Raise Your Hand Texas Hosts SXSW EDU Panel to Discuss Strengthening Pre-K in the United States
On March 2, 2025, Max Rombado, legislative director at Raise Your Hand Texas, moderated the panel, “A Path Forward: Strengthening Pre-K Across the Nation,” at this year’s SXSW EDU. This panel discussed the #PowerofPreK and the role of early childhood education in developing strong learners and reducing achievement gaps for underprivileged students across the country.
The panel featured Steven Barnett, senior co-director and professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University; Salman Bhojani, a Texas House Representative and lawyer; and Allison Muhlendorf, vice president of Longleaf Strategies.
Barnett discussed the 2023 State of Preschool Yearbook, which tracks both state spending and the quality of public pre-K programs in the United States. The panelists identified several obstacles hindering pre-K progress:
- Funding Gaps: In Texas, the legislature mandates full-day pre-K for four-year-olds but only funds half-day programs, creating a significant financial strain on school districts.
- Lack of Awareness: Legislators may not fully understand the benefits and funding needs of high-quality pre-K.
- Workforce Shortages: A shortage of qualified early childhood educators limits the ability to expand access to pre-K.
- Wishful Thinking: A tendency to believe that quality outcomes can be achieved without adequate investment.
“So when it comes to pre-K, whether it’s publicly funded or whether the parents are paying for it, quality matters. It matters a ton,” said Muhlendorf. Despite these challenges, there are ways to progress pre-K:
- Increased Advocacy: Emphasizing the economic and societal benefits of pre-K to legislators and the public.
- Strategic Funding: Prioritizing investments in programs that meet high-quality standards.
- Workforce Development: Addressing the shortage of qualified early childhood educators through scholarships and support programs.
- Community Engagement: Building community support and taking action at the local level.
- Connecting Literacy and Language: Emphasizing the connection between quality pre-K and early literacy development.
“In a state where we have 222 consecutive sessions of $20 billion surpluses, we can easily earmark a $1 billion level,” said Rep. Bhojani. “That’s how much it would cost to have a full day of pre-K for 4-year-olds.
To learn more about the importance of fully funded full-day pre-K here in Texas, view Raise Your Hand Texas’ video for a breakdown of the issue.
2025 SXSW EDU panel featured:
Steven Barnett: National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University
Salman Bhojani: Texas House of Representatives
Allison Muhlendorf: Longleaf Strategies
Maximiliano Rombado: Raise Your Hand Texas
Listen: Event Recording
Austin Convention Center (SXSW)
Austin
March 04, 2025
02:30 PM - 03:30 PM