Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program is nationally lauded; yet it only serves a small fraction of Alabama’s four-year-olds. In 2012, the Alabama School Readiness Alliance and its Pre-K Task Force of business leaders, educators and community advocates announced a 10-year effort to expand pre-k to all families in Alabama who wish to enroll their children.
ASRA’s Pre-K Task Force has natural opportunities to be featured in the news when state leaders discuss annual funding for pre-k, or when children go back to school. But ASRA’s mission is dependent on building strong support for pre-k year-round.
With the help of Longleaf Strategies, ASRA attracts continuous media attention by holding events that provide lawmakers and others opportunities to learn about the benefits of high-quality pre-k. Media events have included speeches to community organizations, statehouse rallies, and demonstrations. For ASRA, ribbon cuttings and legislator visits to new pre-k centers fit well within political news roundups and provide local news stations compelling footage of public officials interacting with Alabama’s youngest learners.
ASRA’s proactive approach to earned media yields headlines about pre-k in local papers throughout the year. The group uses this coverage to build momentum and support for increased state investments in Alabama’s pre-k programs, so that every child has a chance to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.