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Early learning leaders witness Malden's model

Malden Observer
By Timothy J. Lavallee
Thursday, May 19, 2005

When national figures in early education came to Malden Tuesday, it was the city's chance to hold up its Early Learning Center as a successful model.

The Boston-based Early Education for All Campaign held a panel discussion at the former Holmes School on Mountain Avenue for various early education stakeholders from around the commonwealth. Mayor Richard Howard, who is also chairman of the School Committee by city charter, and Superintendent Joan Connolly represented Malden, along with Early Learning Center director Anne O'Connell-Hanifan and Malden Director of Pupil Services Veronica Papenfus.

The Early Learning Center, which has been toured by state legislators in the past, including former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, is held up by the city as a state model. Connolly said the campaign's choice of this as location for a panel discussion featuring early education leaders from Georgia, New York, California and a national social policy think tank is another example of that.

"It's a model in the state, and they don't have a lot of models," Connolly said.

Very few communities have spent the money to create a separate early education program in a dedicated building. Dedham has the Curran Center named for its former superintendent Thomas Curran, who created the school. However, Dedham didn't totally refurbish the school as Malden did with the Holmes School.

"Where the city has gone out in front of most of the state and rehabbed an old school building, I think the campaign is really interested," Connolly said.

Howard received praise from Early Education for All Campaign members for his leadership in creating the Malden Early Learning Center.

"I'd heard about him before and his commitment and what he had done. Then he had invited me out, and it was quite impressive with what he has done," said Early Education for All Director Margaret Blood. "I walk in here and feel like this is what every child in Massachusetts should have."

Howard said he hoped Malden's example would increase the likelihood that early learning would be available to all preschoolers in the state.

Hopefully, the topic will get more attention," he said. "It should be a financial priority and educational priority."

Ideally, early education would be treated as a separate part of the state's education efforts, as K-12 education is separate from public colleges and universities. While separate, "it should be linked in terms of what they teach," the mayor added.

The panelists showed the attendees various models of early education systems. Georgia uses a lottery to pay for it, while New York has uses its general revenue. Georgia has paid for the program in its entirety and as it has grown, but New York hasn't kept up with the spending schedule it adopted with its early education law.

Both states use a mixed-delivery model where private and public schools are teaching 3 and 4 year olds, but they have standards for teacher credentials and salary so that private and public pre-school teachers are properly qualified and paid.

"Public-private partnership - let me say this: It saved us a lot of money. The classrooms are already there. Why spend money to build new classrooms?" asked Daphne Haley, from Georgia's pre-K program in the state's Office of School Readiness.

The panel discussion served as both a learning opportunity for education officials from around the state, and a chance for Early Education for All to rally its supporters behind a bill that would provide public-private, voluntary early education across the state.

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