Hillary Clinton

thank you all veri much __PUNCT__

it is such a pleasur to be here at north beach and i want to thank superintend rudi crew __PUNCT__

i known the superintend for mani year __PUNCT__ work with him when he wa in new york and am delight to have thi chanc to reconnect with him here in miami __PUNCT__

i want to thank the princip __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ luther grei for welcom me __PUNCT__

i have a littl person rule when i walk into a school and i walk into probabl by now thousand of school over the year __PUNCT__ just to get a feel for what the school is like and if there ar teacher around __PUNCT__ to ask the teacher what it like __PUNCT__ ask the student __PUNCT__ if the parent ar there ask them __PUNCT__

and the real support and enthusiasm for thi school is just palpabl __PUNCT__

and i so grate for all of you be here and i want to commend not onli the princip and all of the teacher but the entir school commun __PUNCT__ student and the parent and the famili_member who make thi school work so well __PUNCT__

thi is a gift __PUNCT__ my beauti __PUNCT__ beauti necklac from two of the pre __PUNCT__ k student __PUNCT__ sofia and savannah and it match my jacket so i had to wear it and it ha my initi __PUNCT__ so i feel veri dress up todai __PUNCT__

i here to talk about an issu that i been work on for a veri long_time __PUNCT__ go back to when i wa in law_school and becam concern about how we care for and educ our youngest children __PUNCT__

becaus i believ that we have to do our best with our children from the veri begin __PUNCT__

for thirti __PUNCT__ five year as a lawyer and an advoc __PUNCT__ as a friend ladi and a senat and most importantli as a mom __PUNCT__ i have been strongli in support of provid the tool to parent that would give parent an opportun to recogn that thei ar their child first teacher and that the famili is their child first school __PUNCT__ becaus we have to have a strong partnership between our famili and our school and our societi on behalf of our children __PUNCT__

i seen what happen when care adult come togeth and make a commit to insur that each child ha a chanc to fulfil hi or her god __PUNCT__ given potenti __PUNCT__

year_ago when my husband wa governor of arkansa __PUNCT__ i brought a program to arkansa from israel that help to train parent __PUNCT__ mostli mother and some grandmoth __PUNCT__ about how to prepar their own children for school __PUNCT__

we talk to them and help them understand the import of read to their children __PUNCT__ of talk to their children __PUNCT__ of even us household object to teach basic lesson __PUNCT__ the differ between a spoon and a fork __PUNCT__ for exampl __PUNCT__

becaus what we knew is that when children enter kindergarten or first grade __PUNCT__ a lot of children who had a veri good basic begin by how thei were rais and what thei were expos to __PUNCT__ were so far ahead of other children who didn't have that set of opportun __PUNCT__

i believ it import that we work as famili to help to encourag them __PUNCT__

to understand that thing that seem veri simpl like talk to a child and read to a child __PUNCT__ lai the groundwork for brain develop and for a child be abl to do well later on __PUNCT__

i see thi when i visit the head_start program __PUNCT__ where children were learn to read and count and solv_problem and work with each other __PUNCT__ have a chanc to develop the habit that we need in societi so that peopl get along __PUNCT__

we all know about the __PUNCT__ terribl two __PUNCT__ and we know about the sometim rebelli four and try to figur out how to structur set so kid can learn what it will take to be success in thi societi is so import __PUNCT__ not onli for the children but for all of us __PUNCT__

and earli thi morn __PUNCT__ i wa here in north beach and met some of the pre __PUNCT__ k children and teacher and then i just tour the three classroom and i veri impress with the qualiti of interact and instruct and with the lesson that children ar learn __PUNCT__

not onli the academ lesson __PUNCT__ where i saw children circl all the letter h or all the letter g or do the alphabet puzzl or us rhyme card to begin to do what thei need to understand word and get readi for read __PUNCT__ but also get along with each other __PUNCT__ respect each other __PUNCT__ someth that we realli need in the world_todai __PUNCT__

