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More press specific to federal legislation can also be found here
$70M in remedial work for unprepared students saps SUNY budget
SUNY chancellor cites $70M cost to prep students for college
Times Union (February 1, 2012) By Scott Waldman - ALBANY — New York's high schools are struggling to prepare graduates for college and it is costing the state $70 million in revenue. -see story
NY public advocate to mayor: Save child care slots
The Wall Street Journal (February 1, 2012) Associated Press - NEW YORK — New York City's public advocate is calling on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to save thousands of low-income child care slots in the proposed budget he's expected to release this week. -see story
Alliance for Quality Education wants more aid for needy schools
Politics on the Hudson (February 1, 20120 By Cara Matthews - The Alliance for Quality Education released a report today that found that 52 percent of the proposed $805 million in new education funding next year would go to high-needs school districts under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget. Thirty-one percent of the money—$250 million—would go toward a competitive-grant program and 14 percent would be directed to average-need school districts. Low-needs districts would get the remaining 2 percent. -see story
Kids Missing From State of the Union
Huffington Post (January 30, 20120 by Billy Shore - Last week -- the morning after President Obama's State of the Union Speech -- I spoke to 450 National Head Start Association teachers, managers, and leaders on the topic of "sustaining excellence." This group probably has a more direct, personal and intimate understanding of the special challenges facing low-income children than anyone else in the country. -see story
Early Education a Crime-Fighting Weapon?
Education Week / Early Years blog (January 25, 2012) By Julie Rasicot - You'd expect educators and parents to be front and center advocating for early childhood education as state legislatures debate school funding for the next fiscal year. In New York and Maine, these advocates have another ally: top police officers. -see blog
Sheriff to Lawmakers: Fight Crime with Better Pre-K Programs
Public News Service (January 24, 2012) - ALBANY, N. Y. - Lawmakers at a joint hearing on education spending in the 2012-13 Executive Budget heard from a county sheriff Monday who urged them to add funding to a program that helps parents find the best pre-kindergarten programs for their toddlers. -see story
Benefits of high quality child care persist 30 years later: research
Medical Xpress (January 19, 2012) Adults who participated in a high quality early childhood education program in the 1970s are still benefiting from their early experiences in a variety of ways, according to a new study. -see story
A Conversation With Arne Duncan
Education Week / Politics K-12 blog (January 18, 2012) by Michele McNeil - I sat down with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan yesterday for a wide-ranging interview on the hot education topics of the day: waivers, Race to the Top, reauthorization, and the election. -see blog
At P.S. 41, College Planning Begins in Pre-K
New York Times (January 18, 2012) By Amy Padnani - Rows of giggling schoolchildren galloped in place, pretending to ride a pony. They lifted their arms up, pumped their elbows down and cheered: “Ahhhhh, yeah!” -see story
Recession slows growth in public prekindergarten
Fox News.com (January 17, 2012) Associated Press - WASHINGTON – The expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren't going to preschool. -see story
10 Hot Spots in Early Ed for 2012
Early Ed Watch blog (January 12, 2012) - Each January, Early Ed Watch predicts the hot spots for the coming year -- issues that will dominate discussions in early education policy and trigger halleluiahs or handwringing from advocates of better investments in early learning, birth through third grade. -see blog
Letters: NY's difficult 2012 agenda
Newsday (January 10, 2012) Letter to the Editor By Stephanie Freese -Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the legislature are not in an enviable position ["Gov. Cuomo doubles down," Editorial, Jan. 5]. By what criteria do they differentiate between all the worthwhile initiatives that vie for their support? -see letter
Big Race to Top Problems in Hawaii, Florida, N.Y., Says Ed. Dept.
Education Week/Politics K-12 blog (January 10, 2012) By Michele McNeil - In its first official assessment of $4 billion in Race to the Top grants, the U.S. Department of Education today commended the 12 winners for working hard to implement the first year of their reform plans—but raised specific red flags about the pace of change in Hawaii, New York, and Florida. -see story
N.Y. warned on Race to the Top efforts
pressconnects.com (January 9, 2012) By Cara Matthews - ALBANY -- In a progress report Tuesday on New York's Race to the Top grant, the U.S. Education Department said it has concerns about the state's lack of recent progress on new data and teacher-evaluation systems. -see story
Diane Ravitch Has Questions for the Cuomo Commission
New York Times / SschoolBook blog (January 6, 2012) By Diane Ravitch - Governor Cuomo’s commission on education has an opportunity to change the direction of school reform. -see blog
NY's Cuomo: 2010 Teacher-Evaluation Law Not Working (Updated)
Education Week /State EdWatch blog (January 4, 2012) By Sean Cavanagh - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told state lawmakers that the state's 2010 law that ties teacher evaluation to student test scores—a major piece of the state's winning, $700 million Race to the Top award—is not working, and he suggested it needs to be revised. -see story
Study shows preschoolers spend too much time on sedentary activities
USA Today (January 3, 2012) By Nanci Hellmich - Most children at child care centers, preschools and nursery schools spend hours doing sedentary activities and aren't spending much time playing outside, research has shown. -see story
New York not a winner in federal early learning grant program
Politics on the Hudson (December 16, 2011) By Cara Matthews - New York was not one of nine states named today as winners of Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants from the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human Services. -see story
The Pre-K Underground
The New York Times (December 16, 2011) By Soni Sangha - It was 6 p.m. on a Friday in early June, and my children’s dinnertime coincided with the moment the New York City Department of Education posted acceptance letters online for 4-year-olds seeking prekindergarten spots in public school. -see story
Aid for Child Care Drops When It Is Needed Most
The New York Times (December 13, 2011) By Sabrina Tavernise - BALTIMORE — With states under pressure to cut their budgets and federal stimulus money gone, low-income working parents are facing a paradox. Just when they have to work longer hours to make ends meet, they are losing access to the thing they need most to stay on the job: a government subsidy that helps pay for child care. -see story
Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?
New York Times (December 11, 2011) Op-Ed by Helen F. Ladd and Deward D. Fiske - Durham, N.C. - NO one seriously disputes the fact that students from disadvantaged households perform less well in school, on average, than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. But rather than confront this fact of life head-on, our policy makers mistakenly continue to reason that, since they cannot change the backgrounds of students, they should focus on things they can control. -see op-ed
The Debate About What the Race to the Top of Early Learning Means. Join In.
