ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently theASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll addressed where quality early education falls within U.S. priorities and goals.
The topic of early childhood education has always been important to certain groups in the U.S. But recently it has received more widespread discussion as the government and business leaders have joined together to request that more attention be paid to the topic. This week's question was spurred on by a new poll by the First Five Years Fund (PDF) that shows that "Voters across the country rated ensuring that children get a strong start with early childhood education as second in priority only to increasing jobs and economic growth [as a national goal]." (Source: The Washington Post.) We asked ASCD SmartBrief readers their thoughts to see if they have the same goals for the U.S.
The ASCD SmartBrief readers who responded to the survey indicated that increasing jobs and economic growth (51 percent) was the number one priority for the country. And, as in the Hart Research poll cited above, these educators reported that making sure all children get a strong start through quality early education (15 percent) should be was the second most important national goal. This was followed byimproving the quality of our public schools (11 percent). Health care (9 percent) and reducing taxes (9