This week, we report on a school accountability bill that emphasizes achievement and growth and we cover the latest happenings in Missouri and Kansas.

This week, The Atlantic published an article signaling that private equity is interested in child care, especially in areas where the subsidy reimbursement rates have dramatically increased. Vermont, for example, recently raised eligibility levels to 575 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Missouri, by comparison, requires families to be at or below 150% of the FPL.

Leaders in Kansas and Missouri recognize the direct link between economic prosperity and competitiveness and the success and quality of our early childhood systems. This week, we've observed substantial progress in early childhood initiatives across both states.

This week at the Missouri State Capitol, Representative Brenda Shields, a longtime champion of early education and former business leader, led a coalition of nearly a dozen respected statewide organizations to present HB 1486, which would remove the cap on Pre-K funding for 4-year-olds and expand a voluntary opportunity for children classified as "low-income", meaning they qualify for free- and reduced lunch (FRL).