Birth to Thrive Online (December 8, 2011) By Paul Nyhan - December is turning out to be a busy month for early education developments and the expected announcement of the early learning Race to the Top winners will probably be the biggest. Even before we know any winners, though, advocates are analyzing the impact of the future money. -see story
QRIS Costs and Constraints
Education Week (December 7, 2011) By Sara Mead - I've been writing this week about some of my concerns about the Early Learning Challenge program, many of which I laid out in this article. But there's one big concern I wasn't able to talk about due to space considerations--the fear that the Quality Rating and Improvement Systems that the program requires states to establish might not only fail to improve child learning outcomes, but actually impede the creation of high-quality programs. -see story
Programs That Tie Funds to Effectiveness Are at Risk
New York Times (December 2, 2011) By Annie Lowrey - WASHINGTON — Policy experts and academics consider home-visiting programs — where nurses counsel teenage mothers and other at-risk parents — to be among the most effective social interventions. The programs slash the incidence of neglect, bolster infant health and in some cases save taxpayers money by cutting costs. -see story
ADVOCACY: County children generally worse off than a decade ago
Rochester City Newspaper (November 22, 2011) By Christine Carrie Fien - Monroe County is failing its children, says Dr. Jeff Kaczorowski, a pediatrician and executive director of the advocacy group, the Children's Agenda. -see story
With Supercommittee’s Failure, Early Ed Could Face Cuts in 2013
Early Ed Watch blog (November 22, 2011) By Clare McCann - Now that the congressional supercommittee has given up on finding at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and revenue increases to reduce the deficit, it’s looking more likely that federal early education programs – including Head Start – could face significant cuts a year from now. -see blog
Preschoolers Learn Most Language Skills From Other Preschoolers
New research suggests we shouldn't group kids by ability, because, in that situation, children with the poorest language skills lose ground
The Atlantic (November 20, 2011) By Neil Wagner - Children going to preschool often learn as much from each other as they do from the teacher. This is especially true when it comes to language. A recently published study found that children who start out with the poorest language skills tended to lose ground when they were placed in the lowest ability classes but improved their language skills when they were placed in average-ability classes. -see story
NY gov's school cuts hit poor pupils hardest: report
Reuters (November 15, 2011) By Joan Gralla - Budget cuts cost New York's poor schools $843 per pupil, over three times the $269 hit taken by the wealthiest districts, a report said on Tuesday, blasting the governor for the unequal results. -see story
DOE’s newest class size data confirms increases across city
GothamSchools (November 15, 2011) By Philissa Cramer - Preliminary class size data that the city released today confirms what the teachers union has tallied: Class sizes are on the rise. -see story
In pre-K, Common Core fingerprints found on snack and a story
GothamSchools (November 14, 2011) By Philissa Cramer - Using skills developed at his first job, Chancellor Dennis Walcott dropped to the floor at Manhattan’s Bank Street Head Start center today and read a version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to a circle of 4-year-olds. -see story
State plan would help ensure kids are ready for kindergarten
Utica Observer-Dispatch (November 12, 2011) By Daniel P. Bader - A smiling 4-year-old Dominick Nieves was clearly thrilled that stepfather John Constantine came with him to school one day last week. -see story
New Report: Pre-K + Half Day K = Reading Success
Education Week / Early Years blog (November 11, 2011) By Maureen Kelleher - Last week, the National School Boards Association's Center for Public Education released a report showing that children who attended pre-K plus half-day kindergarten were more likely to read at high levels by the third grade than children who attended only full-day kindergarten. The impact of pre-K plus half-day kindergarten was greatest for low-income children, English-language learners, Hispanics and African-American children. -see blog
Obama Steps Up Competition for Lower-Income Federal Program
Bloomberg Businessweek (November 9, 2011) By Kate Anderson Brower - (Updates with Obama remarks in second, third paragraphs.) Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said changes he’s ordering to the Head Start pre-school education program to require more rigorous competition for federal dollars will help make the program more effective. -see story
Why Obama’s Plan to Fix Head Start Is Not Enough
Time Magazine (November 9, 20110 By Kayla Webley - Just four years after the federally funded preschool program Head Start began in 1965, it was slapped by a report, commissioned by the Johnson Administration, that questioned its effectiveness. Forty years later, not much has changed. While Head Start’s aim to prepare low-income students for kindergarten is noble, it’s still faces questions about its demonstrable benefits. Seeking to finally turn the program around, President Obama on Tuesday announced a plan that will require each Head Start center to meet a new set of benchmarks or risk losing its funding. -see story
Where Should Government Invest? How About Early Education
Policymic newsletter (November 8, 2011) By Grayson Cooper - The debate over spending in Washington centers on the question, “Can government make a good investment?” -see story
We Can't Wait: President Obama Takes Action to Improve Quality and Promote Accountability in Head Start Programs
www.whitehouse.gov (November 8, 2011) Press Release - WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the President will announce important steps to improve the quality of services and accountability at Head Start centers across the country. The Department of Health and Human Services will implement new rules that will – for the first time – require all low-performing Head Start grantees that fail to meet a new set of rigorous benchmarks to re-compete for continued federal funding. -see press release
Obama will mandate Head Start competition
USA Today (November 8, 2011) By David Jackson and Richard Wolf - WASHINGTON – Low-performing Head Start programs for preschool children will be required to compete for federal funds under a rule President Obama plans to announce outside Philadelphia today. -see story
Kudos and Qu’s on New Federal Office for Early Learning
Early Ed Watch blog (November 7, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - Two years ago, when Jacqueline Jones was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as his senior advisor for early learning – a first-of-its-kind position – the early childhood community celebrated. Recognition of the early years as educational years was long overdue, and Jones was an excellent choice given her work in New Jersey to create a high-quality system of early learning, beginning at age 3 and continuing up through 3rd grade. -see blog
U.S. DEPARMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSES DEDICATED OFFICE FOR
EARLY LEARNING
Ed.gov (November 4, 2011) Press Release - The U.S. Department of Education announced today a proposal to create an Office of Early Learning, tasked with overseeing the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants and coordinating early learning programs across the Department. -see press release
Burdening Children With a Flawed Policy
New York Times / N.Y. Region (November 4, 2011) By Gina Bellafante - Every fall, thousands of upper-middle-class parents here awake in night sweats, overcome by the anxiety of trying to get their children into costly and prestigious preschools. -see story
Study: Pre-K Crucial to Best 3rd Grade Reading Outcomes
Education Week/Curriculum Matters blog (November 1, 2011) By Catherine Gewertz - In the face of state cutbacks to early-childhood programs, school districts might find themselves wondering whether to invest their own scarce funds in preschool or in full-day kindergarten. A study out today has a clear message: If you want to maximize the chances of strong 3rd grade reading results, preschool programs in combination with full-day kindergarten is the way to go. -see blog
Support for early education
New York Times (October 30, 2011) Letter to the Editor By
Kathleen Sebelius and Arne Duncan - “Occupy the Classroom,” by Nicholas D. Kristof (column, Oct. 20), made a powerful case for early education programs, including Head Start. We agree, and that is why President Obama has made our children’s critical early years a priority. -see letter -see Kristof's opinion
NY Regents approve kindergarten readiness tool for 2014
examiner.com (October 28, 2011) By Florence McGinn, Newark Technology in Eduction Examiner - On the first day of kindergarten, what is the learning readiness of your child? The quality of learning in the early childhood years that precede kindergarten make an important difference. -see story
Preschoolers' Language Skills Improve When Placed with Advanced Peers
Medical Daily (October 26, 2011) By Angelina Tala - Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are, goes the saying. -see story
The gain from early intervention
The Economist / Free Exchange blog (October 24, 2011) - ONE of this week's new NBER working papers is a fascinating look at the impact of early childhood education by Susan Dynarski, Joshua Hyman, and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach. -see blog
Cuomo Looks For More Pre-K Funding
Seeking $100M Grant
WPTZ.com (October 21, 2011) -
ALBANY, NY -- New York is seeking a $100 million grant to make students better prepared for kindergarten. -see story
35 States, D.C. and Puerto Rico Submit Applications for the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge
U.S. Department of Education bulletin (October 20, 2011) - The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services announced today that 35 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico submitted applications for the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, a $500 million state-level competitive grant program to improve early learning and development. -see bulletin
Race To The Top Early Education Challenge Receives Applications From 35 States, D.C. And Puerto Rico
Huffington Post (October 20, 2011) - The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services announced today that 35 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have submitted applications for the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge. -see story
Governor Cuomo Announces New York State Submits Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Proposal
$100 Million Grant Proposal Designed to Improve Early Childhood Education and Close the Achievement Gap
Governor's Office press release (October 20, 2011) Albany, NY - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State has submitted a $100 million Early Learning Challenge grant proposal to the federal government as part of the nationwide Race to the Top competition. -see press release
New York applying for $100 million early education grant
Politics on the Hudson (October 20, 2011) By Cara Matthews - New York is seeking a $100 million grant from the federal government in the latest round of Race to the Top funding, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today. The state would use the Early Learning Challenge grant to increase the number of high-quality early childhood learning programs, provide teachers with tools to measure students’ strengths and weaknesses, assist parents in becoming more involved in their children’s education and improve the quality of the early education workforce, the governor said. -see story
Occupy the Classroom
New York Times (October 19, 2011) Opinion by Nicholas D. Kristof - Occupy Wall Street is shining a useful spotlight on one of America’s central challenges, the inequality that leaves the richest 1 percent of Americans with a greater net worth than the entire bottom 90 percent. -see opinion
State to apply for early child learning funds
BuffaloNews.com (October 17, 2011) By Mark Pasciak - New York is competing for $100 million in federal funds to strengthen the education of its youngest children.If the state wins, parents would have access to a comprehensive rating system for daycares and other programs for young children. Teachers in those programs would receive targeted training. And state agencies would coordinate their efforts to better serve young children.
-see story
In audit, Liu and DOE spar over pre-K funds the city doesn’t use
Gotham Schools (October 13, 2011) By Philissa Cramer - The city isn’t sending as many 4-year-olds to pre-kindergarten as it could, according to an audit by Comptroller John Liu. -see story
Georgia launching rating system for childcare centers
ajc.com/Atlanta Journal-Constitution (October 14, 2011 ) By Nancy Badertscher - Georgia parents will soon be able to look for a state rating on childcare centers, based on everything from the food they serve to the training their workers receive. -see story
Campaign For Educational Equity Wants $4,230 More Per Student To Close Achievement Gap
huffingtonpost.com (October 12, 2011) By Joy Resmovits - NEW YORK -- It's been more than a decade since Michael Rebell filed a lawsuit that led to increased school funding in New York. Now, the lawyer and Columbia University Teachers College professor is on to his next crusade: closing the achievement gap by providing services both inside and outside schools. -see story
K-12 groups call for federal policies embracing PreK-12 education
Early Ed Watch blog (October 11, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey- A group of seven large education associations came together last week at the U.S. Capitol to call on Congress to reshape education policies to embrace early education. The group – known as the Pre-K Coalition – wants to see pre-K included more robustly in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act coupled with policies that support a stronger more seamless education for students from pre-kindergarten through third grade. -see blog
Senators Consider Codifying Race to the Top in ESEA
Education Week/Politics K-12 (October 10, 2011) By Alyson Klein - The Race may be on for a while longer. Race to the Top, the competitive grant program first created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, would become an authorized part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, under a draft of Senate education leaders' reauthorization proposal circulating around Washington. -see story
Early Draft Of No Child Left Behind Re-Write Reduces Federal Role In Education
Huffington Post / Education (October 10, 2011) By Joy Resmovits - An early draft of a Senate committee's sweeping rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act rolls back major accountability provisions of the law's current form, known as No Child Left Behind. -see story
Early childhood education again in spotlight
The Washington Post (October 9, 2011) By Valerie Strauss - It is not news that quality early childhood education is vital to the academic success of most children — especially those who live in poverty — but the issue is getting new attention from policymakers, corporate funders and others who recognize it as fundamental to real reform. -see story
Early Learning Common Ground in Ed Reform & Reading to Close the Achievement Gap
