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RYH4K celebrates early childhood education measure’s certification

ST. LOUIS – Raise Your Hand for Kids celebrated their initiative petition’s certification for the November ballot Tuesday as litigation remains ongoing.

Raise Your Hand for Kids (RYH4K) and other supporters of the Early Childhood Health and Education Amendment welcomed Kander’s decision. The amendment would raise the state’s tobacco tax to fund early childhood education programs.

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, criticized the state’s lack of pre-kindergarten options. She said more early childhood education could help reduce crime and increase opportunity.

“We have our chance to fix this and to stand up for Missouri’s present and future by voting yes on Amendment 3 this November,” she said. “This vote will be an investment in our greatest resource: our children.”

The gathered supporters also pointed to statistics comparing the state’s efforts in pre-k to some of its neighbors. In 2014, 3 percent of Missouri 4-year-olds attended state-funded preschools while 60 percent did in Iowa and 76 percent in Oklahoma.

Also in attendance were Maxine Clark, founder of Build-a-Bear Workshop; Sarah Christman, executive director of the Soulard School; Rev. Starsky Wilson, co-chair of the Ferguson Commission and head of the Deaconess Foundation; and Jane Dueker with Raise Your Hand for Kids.

Dueker explained that the measure, officially Amendment 3, would let voters decide to fund early childhood education.

“This is our moment to catch Missouri up to the rest of the country, and save significant taxpayer dollars in the future by making a smart investment today,” she said.

Looking towards November

While supporters celebrated Tuesday, some obstacles remain before November’s election. Opponents are challenging the certification of the signatures in court because they believe they are all invalid after an appeals court changed the name of the initiative petition last month.

“Big Tobacco’s bait-and-switch scheme has been certified for the ballot by the Secretary of State despite Missouri law clearly declaring that proposals without official ballot titles must be thrown out,” said Jim Kreider, executive director of the Missouri Retired Teachers’ Association. “This move will be duly challenged and set aside in the courts.”

While the legal battle continues, supporters and opponents of the measure will also fight outside of the courtroom. The Early Childhood Education Initiative has announced a $5 million ad campaign supporting the amendment.

It also has support of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, Missouri State NAACP, the Missouri Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators and the Missouri PTA.

But opponents have their own coalition of groups that have come out against the measure. Those groups include the Missouri National Education Association, the Missouri Retired Teachers’ Association and the Missouri Rural Education Association.

Opponents warned that there could be consequences for passing the measure. Kreider also criticized the measure for allowing public funds to be spend at private schools.

“This is terrible public policy,” he said. “We do not improve public education by diverting public money from public education for purposes that are banned by the Missouri Constitution.”

Health advocacy groups also appear on both sides of the issue.

Supporters also cheered polling released by Raise Your Hand for Kids last week that shows significant statewide support.