Preschool in the summer: One last chance for an early education
It's no secret that pre-kindergarten education can have a profound impact on the future prospects of children - studies have shown it for decades. But in Michigan, and in the rest of the country, only...
View ArticleMaking the case for early childhood education
There is a big push to get kids "kindergarten ready," with an emphasis on the importance of preschool.But some experts say waiting until preschool is too late.Researcher Craig T. Ramey has spent his...
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Throwing pre-schoolers over the 'fiscal cliff'
Enlarge image Credit Dustin Dwyer You've been hearing about it. I've been hearing about it. We're all sick of hearing about it. We wouldn't even be talking about a "fiscal cliff" if lawmakers in...
View ArticleHow a Nobel Prize-winning economist became an advocate for preschool
ListenClick to hear the story. James Heckman is one of the world’s most distinguished economists. He built his career studying the labor market. In 2000, he won the Nobel Prize.But in recent years,...
View ArticleA how-to guide to create a high quality preschool program
ListenLet's play the "what if" game for a second:What if there was a program for kids in poverty that guaranteed at least a $7 return on investment for every $1 spent? What if that same program also...
View ArticleGov Snyder calls for more early childhood funding, but is it enough?
Early childhood education got a shout out from Governor Snyder last night in his annual State of the State speech. But was it a big enough shout?Let's start with the major focus of Snyder's speech:...
View Article'We want the whole $140 million.' The push for more early education funding
Clarification:We've updated the story to make the funding comparisons more clear.Governor Snyder covered lots of ground in his State of the State speech last week. As we pointed out on our blog last...
View ArticleThe value of early education: Listening and discussion guide
As you listen to State of Opportunity's special on the value and benefits of early education you can use this guide to help you dive into the material, help you understand what you're hearing, and...
View ArticleRural Stockbridge Provides Pre-K Springboard
Locals joke that the village of Stockbridge, Michigan is a forty-five minute drive from anywhere. Apart from a few small businesses there’s really nowhere to work and a lot of families struggle to...
View ArticlePreschool is immoral? Or just political?
After President Obama threw his cards on the table and said he wanted preschool to be available for everyone in his State of the Union address, preschool moved squarely into the political realm.
View Article"Early education's time has come," say preschool advocates
Inside a brightly lit ballroom in East Lansing last week, hundreds of early childhood educators from around the state sat at circular tables for an annual strategy meeting.Usually, it’s a meeting to...
View ArticleHead Start is not a failure
The debate over federal spending cuts has made Head Start a major topic of conversation in Washington. Leaders from both parties have been warning that tens of thousands of kids will lose a chance at...
View ArticlePreschools are segregated. Is that a problem?
Preschools in this country are segregated. The segregation is based not on race, but on class.No one sat down and made a plan for segregated preschools. It just kind of happened.You can trace it back...
View ArticleThe four most baffling things I heard at yesterday's state House hearing on...
This week, the state legislature began its first hearings on Governor's Snyder's proposal to more than double preschool funding in Michigan over the next two years. Yesterday, I went to a joint House...
View ArticleSmoke if you got 'em: The President's plan to pay for preschool with higher...
Yesterday, the White House released its budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, and we got our first detailed look at how the President intends to pay for his plan to make preschool available to...
View Article$65 million increase for early ed expected to pass; creates 16,000 new...
Update: The state House has passed the proposed School Aid budget, including the $65 million increase for early education. The annual legislative brawl over how to spend the state's money is expected...
View ArticleAnother study shows preK pays off, this time in Kalamazoo
Extra! Extra! High-quality preschool makes a difference. Actually, that's hardly breaking news. Study after study after study that has shown the benefits of high-quality preK, particularly for...
View ArticleMichigan looking for more early education funding in 2014
Over the past few weeks, amongst the holidays and the snowstorms, there has been a surprising amount of news about early education funding in the state.Most recently, Governor Snyder signaled he's...
View ArticleYou want the cookie. How can you resist? One psychologist's strategy, and why...
Today, we have a story about the time one of the most famous television characters in history re-enacted one of the most famous psychology experiments in history.The character is Cookie Monster. And...
View ArticleWhat makes one Head Start program better than another? Here are some answers...
Head Start is one of the most important, and confusing, anti-poverty programs in existence. It serves nearly a million kids a year, at a cost of about $8.5 billion dollars this year to the federal...
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