.14
Montour 2.14
Northampton 2.14
Sullivan 2.14
Susquehanna 2.14
York 2.14
Armstrong 2.29
Bedford 2.29
Forest 2.29
Juniata 2.29
Perry 2.29
Warren 2.29
Wyoming 2.29
Franklin 2.43
Lackawanna 2.43
Adams 2.57
Allegheny 2.57
Clarion 2.57
Lancaster 2.57
Potter 2.57
Schuylkill 2.57
Huntingdon 2.71
Indiana 2.71
Lebanon 2.71
Tioga 2.71
Somerset 2.86
Blair 3.0
Bradford 3.0
Cambria 3.0
Jefferson 3.0
Lehigh 3.0
Luzerne 3.0
Lycoming 3.0
Northumberland 3.0
High risk
Lawrence 3.14
Mifflin 3.14
Berks 3.29
Clearfield 3.43
Dauphin 3.43
Erie 3.43
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Mercer 3.43
Venango 3.57
Clinton 3.71
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2010
Crawford 3.71
McKean 3.71
Greene 3.86
Fayette 4.0
Philadelphia 4.0
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Department of Public Welfare
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
CONTACT:
Leah Harris, PDE
(717) 783-9802
PA Department of Education: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
begins enrollments for Fall 2010
Parents of eligible three- and four-year-olds are encouraged to register now
HARRISBURG – Families interested in enrolling their children in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in the fall
can start to apply now by contacting any center that currently provides the program, Education Secretary
Gerald L. Zahorchak announced today.
“Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provides quality early education that helps children succeed throughout their
academic careers,” Zahorchak said. “To ensure your child has a spot in this beneficial program, families
should contact local Pre-K Counts grantees today.”
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is a state-funded initiative that enables school districts, Head Start providers,
child care centers and nursery schools to deliver high-quality pre-kindergarten to more children, with an
emphasis on those who are at the greatest risk of academic failure.
Eligible children include those living in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level
(such as a family of four earning $66,150), English language learners and children with special needs.
Children are eligible for enrollment in the program from age three until entering kindergarten.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts classrooms offer high-quality certified teachers, small class sizes, curriculum
aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning standards, regular assessment progress and performance
reports. These high expectations ensure that the children receive a high-quality early learning experience.
“The children served through Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts demonstrate an immediate impact in their
development, as well as longer term impacts on their academic progress, career success and overall
contribution to society,” Zahorchak said. “The quality program design, accountability and implementation
have resulted in excellent results for children who participate in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts programs.”
Nearly every child who participated in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in 2008-2010 showed age-appropriate
or emerging age-appropriate skills after attending the programs. School districts have also reported that
children who participated in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts entered kindergarten with age-appropriate skills,
were more prepared for kindergarten than their peers and were meeting development expectations
through kindergarten.
"This progress translates into fewer children requiring expensive special education services throughout
their school career, and an immediate savings to our school districts," noted Zahorchak.
In 2009-10, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provided high-quality pre-kindergarten to nearly 12,000 threeand four-year-olds across the state.
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Parents should contact Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees directly for enrollment information on how to
apply. For a complete list of current Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees, visit
www.education.state.pa.us and enter Pre-K Counts in the search box.
###
- Sample Op-ed The Morning Call
April 11, 2010
By Jane Ervin
United States needs to increase spending on early childhood education
Josie began Head Start as a 4-year-old. She knew almost no words of English and spoke little
in her native language. Her parents were hard working immigrants who worked around the clock
to afford rent, groceries and a phone. There wasn't much time for reading stories to Josie at
home. She shrank away from other children. There were no books, crayons or paper at home.
She had never been to a dentist. Her shots weren't up to date.
This week, the Week of the Young Child, is an annual celebration sponsored by the National
Association for the Education of Young Children, the world's largest early childhood education
association.
Meeting the national association standards is a hallmark of the highest quality for early
childhood centers and preschool classrooms. Any center or classroom in Pennsylvania's
Keystone STARS program approximates those standards at the STAR 4 level. Recently
Pennsylvania has been a leader in this area.
Early childhood programs that are accredited by the association or attain STAR 4 employ highly
trained teachers who typically hold bachelor's degrees in early childhood education. These high
quality classrooms provide relatively low teacher-student ratios and provide continuing
education for teachers. They have space, equipment and curriculum representing researchbased best practice.
The fact that quality early education matters to our community really should be beyond debate,
beyond politics. Children starting kindergarten who are prepared emotionally, cognitively and
physically are going to succeed. Parents who are prepared to assist their children will help
sustain their achievement. Decades of research prove that remediation costs are lower,
graduation rates are higher, and salaries are higher among those who were well prepared when
they entered school.
