Spring 2021
Governor Murphy’s proposed FY2022 budget includes $50 million for pre-k expansion! There’s been funding for pre-k expansion in every recent state budget, and we’ve expanded pre-k for working families in 150+ school districts! There are families in 110+ districts that still wait…… across rural, suburban and urban communities, and from east to west and north to south. Let’s continue substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR!
Early 2021
There’s been a remarkable record of achievement: four consecutive years of new pre-k expansion funding in NJ, for a total of 150+ districts with NJ’s pre-k! BUT — there are eligible school districts – and their communities – that still wait. These 110+ eligible – and waiting – districts are individually named as the focus for 2021. The goal: let’s reach a total of 200+ districts to be funded with NJ’s pre-k! How? Fund substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR!
Fall 2020
Previously, in late-August and September 2020, NJ’s 3 & 4-year-olds and their working families say thanks, Governor! There’s proposed budget funding for new pre-k spaces – and new districts. Let’s maintain momentum for pre-k expansion!
August-September 2020
Through August and September 2020, Pre-K Our Way shares advocacy to underscore an important message: continue the already planned, approved pre-k expansion funding for the entire school year. Let’s keep the momentum!
Spring 2020
In early spring 2020, Pre-K Our Way’s ad campaign ran for one week before the COVID-19 statewide shutdown. The ads thanked Governor Murphy for his proposed FY2021 budget which included funding for NJ’s pre-k in nearly 180 school districts – including approximately 30 new ones. Although pre-k expansion is one of the Governor’s priority efforts, COVID-19 created historic challenges and necessitated focus on safety and continued learning rather than expansion into new school districts for 2020-2021. Therefore, the Governor made a difficult decision in May 2020 not to provide his proposed funding for pre-k expansion in any new districts.
Beginning January 2020: Keep the Momentum
Beginning in early 2020, Pre-K Our Way’s newest ad focus is to keep the momentum – fund more pre-k NOW! Thanks to Governor Murphy and the Legislature, there are now 140+ communities with NJ’s pre-k, BUT 110+ eligible communities still wait… Watch our newest ad below.
Spring 2019
Currently, there are 113 school districts providing NJ’s pre-k to thousands more 3- and 4-year-olds – and their working families. New Jersey’s expanding pre-k! The governor’s budget wants more funding – $68 million. Hundreds of communities, tens of thousands of kids, are waiting. It’s time to significantly fund pre-k expansion – NOW!
2018 and Earlier
Our ads ended in 2018 by marking the transition from the national mid-term election discussions to return focus to New Jersey priorities. Our November 2018 ad reminded New Jerseyans that pre-k expasion funding was needed in the coming year, 2019, and beyond.
NOVEMBER 2018
We’ve Been Waiting 10 years…We’re Ready for pre-k!
Some of NJ’s 3- and 4-year-olds are featured in our spring 2018 video. Viewers were asked to watch, then act – for them. Fund pre-k NOW!
Ready for pre-k!
Governor Murphy’s first budget includes significant funding for pre-k expansion, and makes a commitment to NJ’s 3- and 4-year-olds. The commitment: his budget “starts NJ down a 4-year-path to expanding pre-k statewide….” It’ll take time, and this year is important! 50,000 3- and 4-year-olds have been waiting for 10 years for NJ’s pre-k. They’re ready! Let your legislators know: you want pre-k NOW!
Expand NJ’s Pre-K NOW!
Beginning on day one, there’s one message for Governor Murphy and the Legislature: Expand NJ’s Pre-K NOW! 50,000 kids are still waiting.
2017 and Earlier
Following are ads and videos from Pre-K Our Way’s 2017 Campaign for Pre-K Expansion, along with brief stories about Why Pre-K, Advocacy and representative school districts with (and without) NJ’s pre-k.
It’s time for 50,000 kids to win!
While congratulating Governor-elect Murphy and newly elected legislators, Pre-K Our Way’s immediate post-election messaging kept the focus on the 50,000 kids waiting for expansion of NJ’s pre-k.
STILL WAITING…..FOR NJ’s Pre-K
Pre-K Our Way’s ads from September until Election Day 2017 focused on the 50,000 3- and 4-year-olds still waiting for NJ’s pre-k. Funding for pre-k expansion in the 2017-2018 state budget – the first funding in nearly a decade – benefited only a few thousand children. Still waiting: 50,000 children across hundreds of communities!
NJ’s high-quality, full-day pre-k was promised – back in 2008 – to 50,000 more children, and their families. Click on the links that follow to learn how NJ’s pre-k supports working parents, encourages future health, delivers educational achievement – and promotes successful lives.
Supports Working Parents
Encourages Future Health
Delivers Educational Achievement
Promotes Successful Lives
Fund NJ Pre-K Expansion NOW!
Continuing the Campaign for Pre-K Expansion, Pre-K Our Way’s four ads (June 2017) delivered a direct message: fund NJ pre-k expansion NOW! The ads encouraged viewers to let their legislators know to support pre-k – that the viewer wanted pre-k! These ads featured only some of the hundreds of communities waiting for NJ’s existing state-funded, full-day pre-k—and only some of the 50,000 3- and 4-year-olds waiting every year. The ads ran statewide on selected digital platforms, websites and targeted print media.
Bring NJ’s State-Funded Pre-K to Children in your Community
There are 50,000 kids–and hundreds of communities, waiting for NJ’s state-funded, full-day pre-k as promised in 2008. Our targeted ads showcased representative communities and let viewers know how many kids are waiting. Also, the ads featured just a few of the families waiting across our state. Watch all of the representative ads from Spring 2017, or select a particular region to see examples of where kids are waiting for NJ’s full-day, state-funded pre-k! Let your legislators know that you want pre-k!
Choose Your Region to Watch Representative Local Ads:
Statewide South Jersey Central Jersey North Jersey
Leading up to its Campaign for Pre-K Expansion, Pre-K Our Way’s videos in 2015 and 2016 ranged from a September 2016 feature of an empty classroom just waiting for the 50,000 kids promised NJ’s pre-k each year since 2008, through 2015 and 2016’s short pieces about our organization, Leadership Group, schools with—and without—NJ’s full-day state-funded pre-k. Learn what you can do to ensure than pre-k is available to more communities—as promised!
