Reports & Articles
For PDF, click here. In the face of impending budget cuts to higher education, Washington policymakers are considering adopting a “high-tuition/high-aid” model of financing. In theory, by significantly increasing tuition, students who can afford it pay more; those students who cannot, benefit from larger financial aid packages supported by the tuition increase. But the experience of universities that […]
For the PDF, click here. This report shares both the practical findings of the study tour and the transformational nature of the experience. The report begins with the nature and make-up of the study trip followed by a short introduction to early learning in England and Finland. The main body focuses on broad themes that sparked inspiration and motivation among the study […]
For the PDF, click here. Our system of free universal public education for children ages five through eighteen is the cornerstone for creating opportunity and advancement for the vast majority of American children. In this new century, we must insure that the students beginning public school are prepared to learn. We must enable and support their drive for academic […]
To read the PDF of the full report, click here. Powerful evidence from one study after another proves that high quality care in the first years of life can greatly reduce the risk that today’s babies and toddlers will become tomorrow’s violent teens and adults. New research on Chicago’s government-funded Child-Parent Centers tracked 3 and […]
Our Children’s Teachers The most essential component for quality early childhood education is the commitment, quality, and continuity of the teacher/caregiver. We know that quality child care and early education are essential for the intellectual and social development of children. But, instead of receiving recognition and professional standing, child care workers earn poverty-generating wages in undervalued jobs that […]
Key Findings A strong majority of voters support greater state and local government focus on early childhood development and education efforts: 80% favor changing the focus of child care to an early childhood education environment by raising standards for child care workers, providing money for training and professional development, and increasing salaries. 76% favor providing funds to make […]
Key Findings Quality early learning and care programs are dependent on the consistency and educational achievement of child care staff. High staff turnover resulting from low wages and few benefits negatively impacts the quality of early childhood learning and care. Making affordable health care insurance available to child care workers keeps child care affordable for parents and helps retain […]
For a PDF of the report, click here. The average child care teacher’s wage in Washington state was $6.55 in 1992. It is simply absurd that workers who care for our children are paid wages which put them close to the poverty level. This paper sketches out a proposal for wage enhancements for child care […]