Thrive by Five Washington

Invest $3.6 billion in Early Learning, Get Back $6.7 billion

A new report out of New York offers another economics lesson, suggesting every dollar invested in early learning within that state generates $1.86 in new spending.

With New York struggling to cut its state budget, a Leading Edge report offers a compelling argument to spend more not less on early education, saying an infusion of $3.6 billion to give all of the state’s kids access to quality early child care and education would create $6.7 billion in spending on New York businesses.

“Business leaders are sending a clear message to Albany: investing in early education is essential for economic development in New York. The early care and education sector is an often-overlooked area that will immediately boost the economy and create long-term economic security,” John Cavalier, former chief executive officer at MapInfo, said in a summary of the report.

While a number of studies offer estimates on the long-term return-on-investment of early education, this report focuses on many short-term benefits, including $80 million in sales at local utility companies, $113 million at restaurants and $29 million in sales at supermarkets.

It also offers fresh evidence for an idea that is gaining momentum: Quality early learning plays an important though sometimes overlooked role in a region’s economic competitiveness, since it helps attract new businesses and skilled workers.

“Investing in early learning would also save New York businesses money every day through reduced absenteeism and turnover and would help increase the ability of New York businesses to attract skilled employees and new businesses. Quality early care and education programs allow working parents to be attentive to their jobs rather than worry about day care arrangements.” – New York Businesses Leaders See Major Economic Boost By Expanding Child Care and Pre-K (press release), America’s Edge, 3/11/10.

And if you want a little inspiration, check out the Heckman Equation’s Facebook post with highlights from last Thursday’s National Economic Forum on Early Childhood Investment.

“…early childhood education is like the foundation to a house. It the foundation is not sound, everything else suffers.” – Michael Mandel, former chief economist at BusinessWeek.

You can read the entire story here.

Week in Review

Washington State News

• Study shows Washington improving kid's oral health – 3/9/10, Othello Outlook
• A victory for infants and toddlers – 3/8/10, Children’s Alliance Blog
• Child Care: Deal Means Funding Not Dead – 3/8/10, Olympia Newswire
• Providing a better start for Washington's children – 3/7/10, Bellingham Herald
• For some 3-year-olds, a state investment means a future – 3/2/10, Snoqualmie Valley Record

National/International News

• Recession endangers childhood education program – 3/12/10, Associated Press
• Group pushes for kindergarten readiness – 3/11/10, The Capital (MD)
• New voluntary prekindergarten scores released – 3/11/10, The Tampa Tribune (FL)
• Business leaders see major economic boost for NY by expanding child care and pre-k – 3/11/10, WAMC RADIO (NY)
• Study: PreK aids poor children most – 3/11/10, The Tennessean (TN)
• Preschool called priority for Iowa – 3/10/10, Omaha World-Herald (NE)
• Letter: Early education can make all the difference – 3/10/10, The Morning Call (PA)
• Developmental delays surge in Oregon kids, and educators say that should mean increased services for them – 3/10/10, The Oregonian (OR)
• Better educated teachers needed for early ed., study suggests – 3/9/10, Education Week Blog: Teacher Beat (NAT) 
   

Research/Policy

• So just how is Nevada training pre-k teachers? – 3/11/10, Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media Blog: Early Stories
• Dual language learners: What’s happening at Head Start? – 3/5/10, New America Foundation Blog: Early Ed Watch
• The Promise of Preschool: Why We Need Early Education for All  – Spring 2010, American Education – American Federation of Teachers

What the Debate Over No Child Left Behind Will Tell Us About Early Learning

Congress has begun debating how to revamp the No Child Left Behind Act and one of the nation’s newest superintendents has an idea lawmakers should keep in mind: Education reform begins with child care, preschool and prekindergarten.

“If you want to reform high school, you need to reform early childhood. You don’t reform high school in high school, you reform very early on in life,” incoming Minneapolis Public School Superintendent Gregory Thornton told Milwaukee’s Business Journal.

This comment highlights the idea that early learning could play a pivotal role in the discussion about how to improve the federal law that governs K-12 education. As lawmakers begin to hold hearings, there are key questions about that role, including: Will the PreK-3rd movement translate its momentum into concrete changes that integrate pre-k with early elementary grades?  How will President Barack Obama’s commitment to quality early learning be reflected in any new law?

While preschool and prekindergarten ideas will likely be part of the debate, this is an opportunity for the Obama administration to translate its commitment into change. The test will not be how loudly Obama and his congressional supporters support any changes, but ultimately by how legislators weave early learning reforms into a final bill.

Will the bill strengthen links between pre-k and kindergarten, first and second grades? Will it contain new support for early learning teachers to get training and earn college degrees? Or, will these and other efforts be drowned out by battles over how to measure teacher effectiveness?

Unlike other educational reform ideas, there seems to be wide support in Washington, D.C., this year for quality early learning. The legislative battles over No Child Left Behind should tell us how deep that support really is.

We will keep an eye on what should be an interesting debate.