Libby Doggett Quotations

This isn't just an Illinois story, it's a national story. This week's announcement was wonderful for the children of Illinois but equally wonderful for the children across this country?Many many families will enjoy the benefits of this far-sighted and far-reaching vision.

Middle-income children are being left behind. Children in poverty have access to Head Start. Upper-income parents buy whatever is best for their child -- usually a preschool of very high quality. It's the middle class that's getting squeezed.

Their reading is going to be more fluent. They're not going to be working to catch up.

Pre-K is gradually being integrated into the K-12 education system nationwide. In a state that has so many great universities like Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame, it's a shame (Indiana) won't do more to ensure its own children are better prepared to enter those schools with high quality pre-K.

If I were an elected official in Indiana, I would be extremely concerned about the economic future of my state.

It will be a fight. Children don't have a lobbyist, so it's difficult to see progress in this area. But Governor Blagojevich, without doubt, is the biggest children's champion we have.