Birth to Thrive Online (October 5, 2011) By Paul Nyhan - The world of education reform is often full of arguments and debates, so it’s nice to see growing agreement in that arena about the value of early learning. -see story
Different direction for early education in Rochester schools
fosters.com/Rochester region (October 3, 2011) By Danielle Curtis - ROCHESTER— Early education in the Lilac City could be changing in the coming years thanks to the work of a new district task force. -see story
Work that enables work; caregivers support the economy by letting parents get to work
New York Daily News (September 30, 2011) By Jane Ridley - Any afternoon, come pickup time at PS 321 in Park Slope, an army of care-givers waits patiently for its charges. -see story
Majority of states lining up to ditch No Child Left Behind
Educators say Bush-era law leads to counterproductive 'teaching to the test'
msnbc.com (September 30, 2011) Education Nation - States are lining up to drop out of No Child Left Behind, the education initiative that was promoted as a historic achievement of the Bush administration. Since President Barack Obama announced last month that he would sign an executive order allowing states to request waivers from mandatory participation in the program, at least 27 have signaled that they will ask to opt out, and most others are reviewing their options. -see story
America's Early Childhood Education Crisis
huffingtonpost.com (September 30, 2011) By Michael Yarbrough - The race for the White House is heating up and, as candidates debate, issues surrounding the fiscal and social future of the United States are dominating headlines and newscasts across the country. Strangely enough, though, one issue has been largely ignored, an epidemic that both reduces the competitiveness of our workforce and challenges the integrity of our highest ideals: our early childhood education crisis. -see story
District Offers Free Pre-K
The Sag Harbor Express (September 28, 2011) By Claire Walla - Last year, when the Sag Harbor School District instituted its first Pre-K program, it was celebrated by members of the school board for offering a service that has been much needed in the Sag Harbor community. Families were charged a monthly fee of $275 for the services, which were contracted out through SCOPE Education Services. -see story
Some Thoughts On Education Nation
Huffington Post (September 28, 2011) By John Merrow - Although I left before the final event -- an appearance by former President Bill Clinton -- I was on hand for almost everything else, and I am comfortable declaring Education Nation 2011 a success, a 180-degree turn from last year's disappointment. -see story
Building the Economy Starting with Pre-School
New York Nonprofit Press (September 27, 2011) By Marcia Kammerer - “Early childhood development programs are rarely portrayed as economic development initiatives, and we think that is a mistake.”
Really? Who said that? Some good government, business-illiterate know nothing? Some mush-minded, no-connection-to-the-real-world, human service advocate? -see story
Science Magazine Explores Latest Research on Early Learning
Early Ed Watch blog (September 27, 2011) By Clare McCann - The Aug. 19 issue of Science magazine featured a special section on early childhood learning, “Investing Early in Education.” The collection of articles offered policy updates, field studies and new research. -see blog
How TV affects your kids
LorainCountymoms.com (September 26, 2011) By Jennifer Berger, Newsday - Monica Mahar’s children love to act out stories and would rather play than watch TV. “They have amazing imaginations and prefer to play with their dolls and toys,” said Mahar, of East Rockaway, N.Y., who has three children under the age of 7. By today’s standards, Mahar’s children watch a small amount of television, an hour here or there and some days, none at all. -see story
A Roadmap to a Pre-K-12 System, with Lessons from Early Learning
Birth to Thrive online (September 26, 2011) By Paul Nyhan - One of the biggest steps toward creating a high-quality early learning system will be to connect preschool and K-12. -see story
Rethinking Pre-K: 5 Ways to Fix Preschool
Time Magazine (September 26, 2011) By Kayla Webley - Take two kids, one from a low-income family, the other middle class. Let them run around and do little-kid things in their respective homes and then, at age 5, enroll them in kindergarten. Research shows that when the first day of school rolls around, the child from the low-income household will be as many as 1.5 years behind grade level in terms of language and prereading and premath skills. -see story
'Sesame Street' now brought to you by letters S-T-E-M
usatoday.com (September 26, 2011) By Greg Toppo - In a bid to give young viewers a leg up in math and science, the producers of Sesame Street this fall want to help the very young think like scientists. It's a response to international rankings that show U.S. kids slipping when it comes to basic math and science knowledge. -see story
NCLB Out, ESEA Flexibility In
Early Ed Watch blog (September 23, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - Today President Obama announced his administration’s plan for reforming No Child Left Behind, also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). “Congress hasn’t been able to do it. So I will,” he said, noting that the reauthorization of ESEA is four years overdue. -see blog
Preschool Funding for Kids Now Pays Off Billions Later
Scientific American blog (September 22, 2011) By Katherine Harmon - There are few sure investments in this chaotic economic climate, but on a national level, education has proven to pay off big down the road. As tight economic times have put the squeeze on education budgets here in the U.S., a new report shows the big benefits of even small investments in early education worldwide. -see blog
The Potential Flaw in the Argument that Benefits of High-Quality Early Ed Fade Out
BirthtoThrive Online (september 21, 20110 By Paul Nyhan - The debate over whether and how benefits of high-quality preschool fade in elementary school is one of the most important in early learning, and it may be flawed. -see story
Invest in violence prevention efforts
Now is a good time to invest in prevention efforts
DemocratandChronicle.com (September 21, 2011) Opinion - With the rates of crime and violence down significantly both locally and across the country, what ordinarily would be major issues in the fall election campaign are hardly mentioned. Smart lawmakers and policymakers won't become complacent. -see opinion
Linking Early Grades to Pre-K in the Continuum of Learning Act
Early Ed Watch blog (September 20, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - Political observers say there is little chance of Congress passing a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) this year, but some legislators are forging ahead anyway. In the past month, Republicans and Democrats have put forward bills designed to be part of a redesigned ESEA, known to most as No Child Left Behind.
-see blog
Top 5 reasons why investing in early childhood education can drive better local job creation
investinginkids blog (September 16, 2011) By Tim Bartik - In understanding the connection between early childhood education and local economic development, I think that people intuitively get how early childhood programs can lead to a “better path” of skills acquisition. -see blog
Duncan: Doing What’s Best for Children, Right from the Start
NBC News/Education Nation blog (September 15, 2011) By Arne Duncan - Everyone knows that high-quality early learning and development programs are vital to children’s future success in school and life, and especially so for disadvantaged students. -see blog
What's Happening With FY 2012 Funding for Federal Early Ed Programs?
