High Quality Preschool Education Proposed by Pres. Obama (VIDEO)

President Barack Obama on Thursday called for high-quality preschool programs for “every child in America,” although he included no details on how to pay for it.

“I propose working with states like Georgia to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America, every child in America,” he said after visiting an early childhood learning center in this Atlanta suburb.

“Every dollar we invest in high-quality education can save more than seven dollars later on,” the president said. “In states like Georgia that have made it a priority to educate our youngest children, states like Oklahoma, students … are more likely to graduate from high school, to hold a job, even to form a more stable family.

“This works,” he said. “We know it works. If you’re looking for a good bang for your educational buck, this is it right here.”

In a second day of follow-up to his State of the Union speech, the president spoke to an enthusiastic capacity crowd in the gymnasium of the Decatur Recreation Center, east of Atlanta, after touring the nearby College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center. He was joined by some of the state’s top Democratic politicians, including Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Georgia senator Max Cleland, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson and former state Labor commissioner Michael Thurmond.

In his State of the Union speech Tuesday, Obama had singled out Georgia as a state that has made strides in early childhood education. The state made a commitment to universal pre-K in 1995, with the effort to be funded by state lottery proceeds.

There has been slow progress toward reaching that goal, though, with about 60% of eligible children now enrolled. In recent years, with lottery revenues flat, officials have cut the pre-K program. It was reduced by 20 days in 2011, although Republican Gov. Nathan Deal got legislators to restore 10 of those days last year and seeks to add back the other 10 in his current budget proposal.

The president acknowledged that the kind of top quality preschool programs he’s proposing are expensive. But he added: “The size of your paycheck, though, shouldn’t determine your child’s future. So let’s fix this. Let’s make sure none of our kids start out the race of life already a step behind. Let’s make it a national priority to give every child access to a high-quality preschool education.”

Obama argued that his proposal, which has few specifics, is critical for the nation’s future. “If their generation prospers,” he said, “if they’ve got the skills they need to get a good job, that means businesses want to locate here. It also means, by the way, that they’re well-equipped as citizens with the critical thinking skills they need to help guide our democracy.”

As the president spoke, a large, multicolored “Preschool For All” banner was hanging on the wall to his right. He opened his 16-minute remarks with: “I can’t imagine a more romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day. Michelle says hello. She made me promise to get back in time for our date tonight. That’s important. I’ve already got her gift. Got the flowers.”

During his earlier tour of a pre-kindergarten classroom, the president “rotated through the (classroom) groups,” said Mary McMahon, the intervention specialist at College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center. “He just came right in and joined the groups and it was perfect.”

After one student walked up and hugged the president “all the other kids piled on,” said McMahon, who introduced the president before his speech.

The White House plan includes a federal-state partnership to provide preschool funding for any 4-year-old whose family income is 200% or less of the federal poverty level.

VIDEO