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Lyons praises Governor Patrick
Milton Times, Letter to the editor by Carolyn Lyons, February 7, 2013

To the Editor: In business school and as a businesswoman, I learned to make investment decisions based on research and data. In recommending substantial increased investments in high-quality early education in his FY14 budget, Governor Patrick is certainly basing his proposal on data. Decades of research document the short- and long-term benefits of high-quality early education, particularly for children in low-income families. These benefits range from reduced referrals to special needs and higher high school graduation rates to increased earnings as adults and reduced social costs. It all adds up to a rate of return of 10% or more. No wonder economist James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner, calls investing in young children “America’s best economic stimulus package.” I thank Governor Patrick for his leadership and urge the Legislature to approve his proposed new investments in highquality early education and the revenue needed to finance them.

Carolyn Lyons President and CEO Strategies for Children and Milton resident