and i think everi child should have the same opportun to learn and grow and develop at the four year old here at north beach ar do __PUNCT__

becaus the fact is __PUNCT__ we cannot succe in the global_economi todai unless our children univers ar given the best start in life and then can take advantag of educ and enter the world readi to be product __PUNCT__

obvious if you look at the entir educ_system there a lot of work we have to do __PUNCT__

we have to make colleg more afford and i talk a lot about that __PUNCT__

we have to make it possibl for our teacher to have work_condit that give them the chanc to be the best teacher we can be __PUNCT__

there a lot of thing we need to do to reform and chang no child_left behind __PUNCT__ which is an unfund mandat on our school __PUNCT__

but we all know that prepar children to attend_colleg or to start a career __PUNCT__ to get the skill thei need __PUNCT__ start wai earlier than that __PUNCT__

i go to be propos throughout my campaign __PUNCT__ addit invest in even younger children __PUNCT__ those __NUM__ becaus parent need high qualiti child_care and much more in the wai of parent support in educ about how to do best job thei can __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ fewer than __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of our four year old in america ar in pre __PUNCT__ k program that ar fund by our variou state __PUNCT__

that what i want to discuss becaus i think our educ_system need to be strengthen from start to finish __PUNCT__ but we have to start where it all begin __PUNCT__

todai i announc a propos to establish univers_pre kindergarten educ __PUNCT__ access to high qualiti pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten for everi singl four year old in america __PUNCT__

our children ar grow up in a world that is vastli more competit and certainli a lot more technolog_advanc than when most of us were those ag __PUNCT__

i go into classroom and it pretti much familiar to me becaus it look exactli like look when i wa in elementari_school and that wa a long_time time_ago __PUNCT__

and we have a lot of work care __PUNCT__ a lot of singl_mom support kid __PUNCT__ we have a lot of differ now than what we us to have __PUNCT__

so how do we help prepar all of our children to be as success as thei possibl can __PUNCT__ i talk to lot of teacher about what happen the first dai of kindergarten __PUNCT__ the first dai of first grade __PUNCT__

some children arriv alreadi know how to write their name __PUNCT__ thei know how to interact with their peer __PUNCT__ thei thrive in a structur environ __PUNCT__

other don't __PUNCT__ thei ar not even sure of how to fit in __PUNCT__ or what thei ar suppos to do __PUNCT__

thei certainli don't know how to spell their name __PUNCT__ in fact some of them don't even know their full name becaus thei been call by a nick name for so much of their live __PUNCT__

we can't let that continu if we expect our children to be success __PUNCT__

we can talk all we want about how public_school ar great_equal and engin of our meritocraci in america __PUNCT__

but if children start school behind __PUNCT__ it is like thei will stai behind and by the third or fourth grade thei ar alreadi feel like thei don't fit in __PUNCT__

thei ar not comfort __PUNCT__ thei ar be label failur and i don't think that what we want for our children __PUNCT__

mani famili cannot afford the kind of pre __PUNCT__ k program on their own that i see here in thi school __PUNCT__

mani parent struggl to try to find somebodi to take care of their children in a safe environ while thei go to work __PUNCT__

dure the time that i wa first ladi __PUNCT__ i host a white_hous confer on child_care and on on how the brain develop becaus it wa becom veri clear that in the first give year of life __PUNCT__ so much of the brain develop __PUNCT__

you don't think about that but that exactli what go on when children ar make connect __PUNCT__ their brain ar make those connect __PUNCT__ as well __PUNCT__

and unfortun we cut_back in the last six year on invest in earli_childhood __PUNCT__

thi administr ha not provid adequ fund for qualiti childcar __PUNCT__ thei cut head_start __NUM__ __PUNCT__ in the last five year and unfortun propos to cut anoth __NUM__ slot thi year alon __PUNCT__ nearli __NUM__ of them in florida __PUNCT__

i don't understand that becaus i realli do believ that children deserv our attent and thei deserv our resourc and our invest __PUNCT__

