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Tardy on early education

Boston Globe Editorial
Sunday, December 26, 2004

GOVERNOR ROMNEY is too skeptical about early education. In a meeting this week with Globe editors, he questioned the lasting impact of programs such as Head Start. The governor argued that there might be better ways to spend education dollars. But even a Brookings Institution report that cited evidence that certain benefits of Head Start fade over time concluded that states should experiment to find the best ways to build high-quality preschool programs.

The bottom line for Massachusetts: Early education works. The state shouldn't set up a choice between investing either in early education or the later grades. But it's a mistake to assume that Head Start and early education can cure all the woes of the education system. Massachusetts must invest wisely at every level, from nursery school to graduate school.

Fortunately, the state Legislature passed bills to set up a Department of Early Education and Care, promising children exciting opportunities to be successful.

Early education helps children become school-ready by teaching cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral skills. In addition to knowing letters and numbers, children learn about things like self-control and relating to teachers and fellow students.

Research points to success. Georgia State University researchers studied 466 children in that state's preschool program and found that it helped them catch up with peers in private programs who typically came from wealthier families. A high-quality program with skilled teachers was a key ingredient. Other studies show that preschoolers go on to have higher rates of high school completion and lower rates of juvenile arrests.

Having a voluntary universal early-education system in Massachusetts would be a profoundly democratic means of preparing every child for success in school, often a stepping-stone to success in life. The message to children: School is a place where you belong and where you can thrive.

Many children need this vote of confidence. Too many walk into kindergarten convinced that they can't learn. They may be 5 or 6 years old, and they've given up on themselves. This can make it easier for others to give up on them. Other children are being expelled from kindergarten because they are disruptive, lacking the emotional and behavioral skills it takes to sit, listen, and learn. These children may be tagged as troubled at a very young age.
With universal early education, the state could introduce innovations from Boston to Pittsfield, exposing children to everything from the latest award-winning books to age-appropriate computer uses.

Early education is a victory waiting to happen, if it is a high-quality system -- and a high priority for the governor.

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