JACKSON, MS (WLBT) -
It's a campaign two years in the making, and Friday morning it was launched inside the state capitol.
Called "Learning Can't Wait," advocates and organizations promoting early childhood education teamed up for the campaign to send a lesson plan to lawmakers.
"We have great programs in communities and school districts across the state but we don't have a state system and that's one of the things that we're here to promote," said Center for Education Innovation executive director Rhea Williams-Bishop.
Mississippi is currently the only Southern state without a public system in place and advocates like Williams-Bishop say funding already in place for programs could be used to create a more comprehensive and connected system.
"We just want to make sure that we maximize the dollars that we are currently spending so that we serve our children," said Williams-Bishop.
Educators say 90 percent of a child's brain is developed by age five which makes early education a crucial element.
"We can't wait until children are five to start creating environments that will promote success," said Mississippi Head Start Association executive director Nita Thompson.
With most kids going straight into education for the first time at age five, educators say the K thorough 12 system is too often left picking up the slack where early development should have played a role.
"In K-12 we have been playing catch up for way too many years. We need our children to come to us prepared," said McComb School District Superintendent Therese Palmertree.
By showing up prepared, advocates say young learners become marketable, not only for themselves in the future, but for the state in the present.
"Human development from our perspective is economic development. We've got to develop our children early so we can reduce costs in the end," said Williams-Bishop.
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