too mani children __PUNCT__ though __PUNCT__ and their need ar just not be seen in washington todai __PUNCT__

if your child is sit in a crumbl school and i been in those __PUNCT__ you invis __PUNCT__

if you a singl_mom who can't afford safe __PUNCT__ qualiti child_care __PUNCT__ you invis __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__

if you a famili that work and can't afford health_care your child need to have hi ey check or her teeth check __PUNCT__ you invis __PUNCT__ as well __PUNCT__

if you a teacher who is not get the respect and pai you deserv from the hard_work you put in __PUNCT__ you invis __PUNCT__

i think we shouldn't allow anyon in america to be invis and in order to do that we have to chang our prioriti as a nation __PUNCT__

we should start with our youngest children __PUNCT__

a lot of peopl sai __PUNCT__ well that a nice thing to do but what doe that have to do with all the big_problem we face in the world __PUNCT__

in fact __PUNCT__ some peopl __PUNCT__ when i talk about the need to realli help prepar children __PUNCT__ thei sort of sai __PUNCT__ well that a nice thing to be for __PUNCT__ but kind of soft __PUNCT__ i mean it not realli that import __PUNCT__ is it __PUNCT__ but we know that it is __PUNCT__

not onli do we know that the brain develop in those earli_year and it is hard to imagin that some children come into kindergarten or first grade know lot of word and know their mean __PUNCT__

that give them a tremend head_start __PUNCT__

some children for whom english is not the first languag __PUNCT__ thei struggl with that __PUNCT__

so we have to work to do across the board __PUNCT__

but it is not just the right thing to do or the nice thing to do __PUNCT__

we now have lot of evid from hard __PUNCT__ head economist that invest in earli_childhood make_sens __PUNCT__

accord to on studi conduct by nobel_prize win economist jame heckman of the univers of chicago __PUNCT__ you can close half the gap in test between african __PUNCT__ american and white_student that show up at the end of high_school if you have pre __PUNCT__ school __PUNCT__

you can also begin to deal with a lot of behavior problem that kid come into school with __PUNCT__ these earli_year do not pre __PUNCT__ ordain a child life __PUNCT__

mani children from difficult and disadvantag childhood can becom extraordinari adult __PUNCT__ but thi is a critic moment in time __PUNCT__ and we ar squander it right now __PUNCT__

i go to school and i see so mani children who just don't fit in __PUNCT__

thei feel left out __PUNCT__ thei feel overwhelm __PUNCT__

lot of time __PUNCT__ the teacher ar overwhelm __PUNCT__ there is not enough help in the school to give them the attent thei need __PUNCT__

so i like to make sure that we offer pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten to everi four __PUNCT__ year old in america __PUNCT__

and we should make it an offer __PUNCT__ if not requir __PUNCT__ we should certainli encourag parent to do thi and tell then what the fact ar __PUNCT__

children who attend pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten ar less like to enrol in special_educ __PUNCT__ thei ar less like to drop out of high_school __PUNCT__

thei ar more like to go on and graduat from colleg __PUNCT__

thei ar less like to be unemploi __PUNCT__ and thei ar less like to go on welfar __PUNCT__

as professor heckman said __PUNCT__ earli learn beget later learn __PUNCT__ and earli success beget later success __PUNCT__

and if you add up all the benefit __PUNCT__ it is realli astonish __PUNCT__

anoth studi done by the feder_reserv_bank of minneapoli show that invest in earli_childhood show an annual_rate of return of between __NUM__ and __NUM__ __PUNCT__

in other word __PUNCT__ you put in a dollar in earli_childhood __PUNCT__ you ar go to get at least seven dollar back __PUNCT__

and imagin if you could bui a stock with that kind of return __PUNCT__

that is why a lot of busi_group includ the committe on econom_develop support univers_pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten __PUNCT__

and it is not onli for our famili budget __PUNCT__ it is good for everybodi budget __PUNCT__

