Transitional kindergarten, a hybrid between preschool and kindergarten that gives children an extra year to prepare for public school, was adopted by many California school districts in response to a new state law that raises the starting age for kindergarten.

As part of a new budget proposal, California Governor Jerry Brown announced that he plans to cut funding for transitional kindergarten this year. Cutting transitional kindergarten will leave 125,000 children without access to a public school program that gives children a head start on learning and helps reduce the likelihood of retention in later grades.

Transitional kindergarten is especially important for the 62 percent of children who come from low-income families, for whom the elimination of the program will mean a difficult road to finding affordable, accessible childcare. 

Act now to tell Governor Brown not to trim the budget at the expense of California's children. Tell him to save transitional kindergarten.

We the undersigned urge you not to eliminate transitional kindergarten programs, as you outlined in a recent budget proposal. 

Cutting transitional kindergarten will leave 125,000 children without access to a program that gives children a head start on learning and helps reduce the likelihood of retention in later grades. 

Transitional kindergarten is especially important for children from low-income families, for whom the elimination of the program will mean a difficult road to finding affordable, accessible childcare, as well as an end to a program that is helping to close the achievement gap in California.

We therefore call on you to continue funding transitional kindergarten. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.