Early Ed Watch blog (September 14, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - The FY 2012 federal appropriations process is in full swing, and it’s looking a lot like last year. Fiscal year 2012 will begin on October 1, and yet no appropriations bills have been signed into law. -see blog
Talking About Reforming Head Start
Early Ed Watch blog (September 6, 2011) By Maggie Severns - On a Monday morning last month, a crowd packed into the Brookings Institution auditorium in Washington, D.C., for a little-publicized event on early education reform. At the center of the event was Steve Barnett, a professor of education economics at Rutgers University and co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, who was there to raise questions on whether Head Start is an effective early childhood program, and how we might improve it. -see blog
Maps and More: Additional Materials from Our Race-to-the-Top Analysis
Early Ed Watch blog (September 1, 2011) By Clare McCann - Last week, the Early Education Initiative released a state-by-state analysis of early education infrastructure around the country. We cast some early predictions as to which states are best-positioned to meet the “core criteria” laid out in a new federal competition, the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge. Today we’re releasing an appendix* to our analysis that includes all the U.S. maps featured in our presentation along with the data underpinning them. -see blog
Diane Ravitch On How To Fix K-12
Forbes (August 31, 2011) Opinion by Diane Ravitch - To improve education, the first thing needed is a sense of modesty and scale. Education is a complex activity that involves students, teachers, administrators, parents, legislators, and the mass media. No single program will produce fast change. It won’t happen, and you will be disappointed. -see opinion
Preschool: The Best Job-Training Program
NPR (August 12, 2011) By Alex Blumberg - When economist James Heckman was studying the effects of job training programs on unskilled young workers, he found a mystery. -see story
Bipartisan House Early Ed. Bill Introduced
Education Week / Early years blog (August 9. 20110 By Maureen Kelleher - Reps. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), and Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced the Continuum of Learning Act on Friday to help integrate early learning into states' existing K-12 education plans. -see blog
Child Care Centers Apply for Early Learn -- with Questions and Concerns
New York Nonprofit Press (August 10, 2011) - The overwhelming majority (98%) of child care centers currently operating under contracts with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) are planning to apply for new contracts through the City’s Early Learn Request for Proposals (RFP), according to a survey conducted by the Day Care Council of New York (DCC). However, nearly two-thirds of those centers (63%) feel that they need help in preparing the proposal due to the complexity of the RFP and serious concerns over implications of the new Early Learn program model. -see story
The Debt Ceiling Agreement and Early Ed
Early Ed Watch blog (August 4, 2011) By Maggie Severns - The legislation passed by Congress Tuesday raised the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion and put sizeable austerity measures into place. Though the federal government has set 10-year caps on discretionary spending, which contributes to nearly all federal education and early childhood programs, at this point it’s unclear how the money Congress does appropriate in FY2012 will eventually be divvied up. -see blog
Governor Cuomo Announces New York State Will Apply for Federal "Race to the Top" Early Learning Funds
New York Is Eligible to Receive Up to $100 Million for Early Learning Programs
Governor's Office press release ( July 15, 2011) - Albany, NY -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York state will compete in the federal Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge. New York is eligible to receive up to $100 million to improve the quality and access of early learning programs that provide a solid foundation for all of New York's children. -see press release
States Face Challenges in Early-Ed. Race to Top Scramble
Education Week (July 12, 2011) By Maureen Kelleher - States hoping to win a share of the $500 million in federal aid aimed at early-childhood education in the latest Race to the Top contest face this challenge: How to get lasting benefit from one-time grants much smaller than the first few rounds of the school improvement initiative. -see story
Moving the Agenda on the Early Learning Challenge
Education Week (July 11, 2011) Commentary by Sharon Lynn Kagan and Kristie Kauerz - With the recent announcement of a $500 million Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, or RTT-ELC, commitment by the federal government, American early education has taken a huge step forward. -see commentary
Local Groups Ramp Up Federal Advocacy
New York Nonprofit Press (July 11, 2011) - Local nonprofit human service advocacy and provider associations are ramping up efforts to forestall significant cuts to health and human services – including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security – as part of negotiations over a proposed increase in the nation’s debt ceiling. -download story
About Those 'Kindergarten-Entry Assessments' in Race to the Top
Early Ed Watch blog (July 7, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - Assessments of children’s “readiness” for school will undoubtedly be a big piece of the new Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge and, given that early childhood providers have qualms about 4-year-olds being forced to take inappropriate tests, concerns are rampant. But are these fears realized in the proposed guidelines for the competition? We don’t think so – at least not based on a close reading of what we’ve seen so far. (The final guidelines are expected in mid-August.) -see blog
Preschool Dividend: Kids with pre-K do better in life, new study shows
Syracuse Post-Standard (July 6, 2011) Opinion By Post-Standard Editorial Board - Preschool programs reap dividends well until the kids who attend them are adults. Every dollar that states invest in them yields many dollars in savings over the long run. -see opinion
Feds Release Draft of What States Must Do To Win Challenge Grants
Early Ed Watch blog (July 1, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - The Obama Administration released details today on the proposed design of the competition for its new Early Learning Challenge, a $500-million state competition that aims to improve the quality and coordination of early learning programs. Officials stress that it will be highly competitive and focus on school readiness, including the use of assessments to determine if children are prepared for kindergarten. -see story
Need to Know: Deadlines, Dollars and Qu’s on the RTT-ELC So Far
Early Ed Watch blog (July 1, 20110 By Laura Bornfreund - For those of us who are closely following the development and design of the $500-million Early Learning Challenge competition, a lot more information became available today, as the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released a 22-page draft of the program requirements, priorities and selection criteria. -see blog
New Race to Top Stresses Pre-K Tests, Early Ed. Program Ratings
Education Week / Politics K-12 blog (July 1, 2011) -By Michele McNeil - To win a grant in the U.S. Department of Education's new Race to the Top competition for early-childhood education aid, states will have to develop rating systems for their programs, craft appropriate standards and tests for young children, and set clear expectations for what teachers should know. -see blog
The Preschool-College Connection
the Atlantic (June 26, 2011) staff article - Jennifer Daniels, a stay-at-home mom in an affluent Southern California community, will not rest until her three-year-old daughter Kayleigh is accepted into a highly-regarded local preschool. Anthony's childless-by-choice friends find her tribulations fodder for a good laugh over a glass of wine at the women's biweekly gatherings. -see story
Invest wisely in early education
timesunion.com (June 25, 2011) Letter to the Editor by
Marsha Basloe and Kate Breslin -
Hurray for the Times Union editorial board's recommendation in the June 19 editorial, "Still failing after all these years," that it's time to focus on early education. -see letter
New York, invest in young children
timesunion.com (June 23, 2011) Letter to the Editor By Anne Mitchell -
Your June 19 editorial, "Still failing after all these years," rightly focuses on the preschool years as a key to increasing high school graduation rates. -see letter
Prioritizing Early Childhood Education: We Can't Afford to Wait
huffingtonpost.com (June 21, 2011) By Susan Ochshorn - As Father's Day disappeared into Monday morning, the Times Union of Albany posted a positively eloquent editorial. "Still failing after all these years" highlights New York's persistent achievement gap, declaring it "as insidious as if it was the result of outright bigotry or class warfare" and lambasting the state and federal governments for retreating from the problem. -see story
Will Business Buy In to Early Childhood Education?
