Early education? Great! After that, not so much
Oklahoma has always had a surplus of weird paradoxes. We exhibit so many contradictions that even the most important of them can get overlooked.
For instance, how is it that Oklahoma is praised nationally for taking the lead in high-quality preschool even as we have starved our traditional public schools?
It is a tribute to whatever it is in Oklahoma culture that produced a grassroots campaign for universal pre-kindergarten that, subsequently, has earned many accolades. The highly respected American Education Research Association (AERA) recognized these pioneering efforts during one of its centennial celebration lectures Feb. 22 at the Oklahoma History Center.
Among some of the greatest early education experts and political leaders, UCLA’s Deborah Lowe Vandell delivered the keynote address. In it, she reviewed the public’s strong support for early childhood education and its excellent record of improving the lives of children. She also noted the recent pushback by some in terms of scaling up high-quality programs.
Early ed by the numbers
As Vandell explained, up to 90 percent of the public supports early education. Few parents would oppose high-quality services for their own kids. In the Midwest, parents with two children in paid childcare invest an average of $17,733 per year for it.
She went on to say that 5.3 million children attend preschool programs their parents pay for, but only 2.4 million kids attendEarly education? Great! After that, not so much - NonDoc:
