{"id":271,"date":"2011-05-10T18:48:27","date_gmt":"2011-05-10T18:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=271"},"modified":"2011-06-04T00:33:53","modified_gmt":"2011-06-04T00:33:53","slug":"city-council-corporations-need-to-invest-in-early-childhood-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=271","title":{"rendered":"Children Matter: City Council, Corporate Citizens Need to Invest in Early Childhood Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201c\u2026Recent studies suggest that one critical form of education, early childhood development…, is grossly under-funded. However, if properly funded and managed, investment in ECD yields an extraordinary return, far exceeding the return on most investments, private or public\u2026. In the future any proposed economic development list should have early childhood development at the top.”
\n— Arthur Rolnick and Robert Grunewald, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis<\/p>\n

How do you make a city if you exclude children and families from planning?\u00a0 Many young professionals who live and work in Emeryville move to the suburbs to find homes and schools once they have families.<\/p>\n

In Santa Monica as development took place, early education facilities were included in the overall planning design.\u00a0 This meant that centers for children and families were abundant and programs had beautiful facilities in which young children could thrive.<\/p>\n

American early educators travel, when they can, to see innovative programs.\u00a0 The schools of Reggio Emilia and Pistoia in Italy are great early education communities.\u00a0 They believe in investing in their young children.\u00a0 I live in the Bay Area where some of the best minds in early childhood education also live and work.\u00a0 We missed an opportunity: Emeryville is small enough to make big things happen in early education.<\/p>\n

I had a vision that our city council would invest in early education as Santa Monica and other cities have done.\u00a0 I was delighted when ECDC got its new building.\u00a0 It is a beautiful facility, full of possibilities, and it could have marked the beginning of something exciting in Emeryville and in the whole East Bay.\u00a0 But true investment in the program never happened, and it was never seen as connected to the schools.\u00a0 Emeryville has an Ed Fund, but none of the money flows into early education.<\/p>\n

Many years ago, I met with John Flores, the past City Manager, in the hope of persuading him to consider ideas such as: a training-early education program to support the birth to three community, investment in prenatal to five, an early education task force, and many other ideas relating to sound early education and family policy.\u00a0 Giving children a great early start would benefit the K-12 schools.\u00a0 Families would be connected to the schools and meaningfully engaged in their children’s learning even before they reached Kindergarten.<\/p>\n

Nothing happened.\u00a0 What I saw instead was a move away from thoughtful community living to a city increasingly alienating to long-term residents.<\/p>\n

We eventually hit the great early education crisis in the city\u2014the canary in the mine, so to speak.\u00a0 City staff recommended that ECDC be closed.\u00a0 It was losing monies and therefore not viable.\u00a0 Some of the lowest paid city workers were to be displaced.\u00a0 Selling off the center or leasing it would bring in short-term revenue and save the day, but not the long-term prospects of the schools or city.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the parents of children enrolled in ECDC, and other city residents, the center still lives.\u00a0 The outpouring of support, and a sound proposal from the parents saved the program.\u00a0 The message was clear: early education is valued here and is beneficial to the community.\u00a0 Measure J, however it was sold, also made it clear that the community cares about education.<\/p>\n

A K-12 partnership with the early education community and the families of young children would provide a smooth transition to the EUSD system.\u00a0 Residents have demonstrated\u00a0 that they want children to be educated in beautiful learning environments.\u00a0 Now all we need is the city and the corporations in town to do the same.<\/p>\n

Ruth Major<\/strong>, M.A. Education, Consultant in Early Education and Infant Family Mental Health. Ruth is on the Advisory Board for ECDC and the EUSD Wellness Committee for Family\/Community Involvement.\u00a0 She is also a member of Residents United for a Livable Emeryville (RULE).<\/em><\/p>\n

(Photo by <\/em>Benjamin Earwicker<\/a>)<\/p>\n