The New York Times/Economix blog (June 20, 2011) By Nancy Folbre - Economists disagree about a lot of things, but many agree that public investments in early childhood education pay off. The social benefits far exceed the social costs. -see blog
Still failing after all these years
timesunion.com (June 19, 2011) Opinion -
New York can shake its collective head at the latest high school graduation figures -- which tell us little that we didn't already know. There continues to be a wide gap in achievement, dividing rich from poor, and, frequently, white from minority. -see opinion
Pre-School for All: The Time Has Come
Huffington Post Education (June 16, 2011) Opinion by Mark Shriver and Jennifer Garner - The conversation about education reform in America often takes place in the realm of 4th-grade reading aptitude, middle school math and science achievement and SAT scores. Last week, on Capitol Hill, we expanded the conversation to the place where all of a child's potential hinges: the first five years. -see opinion
Want Your Kid to Stay Out of Trouble? Put Them in Preschool Study finds that after 25 years, African-American children who went to preschool full time have better lives as adults.
BET (June 16, 2011) By Kellee Terrell - Sending your four-year-old to preschool may do more for them than teach them colors, numbers and letters—it might improve their overall lives down the road. -see story
Study Highlights the 25-Year Impact of a Chicago PreK-3rd Program
Early Ed Watch blog (June 13, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - You’d be hard-pressed to find a more solid case for the importance of good early education: A study published late last week by Science shows that attendance at the Chicago Parent-Child Centers – a program designed to extend from pre-k through 3rd grade in the inner city’s public schools – is connected to a person’s success in life 25 years later. -see blog
Preschool benefits last into adulthood, study says
timesunion.com (June 10, 2011) By Lindsey Tanner, AP medical Writer - CHICAGO (AP) — Preschool has surprisingly enduring benefits lasting well into adulthood, according to one of the biggest, longest follow-up studies of its kind. -see story
Big Kindergarten Wait List Limits City’s Pre-K Slots
nytimes.com (June 10, 2011) By Fernanda Santos - There were more applications for children to enter prekindergarten classes in New York City this year than last, but a smaller proportion of them ended up getting in: 68 percent, down from 72 percent. -see story
Advocates Continue Pressure for Child Care Restorations
New York Nonprofit Press (June 10, 2011) - Advocates continued to press the Bloomberg Administration for a full restoration of child care funding yesterday. -see story
"Little Red Wagon" Delivers 30K Petitions to Save Child Care New York Nonprofit Press (June 8, 2011) - Hundreds of children, parents and advocates delivered nearly 30,000 petitions via “Little Red Wagon” to City Hall yesterday calling on Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to fully restore funding to child care and after school programs. -see story
Innovative Legislation to Preserve Child Care Subsidies
New York Nonprofit Press (June 7, 2011)- Advocates are urging state lawmakers to support an innovative legislative proposal that would preserve child care subsidies for low-income working families, despite a $55 million cut to funding in this year’s budget. -see story
The sticker shock of child care
New York has one of the highest average annual costs in the nation
timesunion.com (June 5, 2011) By CHRIS CHURCHILL - The financial burden of child care in New York is among the nation's highest. Indeed, for center-based infant care the average annual per-child expense in New York of $13,676 is second only to Massachusetts, according to a 2010 study by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. -see story
Early-education programs are a curb on crime
lohud.com (June 3, 2011) Opinion By Robert Castelli - Make no mistake, we need police vigilance and tough corrections in order to keep communities safe. We know in our respective roles as a state assemblyman, criminologist and former state trooper for 20 years (Castelli), and as Scarsdale police chief (Brogan) that reactive responses to crime are necessary, but expensive. If we can reach young children with help through early intervention, we can set them on a better path that leads toward a law-abiding life, instead of a prison bunk. -see opinion
9 States Get New Chance at Federal Education Aid
nytimes.com (May 25, 2011) By Sam Dillon - Nine states that were also-rans in last year’s Race to the Top school improvement competition will get another chance, the Obama administration announced on Wednesday, though this time $200 million will be up for grabs, compared with $4 billion awarded last year. -see story
Feds offers $500M in state grants for preschool
Associated Press (May 25, 2011) By Frederic J. Frommer and Dorie Turner - ATLANTA (AP) — A new $500 million federal grant competition announced Wednesday aims to do away with an uncoordinated system of preschool programs that often leave the poorest children without options and allow bad schools to go unchecked. -see story
ACS Issues EarlyLearn RFP
New York Nonprofit Press (May 23, 2011) - The New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) has just released the long awaited Request for Proposals (RFP) for its new “EarlyLearn NYC” early care and education system. -see story
Early Education a Priority of New Federal Grant Pool
Race to the Top provides a likely model for fresh state-level competitions
Education Week (May 10, 2011) By Michele McNeil - Armed with a fresh $700 million in an otherwise austere federal budget year, the U.S. Department of Education is trying to figure out how to leverage the money through a new round of state-level competitions focused, in part, on early-childhood education. -see story
Bloomberg Budget Restores Child Care Slots
New York Nonprofit Press (May 6, 2011) - Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out his Executive Budget proposal for FY2011-12 which begins on July 1st. Much of the Mayor’s presentation focused on declining support from the State and Federal governments which have declined dramatically in this and prior year budgets. The big news for human service providers was a $40 million plan to restore 15,000 child care slots which had been targeted for elimination. -see story
Toddle to the top
Cash-strapped states cut funding for nurseries
The Economist (May 5, 2011) - LILY, who is three-and-a-half, loves her nursery school in Queens. Her mother calls her “the sponge” because every day she comes home with new nuggets of knowledge. -see story
The Republican Budget War on Children
Congress's drive to address the U.S. debt is making budget cuts fall heaviest on children, which could hobble their long-term financial well-being—not to mention our own, says Chris Farrell
Bloomberg Businessweek (May 3, 2011)- Politicians who seek steep government spending cuts while opposing a higher U.S. debt ceiling sound a common theme. Slash spending for the sake of the next generation, they say, because the nation's debt is crippling our children's aspirations.-see viewpoint
A Real, Unnecessary Crisis for Families
New York Times (May 2, 2011) Opinion - Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, made a strong argument for good early childhood care. In a speech in New York City, he argued that the value can be especially high for disadvantaged children with a strong payoff for the economy. -see opinion
Preschool programs not spared as strapped states cut spending
The Christian Science Monitor (April 26, 2011) By Ilana Kowarski - For the first time since 2002, states collectively decreased spending on early childhood education last school year, meaning fewer preschoolers were admitted to subsidized programs in some states. -see story