the cost of childcar __PUNCT__ even if the childcar is frankli not that good __PUNCT__ is pretti high these dai __PUNCT__ isn't it __PUNCT__ and think about the save that famili could have if pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten wa access as public kindergarten is __PUNCT__

it is also import to recogn that other countri ar do thi __PUNCT__

you know __PUNCT__ a lot of our competitor realli ar start earlier becaus thei understand that thei will get better result __PUNCT__

it is also startl to realiz that mani peopl who plan what kind of prison have to be built and how big thei need to be sai thei look at third grade read cours to project how mani children will grow up into troubl __PUNCT__ teenag and adult and end up in the prison_system __PUNCT__

and we spend a lot of monei on prison in thi countri __PUNCT__

if we could avoid spend_monei on prison __PUNCT__ we could certainli make our societi better __PUNCT__ and we can pai for thi by cut_back on some of the expenditur that the current administr is do __PUNCT__

we could consist fail to invest in what save us monei __PUNCT__

i rememb dure the 1980 __PUNCT__ the feder_govern wa try to immun children dure the 1970 __PUNCT__ and in the 1980 that wa all cut_back __PUNCT__

it wa an attempt to save_monei __PUNCT__

but what happen is becaus so mani children weren't immun __PUNCT__ there wa measl epidem between __NUM__ and __NUM__ that struck __NUM___peopl __PUNCT__ kill___NUM__ of them __PUNCT__ mani of their children and it cost the countri __NUM___million million_dollar to cope with the measl epidem __PUNCT__

so __PUNCT__ it make_sens to try and prevent problem instead of pai for them __PUNCT__

and we can do thi by creat some cut in program that realli don't add up __PUNCT__

in all of the assess of how much thi would cost __PUNCT__ we believ that invest in pre __PUNCT__ kindergarten now will end up save the govern about __NUM___billion billion_dollar over time __PUNCT__ in not have as mani prison __PUNCT__ in have more product adult who will make more monei __PUNCT__ in avoid the cost of illiteraci and dropout __PUNCT__

so it is a pretti_good good_invest and a lot of state understand that __PUNCT__

we have about __NUM___state now that invest in pre __PUNCT__ k __PUNCT__

and recent here in florida __PUNCT__ six former governor of florida and the wife of late governor lawton chile __PUNCT__ all side of differ viewpoint sign a letter urg florida to make_good on the constitut_amend that the peopl of florida have vote for back in __NUM__ __PUNCT__

see __PUNCT__ florida wa wai ahead of everybodi __PUNCT__ and the peopl of florida were realli in the vanguard of thi __PUNCT__ sai let provid a univers_pre __PUNCT__ k __PUNCT__

and i want to start by invest __NUM___billion billion_dollar in match grant for the gold state __PUNCT__

now in a state like florida which is alreadi begin to do thi __PUNCT__ the monei would help you go to the next level __PUNCT__ to make sure that there wa a program everywher of high qualiti __PUNCT__

in order to receiv the monei __PUNCT__ state would have to hire teacher with bachelor_degre who had special in earli_childhood develop __PUNCT__

thei have to develop learn standard and curricula if thei don't alreadi have them __PUNCT__ and ensur low teacher __PUNCT__ child ratio so that everi child get an individu attent that the child need __PUNCT__

and of cours you would have to have to health and safeti oversight that is requir __PUNCT__

i would also requir state to coordin with commun base provid __PUNCT__ work with head_start __PUNCT__

i am a big believ in head start and i had fought to protect head start and also __PUNCT__ to earli provid head start so we can begin to help children who ar particularli at risk __PUNCT__

and if there ar problem in have enough monei __PUNCT__ i would want the state to target the children who need it the most __PUNCT__

my daughter didn't need it __PUNCT__

we sent her to pre __PUNCT__ school __PUNCT__

we had her in pre __PUNCT__ school program becaus we knew it would be good for her __PUNCT__ to have the interact with other children __PUNCT__ to be with other adult besid her father and me __PUNCT__

