©2004 strategies for children. all rights reserved. 1 powerless children need powerful friends...

1 ©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved.

Powerless Children Need Powerful Friends

Department of Early Education and Care Board MeetingMay 8, 2007


Making Early Education a Top Policy Priority

Our Youngest Children: Massachusetts Voters and Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Their Care and Education (2000)

Two statewide voter polls (400 voters each)

48 opinion leader interviews: business, government, organized labor, media, religion, education and child care


Our Youngest Children: Key findings

Voters and opinion leaders are more willing to support government funding for “early childhood education” rather than “child care,” particularly if it is:

Child-focused;

For ages three, four and five; and

Identifiably connected to long-term educational benefits.

A campaign to make

voluntary, high-quality

early childhood

education available to all

Massachusetts children,

ages three through five.


Early Education for All Campaign Vision

To improve the well-being of Massachusetts children and families by ensuring that all children (0-14) have access to high-quality early education and care, by first building on the identified strong public and political support to expand investments in high-quality early education for children ages three, four and five.


Early Education for All Campaign A Unique Process for Legislative Development

100 Interviews with early education leaders

32 Community Forums

60 Meetings with early education and care groups and other organizations

Research from other states and national organizations


Early Education for All Campaign Two Preliminary Challenges

To achieve “early education for all,” must first address:

Governance: A streamlined, coordinated and accountable structure.

Workforce: A statewide system to support the training, education and compensation of a highly qualified workforce.


Early Education for All Campaign Guiding Principles

Early education in Massachusetts should be:

Universally accessible for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds with a vision to meet the needs of all children (0-14).

Voluntary for participation by children, families and providers.

Flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of children and families.

Delivered through the existing mix of public and private programs (e.g., family child care, non-profit and for-profit centers, Head Start and public and private schools).

Defined by a universal program standard that promotes healthy emotional, social, physical and cognitive outcomes for children.

Designed and funded to recruit, train, and retain qualified staff.

Built on current program and system strengths.

Phased-in incrementally.


Early Education for All CampaignGoals

Ensure that every preschool-aged child has access to a high-quality early childhood education delivered through the mixed system of public and private programs and providers;

Improve the training, education and compensation of the early childhood and school-age workforce; and

Provide access to full school-day public kindergarten for all children.


Early Education for All Campaign Strategies

Engage influential “unlikely” allies.

Build alignment among “likely” allies:- Develop state legislative policy proposal/s that are informed by families and the early education field. - Develop and mobilize statewide grassroots’ field team.

Use research to inform policy proposal/s and messaging.

Raise public awareness through statewide media campaign.

Develop independent advocacy organization.


Strategy: Engage “unlikely” alliesEEA Campaign Advisory Committee

American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts

Associated Early Care and Education

Associated Industries of MA

AvCar Group, Ltd.

Barr Foundation

Berkshire Chamber of Commerce

Boston Children’s Museum

Boston Foundation

Boston TenPoint Coalition

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce

Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston

Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield

EMC Corporation

Family Child Care Project

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy

Genzyme Genetics

Goulston and Storrs

Grain Pro, Inc.

Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation

MA AFL-CIO

MA Association for the Education of Young Children

MA Association of Early Educators and School Age Providers

MA Association of School Superintendents

MA Biotechnology Council

MA Board of Higher Education

MA Business Alliance for Education

MA Business Roundtable

MA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

MA Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Network

MA Education Initiative for Latino Students

MA Elementary School Principals’ Association

MA Head Start Association

MA High Technology Council

MA Teachers Association

MassMutual Financial Group

Middlesex Community College

Parents Alliance for Catholic Education

Schott Foundation for Public Education

Springfield Day Nursery

Staples, Inc.

The O’Brien Group, Inc.

Verizon Communications, Inc.

Wheelock College

YMCAs of Massachusetts


Strategy: Align “likely” alliesEEA Campaign Policy Committee

American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts

Associated Early Care and Education

Boston Child Care Alliance

Bureau of Jewish Education

Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield

Gaston Institute

MA Association for the Education of Young Children

MA Association of Early Educators and School Age Providers

MA Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Network

MA Elementary School Principals’ Association

American Federation of Teachers

MA Head Start Association

Northampton Public Schools

Parents Alliance for Catholic Education

Ritmos Academy

Springfield Day Nursery

The Family Child Care Project

Urban Superintendents Network

Wheelock College

YMCAs of Massachusetts


Strategy: Using research to make the case

Produce:

Fact Sheets: – Fast Facts: Children, Families and Early Education in Massachusetts

Policy Briefs: – Quality Early Educators are Essential: Investing in the Early

Childhood Workforce

Research in Briefs: – Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in

Achievement as Children begin School

Commission Research:– The Massachusetts Capacity Study (2005)

– 2006 Early Education Massachusetts Household Survey

– Report on Cost of Universal, High-Quality Early Education in MA (2006)


Strategy: Develop an independent advocacy organization

Strategies for Children, Inc, founded in 2001, is a private non-profit organization specializing in public policy, advocacy and constituency building.

The mission of SFC is to improve the well-being of children and families by moving their issues to the top of the agendas of communities, states, and the nation.

EEA is an initiative of SFC along with other work including Cherish Every Child in Springfield and national TA.


Progress to date:

Strong public support:

EEA and related policy work have been the subject of 74 newspaper editorials.

EEA and related policy work have appeared 898 times in print, radio and TV and have appeared in 209 newspapers, reaching 50.3 million readers.

Strong voter support - Poll conducted in late 2003 showed extremely high support for “early education for all” across the spectrum of Massachusetts voters.


Progress to date:

Strong legislative support:

Creation of first-in-the-nation Board and consolidated Department of Early Education and Care (FY05 Budget).– Creates an independent Board and consolidated

Department of Early Education and Care;

– Mandates a program of voluntary, universally accessible high-quality early childhood education for all preschool aged children;

– Creates a process to strengthen the early education and care workforce; and

– Calls for a kindergarten readiness assessment system and a comprehensive program evaluation.


Progress to date:

Strong legislative support:

Significant increase in public funding for high-quality early education and care:

– $20 million in FY06

– $45 million in FY07 – $4.6 million for pilot projects as part of the new Massachusetts

Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program– $3 Million for Early Educators Scholarship Program

Unanimous enactment by House and Senate of legislation (H.4755) creating the Massachusetts Universal Pre-K Program (2006)


A new administration:

“Because early learning is critical to future academic success, I will expand early education opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds, specifically, by working to pass pending legislation that addresses this need. I will also ensure that free, full-day Kindergarten programs are available to all 5-year-olds in Massachusetts.”

- Governor Deval Patrick


Three states have Universal Pre-K – Georgia – Oklahoma – Florida

17 states are moving towards Universal Pre-K including:– Illinois – New York– Virginia– Ohio– New Mexico – California– Tennessee

31 states increased investments in Pre-K in FY07

29 Governors recommended funding increases for Pre-K in FY08

Early education a priority across the United States:


Early Education for All Campaign Next Steps

Support the Department of EEC and help ensure success of MA UPK and Early Educators Scholarship programs.

Secure passage of An Act Relative to Early Education and Care (H.3776) which establishes the MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program.

Support the development of a workforce plan.

Advocate for expanded investments in high-quality early education and care – including $25 million in FY08 for MA UPK - fulfilling the promise of universal high-quality early education by 2012.

Help ensure that these new investments make a difference in the lives of young children and families.


Powerless Children Need Powerful Friends

For more information visit: www.earlyeducationforall.org

©2004 strategies for children. all rights reserved. 1 powerless children need powerful friends...

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