Essential Questions

In recent years, the groundswell for early education and intervention has swelling on the overwhelming data that early nurture affects neurological development, emotional health, language acquisition, and even IQ. Consequently, many policy makers have drawn a direct line between early education and government involvement.

Where are the dissenters?
In a recent New York Times article, the author notes that there was at one time significant resistance to government involvement in early childhood:

In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon vetoed a bill that would have underwritten child care for everyone, arguing that the bill “would commit the vast moral authority of the national government to the side of communal approaches to child rearing over against the family-centered approach.”

According to the Times, that resistance is now diminishing for government child care and education programs.

Are there other alternatives?
It seems that for many policy-makers there is a simple dilemma with two alternatives: (1) government programs [and corresponding responsibility] for early childhood education, or (2) government inaction, which results in the continued trend of children unprepared for school. Yet a fair minded person must ask: Are these the only alternatives? Are there alternatives that would satisfy President Nixon's concerns about shifting the responsibility for rearing children from the family to the government? Could there be a family-centered approach that is consistent with the overwhelming research on the importance of early education?

Why not parents?
What would be the risks of a family-centered approach to early childhood education? Is it the lack of parent education? What if the resources currently invested in programs for children were invested in programs that enabled parents to support their children? What might be the results if parents were equipped to care for their own children? Might it not build a stronger relationship between home and school?

In a time where there is much talk about increasing funding for early childhood programs, it is wise to ask if the assumptions of those making the decisions are in fact valid.

This morning, Chicago schools CEO Arne Duncan is expected to be named Secretary of Education by president-elect Barack Obama. Duncan is a brilliant choice by Obama, as he has experience running the third largest school system in the nation, which has included closing down failing schools, opening new community schools, building bridges with the teachers' unions and fostering the growth of new charter schools. Few educational leaders anywhere have such a history of strong leadership, improving performance and building bridges with parents, teachers and communities.

The Greatest Educational Opportunity
In a US House of Representatives hearing on Improving Public Schools, Duncan made the following observation:

"Tapping the great potential of underprivileged inner-city children represents the greatest educational challenge and opportunity facing our country."

That statement captures why Duncan is such a powerful and effective leader. Everyone sees the challenges educating underpriviled inner-city children (unless they are blind). But few people are able to see, as Duncan does, that these children also represent the greatest untapped potential for problem-solving and meaningful social contribution in this country. With Duncan's approach, he can engage with crisis communities - as he has in Chicago - and involve those children and their families in crafting sustainable solutions.

Community Schools
Another of Duncan's great strengths is his ability to admit and address weaknesses. In the same public school hearing he acknowledged that schools have very often not welcomed parents. We have expected parents to drop their kids off on time and pick them up on time, but have not treated them as the most important stakeholders in the educational process. Duncan's community schools have made steps in the right direction by intentionally welcoming and engaging parents. If Duncan can bring this paradigm to scale, the impact could be enormous.

The Highest ROI
As the new Secretary of Education, Duncan will face a significant challenge. How can he address the needs of families during the most critical time of a child's development: the years before a child reaches school age? In a resource-scarce environment, how can he leverage existing infrastructure to engage communities in education from birth so that children arrive prepared to thrive in community schools? There area host of great organizations around the country doing just this. Parents as Teachers is a prime example. The math is compelling. A significant achievement gap exists before students enter kindergarten, and early intervention saves between $4 and $7 in special education, welfare and incarceration for every dollar spent (that is an ROI of 400 to 700%, not 4-7%). The question for Mr. Duncan is how to cast a compelling vision of early parent involvement as the norm so that herculean rescue efforts are not necessary.