Early Ed Roundup: Week of March 10 – March 14

Boston Launches Birth to Five Initiative

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced plans on Thursday for a 10 year program to expand and streamline early education services for Beantown’s youngest learners. The public-private partnership, “Thrive in Five“, will align educators, health and human service providers, city departments and the private sector to connect families with local services and ensure that day-care providers offer high-quality pre-k programs. The City of Boston, The United Way, local hospitals and others have already committed $3.25 million for the program. Boston’s schools have made significant progress under Menino’s leadership, and working to extend those education improvements down into the early years is a logical next step.

New Hampshire Lawmakers Debate Kindergarten Funding

Last year the New Hampshire State Senate passed legislation requiring school districts to implement kindergarten programs by September 2008, but lawmakers still can’t agree on how to fund it. Eleven New Hampshire school districts, serving nearly 15 percent of the state’s students, do not offer public kindergarten, making New Hampshire the only state that does not offer kindergarten in all districts.

The primary obstacle has been paying for space to house kindergarten classrooms. The state of New Hampshire traditionally funds 75 percent of the cost of building or leasing new classrooms, but Senate Republican leader Ted Gatseas is pushing to make the state foot the entire bill, estimated at $20 million. In a preliminary vote last week, legislators voted against Gatseas’s plan and gave initial approval to allow districts to delay kindergarten programs by one year.

Pre-K on the Delaware Campaign Trail

Delaware State Treasurer and Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Markell outlined a comprehensive plan to consolidate and expand early education programs in the state. The plan includes $12.5 million to subsidize 75 percent of the salaries of high-quality teachers working in childcare classrooms. The state would also work to connect private childcare providers with local schools in an effort to align pre-school and elementary-grade curricula. Candidates John Carney and Mike Protak have yet to outline their views on early ed.

Pre-School Intervention Curbs Obesity, Study Finds

Cookie Monster may not be a good role model after all. A new study from the University of Miami finds that targeted nutrition and physical activity programs in pre-k classrooms can instill good eating habits and reduce the risk of obesity for children aged 2 – 5. Children, parents, and teachers in the study participated in a six-month program, where they learned about healthy eating, how to incorporate physical activity into lesson plans, and about the cultural and environmental barriers to implementing a healthy lifestyle. By the end of the program, the percentage of children at risk for overweight dropped from 16 to 12 percent. The study’s authors hope that the findings will encourage the public to think more about the importance of nutrition and exercise in the early years.