Study finds funding for early-childhood education declined between 2009 and 2010
The Washington Post (April 26, 2011) By Kevin Sieff - Funding for early-childhood education declined between 2009 and 2010, even as the Obama administration urged states to increase pre-kindergarten programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, according to a study released Tuesday. -see story
Budget cuts slash 15,000 spots in after-school activities, dealing a hard blow to families
NYDailyNews.com (April 20, 2011) By Rachel Monahan - While the city braces for budget cuts to schools, parents are also worrying about the tutoring and art and music lessons students receive after the final bell rings. -see story
FY11 Budget – Finally Passed – Brings Good News for Early Ed
Early Ed Watch blog (April 19, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - Congress passed and President Obama signed the federal budget spending agreement that Early Ed Watch reported on last Tuesday. The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 provides funding for federal programs through September 30, 2011—the end of fiscal year 2011. -see blog
"Where There Is No Care"; Emergency Coalition Reports on Impact of Child Care Cuts
New York Nonprofit Press (April 14, 2011) - The newly-formed Emergency Coalition to Save Child Care, made up of dozens of organizations and religious institutions, has launched an effort to restore child care to the 17,000 children who are about to lose care under the Mayor’s plan to cut child care for working families. This cut combined with 14,000 slots lost since 2006 add up to a 50% cut in child care for working families, says the Coalition. -see story
A New Chancellor With Kindergarten on His C.V.
Huffington Post/Education (April 12, 2011) Opinion By Susan Ochshorn - Dennis M. Walcott is the New York Times' Man in the News, the blogosphere is buzzing, and the shock waves are reverberating across the pond, in the U.K., where the Guardian proclaims Cathie Black's departure as "only a temporary setback for the 'corporate' reform of public schools." What does this all mean? asks Gotham Schools, a scrappy media venture that bills itself as a "running conversation about what works and what doesn't in NYC schools," and chronicles every tweet, hiccup, and cough of the education establishment. -see opinion
Merging the Early Learning Challenge Fund with ‘Race to the Top’?
Early Ed Watch blog (April 12, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - Early childhood education would be added to the next Race to the Top competition if Congress passes the federal budget bill for fiscal year 2011 that has emerged from last week’s negotiations to avoid a shutdown. -see story
PBS Video Shows Early Ed Challenges -- In More Ways Than One
Early Ed Watch blog (April 10, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - Last week, PBS's education correspondent John Merrow blogged about a video he produced about preschool haves and have-nots in Chicago. The post has attracted 16,000 views -- far more than usual, Merrow says -- and the video is well worth watching. But the segment never makes any reference to the schools that these children attend after their year or years in pre-k. It represents a huge missed opportunity to tell a story that is missing from the national conversation on how to make smart early ed investments: how to ensure continuity in quality. -see story
Invest wisely
Long Island Business News (April 8, 2011) By Nancy Rauch-Douzinas - Last week, Long Island business leaders learned about an investment strategy that, if implemented statewide, would yield an 80 percent return on investment, create tens of thousands of jobs and save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. -download story
Head Start Supporters Fear Impact of Threatened Cutbacks
Concerns of ripple effect mount amid budget battle
Education Week (March 15, 2011) By Maureen Kelleher - Supporters of Head Start are feeling under siege in the federal budget battle, fearing that the kind of deep cuts they’ve seen proposed in Congress would likely have ripple effects hurting state pre-K and after-school programs for elementary school children.-see story
Cuts to Head Start Show Challenge of Fiscal Restraint
nytimes.com (March 10, 2011) By Jennifer Steinhauer - WASHINGTON — The difficulty Senate Republicans faced voting this week for a bill full of spending cuts is best illustrated on the home page for the Alaska Head Start program’s Web site. -see story
Living by the Golden Rule for Our Nation's Schools
Education Week (March 8, 2011) Commentary By David L. Kirp - President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget message contains good news for education: Even as other social programs are on the chopping block, he proposes to spend more money on schools. No news there—expanding educational opportunities has been a consistent theme of the Obama presidency. -see commentary
Funds should be restored for program to aid low-income moms
The Sunday Gazette (March 6, 2011) Opinion by Ray Schimmer - OK. We get it. The budget of the
state of New York is out of control
and cuts — deep cuts — will
have to be made. Not only do we
get it, but we agree. What Gov. Andrew
Cuomo is proposing is simply responsible
good governance. -see opinion
An urgency to the early years
washingtonpost.com (March 6, 2011) Editorial - MANY PEOPLE, famous and not so famous, took time out last Wednesday to read to schoolchildren as part of the annual Read Across America Day, which encourages young people to read. -see editorial
The Importance of Early Childhood Intervention on Student Achievement
Forbes (March 5, 2011) Opinion By E.D. Kain - It’s time to make universal pre-k education a reality. -see opinion
Ed. Sec. to Literacy Funders: Help 'Our Babies' Catch Up
Education Week / Curriculum Week blog (March 1, 2011) By Catherine Gewertz - The United States has failed to prepare its youngest children for academic success in a "coordinated, strategic way," and as a result, far too many are behind in the reading skills that are pivotal to their future success, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told a gathering of literacy funders this morning. -see story
The New Normal
The New York Times (February 28, 2011) Opinion By DAVID BROOKS - We’re going to be doing a lot of deficit cutting over the next several years. The country’s future greatness will be shaped by whether we cut wisely or stupidly. So we should probably come up with a few sensible principles to guide us as we cut. -see Opinion
Not Ready for College: Behind the Numbers
The New York Times (February 19, 2011) Letters to the Editor By Paul Arfin- As an older adult, I am encouraged to see state education officials pushing to align education standards with college preparedness as new data show less than half of New York students leaving high school prepared for college. -see letter (scroll to bottom of the page)
Obama’s FY12 Budget Is Good to Early Ed
Early Ed Watch blog (February 14, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - Under the 2012 budget that President Obama released today, early education would not only receive protection from the budget knife, but additional dollars as well. The Obama administration’s request to Congress proposes increases in funding for child care grants and Head Start, as well as Title I and special education programs. -see story
Obama Seeks to Shelter Education in 2012 Budget
Education Week (February 14, 2011) By Alyson Klein -
Education was a bright spot in the Obama administration’s otherwise austere
fiscal year 2012 budget proposal, which seeks a modest boost for the U.S.
