I have spent the past year visiting and advocating for high quality pre-k classrooms in Pennsylvania. In the Fall as election day neared, I would ask the children what they thought it meant to be a "Governor of Pennsylvania". The conversations were so engaging I kept using the question as a conversation starter well after election day was over!

It’s imperative for Congress and the Obama administration to come up with a solution that provides our early childhood educators with living wages. At the same time, we need to give every child in America a strong start by ensuring they have access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education and care.

It was the equivalent of a double rainbow in politics this week with big advancements in states and in our nation’s capitol. President Barack Obama announced groundbreaking new initiatives for sick days and paid family (maternity/paternity) leave; and states across the country ramped up their...