For decades, high quality early education has been a standard part of a child's educational
experience in many European and Far Eastern countries. But this has not historically been the
norm in the United States. We have entered a global economy where competition for jobs and
innovation is on a worldwide scale. Our children need every advantage and that begins in their
earliest years.
A hard-working labor force with a strong work ethic has been a point of pride for Pennsylvania
and the Lehigh Valley. A labor force ready for 21st century teamwork and innovative thinking,
technical skills and decision-making begins in the cradle. The human brain needs consistency,
appropriate stimulation, freedom from stress, and exposure to new experiences to reach its full
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potential. Quality early education doesn't remove parental involvement. It augments and
enhances it.
Through the teacher in Josie's classroom, her parents learned that surrounding Josie in
language -- reading, singing, asking questions, telling stories, talking about the family -- would
stimulate her growth.
Quality early education is necessary, but it is not enough.
Families must have access to affordable housing, health and dental care, transportation and
quality education throughout childhood, youth and maturity.
A community that provides opportunities for sports and recreation, parks, museums, the arts
and libraries helps parents support their children's learning. Families need safe neighborhoods
and clean environments to encourage stability. In short, a healthy, prosperous community
improves the quality of life for everyone. When we meet the needs of children and their families,
everyone benefits.
The federal Head Start program began in 1965. I was a young volunteer for Head Start in my
hometown, visiting some of the poorest homes you can imagine, bringing young children -many with numerous disabilities -- who were too young for public school into vibrant classrooms
and bringing their parents into parenting classes. The Head Start program has been very
successful for relatively few funded children it serves. In the Lehigh Valley, about 6,500 children
under age 5 live below the poverty line. Head Start only has enough funding to serve 1,200 of
them. There has never been adequate funding.
Our priorities must change. Now that we are competing in a global economy we must give our
children the best chance to succeed and become competitive in the world market.
Josie couldn't wait to start kindergarten. She was happy around other kids, knew her alphabet
and numbers, and could talk a blue streak. She was full of questions. What a joy!
Jane Ervin is president and CEO of Community Services for Children.
Copyright © 2010, The Morning Call
- Sample Letters to the Editor -
LTE: State budget proposal is a mixed bag for children’s programs
Allentown Morning Call
February 12, 2010
W hen considering how Gov. Rendell's 2010-2011 proposed budget affects children, it is
important to recognize that our current economic challenges disproportionately impact
Pennsylvania's youth.
The Census Bureau's ''Poverty: 2007 and 2008 American Community Surveys'' listed
Pennsylvania among eight states that saw an increase in poverty rates.
Another Census report, ''Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States:
2008,'' noted the largest increase in poverty was attributed to the child poverty rate. Allentown,
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for example, had more than 20 percent of its children in poverty. So, I view this budget with
concern for those most vulnerable and yet its ability to shape our collective future -- our children.
For early childhood education, the budget increases funding to early intervention but reduces or
maintains fund levels for several valuable programs -- Child Care Works, Keystone STARS,
Head Start Supplemental, Nurse-Family Partnership, Parent-Child Home Program and Pre-K
Counts.
The budget also remains committed to achieving adequacy targets and continuing progress in
improving student achievement by increasing basic education funding. The county child welfare
general budget is increased, and more children will have access to CHIP, the Children's Health
Insurance Program.
However, there are still many programs and services for children, including libraries, that face
cuts. Overall, the governor's budget appears to meet daunting state budget constraints while
continuing to try to address a myriad of issues affecting many children and their families. It is my
hope that the Legislature works collectively to pass a responsible and timely budget this year.
Carol Obando-Derstine is the executive director of the Children's Coalition of the Lehigh Valley.
LTE: Early education proves key to a child's learning process
The Patriot News
February 19, 2010
Jerry McGinnis states in his recent Patriot-News opinion piece (Feb. 2) that "children at risk of
school failure make amazing gains in their development during the first five years if they have
quality early opportunities. They can make up the gap before it even begins."
Research conducted by Penn State University has demonstrated that participation in the
Harrisburg Preschool Program significantly increases children's literacy and math skills and
cognitive abilities.
This high-quality program based in the Harrisburg School District in collaboration with Capital
Area Head Start serves more than 600 3- and 4-year-olds.
The study, funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, shows that these achievements in
vocabulary, writing and math skills, which have been evident since kindergarten, are maintained
through second grade.
The students are now performing at the same level as their peers who are not at-risk.
These findings are important because success in early elementary grades strongly influences
long-term academic outcomes.
This study will continue to examine outcomes for students in the elementary years at third and
fifth grades.
MARK GREENBERG
Director of Penn State University
Prevention Research Center
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