Op-Ed in USA Today

“Don’t dismiss early education as just cute; it’s critical.” That’s the headline for our op-ed that USA Today published today, and I’m grateful to the headline writer for making the point so succinctly. The piece calls for more inclusion of early learning when we talk about how to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (which most people know as No Child Left Behind).

We know there are people within the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services who agree and are working hard to keep pressing for more investments in high-quality early education programs. It’s heartening to see that both departments have kicked off a joint national “Early Learning Tour,” which started in Washington, D.C. on Friday. What we hope will become clear, though, is that focusing on the primary years should not be just the domain of the early childhood crowd but something that should rivet all education reformers. Many of them are, quite understandably, worried about the problems they are seeing in middle and high school. Our argument is that until we have a more robust and high-quality early learning system, those problems may never be fully resolved.

We hope opinion pieces like this will show that we’re not just talking about adding on preschool. What we need is a wholesale revamping of the primary years of education, starting with high-quality learning environments for all 3- and 4-year-olds and extending up through third grade with teachers who are given the tools, flexibility and training to turn their classrooms into spaces that are teeming with curious, engaged and challenged young learners.

Here’s an excerpt from the article: