MARK R. WARNER © VIRGINIA UNITED STATES SENATOR October 16, 2014 WASHINGTON, D.C. ‘The Honorable Arne Duncan Secretary Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave SW Washington, DC 20202-0001 Dear Secretary Duncan: | write in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s application for a Preschool Expansion grant. This ‘grant will support Virginia in expanding voluntary, high-quality preschool programs in high-need ‘communities for children from low-and moderate-income families. This is an innovative plan to improve its existing State Preschool Program. ‘The Preschool Expansion grant will provide funding to create VPI Plus (VPI+), a comprehensive, integrated State School Preschool Program. It is my understanding that VPI+ will directly serve an additional 3,000 four-year-olds at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level in eleven school divisions: the counties of Brunswick, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Giles, Henrico, Prince William, Sussex, and the cities of Norfolk, Petersburg, Richmond, and Winchester. These communities represent the diversity of the Commonwealth and are strategically located throughout the state. \PI+ will have numerous features that will make it stand out above other State Preschool Programs and serve as a national model. Through working closely with the nation’s leading thinkers on adult-child interactions and high quality teaching at the University of Virginia, VPI+ will methodically build the nation’s most powerful cadre of preschool teachers who are thoroughily prepared to support the cognitive, social and emotional development of high-need four-year-olds. VPI+ will also stand out on family ‘engagement, cultivating families as active partners in the development of their children. ‘The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will be the lead agency, overseeing implementation and providing fiscal oversight. VDOE and local school divisions will work in close partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and the state’s local Smart Beginnings public-private partnerships, strengthening and expanding the successful ‘model that has brought private sector funds, innovation and perspective to create dynamic local early earning systems. Together, this partnership will create a more coordinated, efficient, and strategic alignment between the departments and stakeholders and provide higher quality services to children and families. Once again, I hope you will strongly consider this proposal. If my office ean provide you with any further information, please contact Maurya Tollefsen at 202-224-1813 or Maurya_Tollefsen@wamer.senate.gov. Sipeeyly, nh K Maney lark R. Warner United States Senator oem