Henry and Dorothy
Message from the |
As historians of American elementary education know, Hawaii was among the first countries in the world to innovate in creating progressive kindergarten education for a multi-cultural, multi-racial population. As early as the 1890’s private funders, primarily women, were working collegially to privately fund kindergartens modeled on the progressive educational pedagogy of the American philosopher John Dewey and George H. Mead at the University of Chicago. By the time the Territorial Department of Education responded to community pressure to adopt the kindergartens and to provide a more comprehensive tax supported K-12 system in 1943, Hawaii’s early education experiment had helped generations of our citizens to achieve admirable social and economic mobility. Hawaii’s daring experiment in creating a better education for its multi-cultural population was studied by educators from around the world. In an era of racial segregation in many other parts of the world, Hawaii’s privately funded, integrated kindergartens, its multiracial teaching corps many of whom were educated at the University of Chicago, Columbia, Northwestern and Michigan, before there was a UH, led to spectacular results in literacy, numeracy, and school readiness. By the time the overflowing private kindergartens were partially replaced by a major public commitment to fund voluntary full day kindergartens, Hawaii was among the best in the USA in working with families and communities to provide a more level playing field while preparing the Territory and eventually the State for major changes. Today, our legislators face critical decisions about whether and how much to invest in high quality pre-schools to give our youngest children a better start on life. Unlike our kindergarten pioneers in at the turn of the 19th century, we have ample cognitive evidence to know with near certainty how critical high quality early education is for the well being of our families and the future of our State. In a new research study issued by the Economic Policy Institute, economist Robert G. Lynch examines the costs and benefits of high quality pre-kindergarten education and on their positive impact over time on federal and state budgets, crime, and the achievement of children and adults. Echoing numerous other economic research projects in recent years, he finds that children enrolled in high quality pre-k do better academically, physically and socially throughout their lives. As adults, they attain higher levels of education and are better compensated in their jobs. Researchers across America have examined the impacts which would result from publicly funded and targeted programs for 3 and 4 year olds from the lowest quarter of income distribution as well as universally programs which would fund quality pre-k for all 3 and 4 year olds and found the following: Nationally, the total annual benefits from a universal program would begin to pay for itself within nine years. Nationally, the total annual benefits of a targeted program would surpass costs within six years. By the year 2050 , the annual benefits of a targeted voluntary program in Hawaii (in 2006 dollars) would have a total benefits to program cost of 17.3 considering government budget benefits of $217 million, increased compensation of $458 million, $245 million savings to individuals. By the year 2050 , a universal publicly funded voluntary universal preschool education for all 3 and 4 year olds (in 2006 dollars) results in an estimated $811 million, over $2 billion in increased compensation, $769 million in savings to individuals and a total budget compensation and reduced crime benefits of $3,646,000. This would result in a ratio of annual costs to program costs of 9. The return on public investment in our young children exceeds in virtually every state the highly praised real rate of return on the stock market that prevailed between 1871 and 1998 which was just 6.1%. Moreover, no public school reform is feasible without high quality preschools with curricula aligned with teaching and assessment in grades k-3. The momentum for change has grown enormously in the past five years across the United States-in families, communities, in academe and in all levels of government. Between 2005 and 2007, state spending on pre-k increased from $2.4 billion to $4.2 billion nationwide. Much of the increase has come because of the mounting economic and educational research demonstrating the worth of developing active minds early, better meeting social and educational needs, and the desire to increase school readiness and literacy, the desire to reduce crime and educate a skilled workforce for a global economy. Additionally, a strong early education sector would stimulate the economy and increase equity and social stability. Public subsidies to business have much shorter-term impacts than investments in children. Clearly, educational well being and equity means more than substantially increased access to better schools for our youngest children. We need at the same time to be working to diversify our economy, to achieve housing stability, to ensure that families and communities are properly supported and engaged in schools and that K-12 schools are ready for the children the pre-schools send to them. Major changes need to come in how we prepare our teachers, our willingness to align pre-school education with elementary education, how we recognize and build on diversity in styles of learning, and in developing useful outcome measurements to fine tune our efforts. In 2008, Hawaii’s legislature will consider major investments and possible changes in our commitment to early education and a large number of advocates, educators, businessmen and parents are assisting in defining what this need is and how best it can be met. Let there be no doubt that the greatest threat to Hawaii’s future is not from foreign threats but from unmet educational needs here at home. Issues of justice, fairness, opportunity and equity lie just behind the astonishingly powerful economic numbers which impel our action. Let us define homeland security more comprehensively and include educational and social well being in its definition.
Alfred L. Castle |