DUNCAN TO PUSH PRE-K PROPOSAL IN ATLANTA

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The AP (5/31, Cassidy) reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan "is traveling to Atlanta to highlight President Barack Obama'sâ„¢s effort to expand access to early learning programs nationally," noting that he will take part in "a town hall meeting with Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed" at a local school. The AP notes that Georgia'sâ„¢s pre-K program is considered a national leader.

Business Leaders Call On Administration To Boost Pre-K Investment. The Washington Post (5/31, Chandler) reports that in an open letter to President Obama and presented Thursday to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, over 300 national business leaders wrote "in support of greater federal investment in preschool," reflecting "a growing campaign to reframe preschool not just as an education issue but as a matter of workforce training and economic development." Noting that many in the business community and in public policy increasingly refer to early childhood education in terms of return on investment, the Post wrote that the signers "said new policies should start with prenatal care and extend through kindergarten; prioritize children from low- and moderate-income families; give parents options in the public and private sectors; encourage higher quality standards; and closely track the outcomes of different programs."