and we had some great experi from that __PUNCT__

we also ran into some challeng __PUNCT__

there is a period of time when my daughter would onli eat green grape and jelli sandwich __PUNCT__

and she took a bunch of green grape and jelli sandwich to pre __PUNCT__ school everi dai to eat dure her break __PUNCT__

and the state wa monitor the pre __PUNCT__ school program and thei had a supervisor from the state see how the children were treat and at the end of the week __PUNCT__ the supervisor said to the head teacher __PUNCT__ i think the program is veri good but there is thi on child who is realli go to be poorli serv __PUNCT__

she mai end up be mal __PUNCT__ nourish becaus everydai she bring the same_thing for lunch __PUNCT__

so the head teacher said __PUNCT__ well yeah i know __PUNCT__ that is the governor daughter __PUNCT__ laughter __PUNCT__ and that is what she is eat thi week __PUNCT__

obvious __PUNCT__ i thought it wa worth do it for my own child __PUNCT__ and i think it is worth do it for everi child __PUNCT__

i believ that we can increas our invest onc we see that it work and when peopl sai __PUNCT__ where we will get the __NUM___billion billion_dollar to start thi program __PUNCT__ there ar so mani to cut the monei that is be spent in thi govern __PUNCT__

let start by cut __NUM__ off the contractor that the bush_administr had ad __PUNCT__ who don't do a job that is held __PUNCT__ applaus __PUNCT__ i think we can find a lot of other wast __PUNCT__

obvious we ar spend more than half a trillion_dollar on the iraq_war and when we final end that __PUNCT__ we ar go to have to start get ourselv out of deficit __PUNCT__ but we need at the same_time to make some invest that will help keep our countri strong __PUNCT__

so i am excit about do thi __PUNCT__

__PUNCT__ applaus __PUNCT__

year_ago __PUNCT__ my first job out of law_school wa to work for the children defens fund and it is on of the great job you could have becaus if you care about children futur __PUNCT__ if you believ it is import to do everyth possibl to help them __PUNCT__ there is no better place __PUNCT__

and the head of the children defens fund marian wright edelman onc said __PUNCT__ if we don't stand for children __PUNCT__ we don't stand for much __PUNCT__

and i could not agre more __PUNCT__

i saw these beauti children here in thi school todai and everi on of them ha a divin spark insid __PUNCT__ everi on ha the potenti to be the kind of person that we all hope our children would grow up to be __PUNCT__

parent and famili_member have the first and primari respons __PUNCT__ but then the rest of us have a role to plai __PUNCT__

that is why i wrote a book ten_year_ago call __PUNCT__ it take a villag __PUNCT__ becaus you can be the best parent in the world and think you ar do the veri best job __PUNCT__ but your child is go to be affect by peopl you will know like teacher __PUNCT__ and peopl you will never meet like polic_offic who try to keep the street safe or peopl who check that the water you drink is safe __PUNCT__

if we think about our respons for all our children __PUNCT__ we will start make invest that will not onli help our children but i believ realli help us __PUNCT__

so __PUNCT__ todai to stand up for our children __PUNCT__ let do what is done here in thi school __PUNCT__

i am look at these young_peopl here wear their north beach shirt and i am still proud that thei ar go to a school that realli valu them and appreci how import it is that we make_good good_invest __PUNCT__

i am a big believ in public_educ and i am not give up on public educ __PUNCT__

i think public educ is absolut essenti __PUNCT__ applaus __PUNCT__

and on thing peopl rare talk about is when you look at test_score and analyz assess __PUNCT__ privat_school don't do better than public_school __PUNCT__ but a lot of peopl believ that becaus everyth that happen in the public school is public inform __PUNCT__

if someth bad happen in a public school __PUNCT__ it is go to be in the newspap __PUNCT__ if someth happen in a privat_school __PUNCT__ you ar not go to read about it __PUNCT__

i think it is time that we realli invest in our public_school __PUNCT__ so let begin by invest more in our in our youngest children __PUNCT__ applaus __PUNCT__

thank you all veri much __PUNCT__