Retired Army Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at a press conference to announce a new grant initiative to support state efforts to improve and expand high-quality early care and education.
Citing Defense Department estimates that three out of four young adults are not able to join the military, Adams-Ender noted that one of the biggest disqualifying factors is poor educational achievement.
“The research is clear that high-quality early education can increase high school graduation rates,” said Adams-Ender, who is the first nurse in Army history to become a commanding general of a major military base. “Long-term studies show that at-risk children benefit greatly from these programs.”
