(Juneau) - Representative Mark Neuman (R-Mat-Su), has announced that the House Special Committee on Education will hear a presentation by the Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force at noon on Thursday, March 2nd. Alaska's First Lady Nancy Murkowski is the Chair of the Task Force. At least 20 members are planning to participate in a fly-in to Juneau that day to meet with legislators.

The meeting will feature presentations on the economic return of investing in early childhood education and how receptive young minds are to early learning. Scheduled speakers are Robert Grunewald of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Bridgett Chandler, of the Washington State Governor's Early Learning Council.

The Task Force Panel will include an overview from Ira Perman, President of the Alaska Humanities Forum, Perspectives on Early Childhood Education from the Private Sector. Other panel members include: David Wight, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, President & CEO, Retired; Edna Ahgeak MacLean, Ph.D., President Emeritus, Ilisagvik College; John Davis, Chair, Alaska Association of School Administrators; Candace Winkler, CEO, Child Care Connection; Sharon Gagnon, Ph.D., Board of Directors, Alaska Humanities, Forum; Cathy Rasmuson, Trustee, Rasmuson Foundation.

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