The Learning Policy Institute, a California-based think tank, recently profiled early-education leaders in North Carolina, Michigan, Washington state and West Virginia to find out what could be learned from their path to implementing high-quality early-childhood education.
As a part of the report, the institute invited representatives from those states to talk about the importance of prekindergarten programs. Education Week’s Lisa Stark captured some of their thoughts in the videos below.
Karen Ponder, an early-childhood consultant in North Carolina, says “take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way:"
Ruth Kagi, a Democratic state representative for Seattle, said Washington state leveraged research on early childhood to make the case for expansion:
Lloyd Jackson, the vice-president of West Virginia’s state board of education, says that people who view early-childhood education as a cost, instead of an investment, have the wrong idea:
And finally, Susan Broman, the deputy superintendent for Michigan’s Office of Great Start, says that the challenge is to get policymakers to invest in prevention, rather than treatment.