Department of Education from the current fiscal year; new money for teacher training,
research, and early-childhood education; and a continuation of the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation grant programs. -see story
Sweet Home celebrates success of universal pre-K
The Buffalo News (February 9, 2011) City & Region By Paul Lane - As officials in the Sweet Home School District continue to revel in the growth of the district's universal pre-kindergarten program, district leaders spent a School Board study session Tuesday discussing how to continue moving it forward. -see story
A Terrible Divide
The New York Times (February 7, 2011) Opinion By Bob Herbert - The Ronald Reagan crowd loved to talk about morning in America. For millions of individuals and families, perhaps the majority, it’s more like twilight — with nighttime coming on fast. -see opinion
Schools look to make cuts after bad aid news in Cuomo's budget
LoHud.com (February 7, 2011) by Gary Stern - School officials across the region are beginning to target staff positions and programs that may have to be eliminated as a result of steep proposed cuts in state education aid. -see story
Early childhood education benefits both kids, taxpayers, study says
yourlife.usatoday.com (February 3, 2011) By Liz Szabo - Investing in early childhood education can yield impressive economic benefits — both for children and taxpayers, according to a National Institutes of Health study that followed participants until age 26. -see story
Child Abuse Prevention Possible Victim of Budget Cut
public news service (February 2, 2011) ALBANY, N.Y. - Faced with a $10 billion deficit, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed creation of a program that lumps together nine or more child welfare and juvenile justice programs. -see story
The State of Preschool: Comparing the U.S. to Our International Competitors
Early Ed watch blog (February 1, 2011) By Laura Bornfreund - In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama cited statistics showing that, compared to other developed countries, America is no longer at the front of the pack on several measures of educational success. -see story
Will budget cuts put early learning at risk?
The formative years are viewed as critical to academic success; advocates decry possible cuts
timesunion.com (January 31, 2011) By Scott Waldman - BETHLEHEM -- Jared Marsh taught addition and experimentation through making oatmeal raisin cookies as a group of 3-year-olds jostled to get their fingers in the dough. -see story
ESEA: The Opportunity to Strengthen Early Ed
Early Ed Watch blog (January 31, 2011) By Lisa Guernsey - A few months ago, most commentators expressed high doubts that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would be reauthorized this year. But hopeful signs – including bi-partisan announcements from members of Congress – have emerged over the past week. If reauthorization does in fact move forward this year, we must ensure that Congress includes measures to strengthen early learning. -see story
Program helps parents to help their children
pressrepublican.com (January 29, 2011) By Robin Caudell - PLATTSBURGH — Cy Donaldson is several months shy of 3 but he can differentiate a sea lion from an orca whale. -see story
Invest early in child education
timesunion.com (Januray 26, 2011) Letter to the Editor By Winning Beginning NY conveners - It was thrilling to see high school students share the stage with Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his first State of the State address -- and to hear his acknowledgment that they are our state's future. -see letter
Another view on kids: Focus on early education
USA Today (January 25, 2011) Editorial By John M. Shalikashvili - Sad, but true: Most young adults in the U.S. cannot qualify for military service, and one major reason lies with our troubled educational system. -see editorial
Freeze on child care aid triggers domino effect
Democrat and Chronicle (January 25, 2011) By Chris Swingle - Kashina Amons works full time caring for toddlers at Jefferson Avenue Child Development Center in Rochester, where all of the children have government subsidies to help pay for the care. But her own son has been closed out of the subsidy program for lack of government funds. -see story
Parents to Cuomo: “Not Cool to Take From Our Schools”
public news service (January 25, 2011) - ALBANY, N.Y. - Education activists, parents, teachers and legislators today are launching a statewide drive to send their message that the $1.4 billion slashed from education programs last year was "enough, already," and that more cuts would be "devastating." -see story
A Five-Star Plan for Preschool, Child Care
public news service (January 24, 2011) - NEW YORK - Movie-lovers look for a four-star review by a film critic. Gourmets search for five-star restaurants. Soon, parents seeking a good preschool or child-care center may have a similar quality-rating system. -see story
Trouble Ahead: Teacher Quality, Junior Division
The Huffington Post (January 17, 2011) By Susan Ochshorn - Trouble does, indeed, lurk, as President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan gird themselves for the inevitable debate about the overhaul of No Child Left Behind, the nation's signature education reform initiative. -see story
If We Want to Fix Education, Start at the Beginning
The Huffington Post (January 4, 2011) Opinion By Amy Weisberg - The fix-it manual for education is a complicated document written by numerous authors, most outsiders to the field of education. It seems that everyone has an opinion about what is wrong with our educational program today, its teachers and students, but few have solutions that are organically designed to meet the needs of the student population we currently teach in our nation's public schools. -see opinion
The Achievement Test
The New York Times (January 3, 2011), Opinion By David Brooks - Unless something big and unexpected happens, 2011 will be consumed by a debate over the size of government. Republicans will launch a critique of big government as part of their effort to cut spending. Democrats will surge to the barricades to defend federal programs. -see opinion
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