Nobody can deny the research – for every one dollar we spend in early education we see a seventeen dollar return in the future: Lower crime rates, less dollars needed for courts and prisons and a reduced burden on taxpayers to afford people on welfare. Yet during this campaign of 2008 we are consistently hearing that the economy is our number one issue right now.
Well yes, I agree it is a very important issue, but I also say… it will get no better without a change in its catalyst – education! Did educated minds decide to take on mortgages they couldn’t afford? If so, those minds weren’t educated enough. Did educated minds grow so dependent on foreign oil that it is now sending even middle class into situational poverty due to the cost of living? If so, those minds weren’t educated enough. We must look at our education system and how we teach our children to think about the world and their place in it. Why are so many Americans financially illiterate – could it be that we don’t teach financial literacy? Why do so many Americans believe they have no control over the destiny of our environment and resources – could it be that we don’t value teaching math and sciences to a high enough standard in our country? We must revamp high schools to reduce the drop-outs and increase the highly-skilled workforce in America. Make history come alive to our students. Help them see history as things that happened in the past but also that it provides ideas for how to improve the future.
We must know that our economy is a direct result of our education system. Educational returns are seen over time. No candidate will be able to offer a miracle “overnight cure” for the economy, nor will they do this with education. However, if we all work together and pull our own weight for educational reform, we will see amazing returns in our economy. Get on the bus with ED in ‘08 – join the fight to put education at the top of all political and household discussions. As I always say, early education is the key to a prosperous tomorrow!
My blog is one of the finalists for the 2008 ED in ‘08 Blog Award. Please take a moment to follow this link http://www.edin08.com/bloggersummit/bloggerpoll.aspx and vote for EARLY EDUCATION IS THE KEY! Thanks for your vote and your support of education!
