Fredericksburg.com – CATHY JETT
“The workforce pipeline begins as early as kindergarten. Yet one in seven children in the Fredericksburg area arrives there without the basic skills to succeed in school. Those who can’t read well by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out before graduating from high school. And high school dropouts are eight times more likely to go to jail, according to Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area. “The best way to impact a child is to give them great teachers,” Eric Fletcher, a Mary Washington Healthcare senior vice president, told about 75 business leaders attending a Smart Beginnings: Job One event Wednesday at the University of Mary Washington. Sponsored by Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, it was designed to show the role quality early learning plays in creating a foundation for workforce success—and a strong Virginia economy.”(more)