©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 1 Powerless Children Need Powerful Friends Department of Early Education and Care Board Meeting May 8, 2007

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 2 Making Early Education a Top Policy Priority Our Youngest Children: Massachusetts Voters and Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Their Care and Education (2000) Two statewide voter polls (400 voters each) 48 opinion leader interviews: business, government, organized labor, media, religion, education and child care

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 3 Our Youngest Children: Key findings Voters and opinion leaders are more willing to support government funding for “early childhood education” rather than “child care,” particularly if it is: Child-focused; For ages three, four and five; and Identifiably connected to long-term educational benefits.

A campaign to make voluntary, high-quality early childhood education available to all Massachusetts children, ages three through five.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 5 Early Education for All Campaign Vision To improve the well-being of Massachusetts children and families by ensuring that all children (0-14) have access to high-quality early education and care, by first building on the identified strong public and political support to expand investments in high-quality early education for children ages three, four and five.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 6 Early Education for All Campaign A Unique Process for Legislative Development 100 Interviews with early education leaders 32 Community Forums 60 Meetings with early education and care groups and other organizations Research from other states and national organizations

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 7 Early Education for All Campaign Two Preliminary Challenges To achieve “early education for all,” must first address: Governance: A streamlined, coordinated and accountable structure. Workforce: A statewide system to support the training, education and compensation of a highly qualified workforce.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 8 Early Education for All Campaign Guiding Principles Early education in Massachusetts should be: Universally accessible for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds with a vision to meet the needs of all children (0-14). Voluntary for participation by children, families and providers. Flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of children and families. Delivered through the existing mix of public and private programs (e.g., family child care, non-profit and for-profit centers, Head Start and public and private schools). Defined by a universal program standard that promotes healthy emotional, social, physical and cognitive outcomes for children. Designed and funded to recruit, train, and retain qualified staff. Built on current program and system strengths. Phased-in incrementally.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 9 Early Education for All Campaign Goals Ensure that every preschool-aged child has access to a high- quality early childhood education delivered through the mixed system of public and private programs and providers; Improve the training, education and compensation of the early childhood and school-age workforce; and Provide access to full school-day public kindergarten for all children.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 10 Early Education for All Campaign Strategies Engage influential “unlikely” allies. Build alignment among “likely” allies: - Develop state legislative policy proposal/s that are informed by families and the early education field. - Develop and mobilize statewide grassroots’ field team. Use research to inform policy proposal/s and messaging. Raise public awareness through statewide media campaign. Develop independent advocacy organization.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 11 Strategy: Engage “unlikely” allies EEA Campaign Advisory Committee American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts Associated Early Care and Education Associated Industries of MA AvCar Group, Ltd. Barr Foundation Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Boston Children’s Museum Boston Foundation Boston TenPoint Coalition Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield EMC Corporation Family Child Care Project Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy Genzyme Genetics Goulston and Storrs Grain Pro, Inc. Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation MA AFL-CIO MA Association for the Education of Young Children MA Association of Early Educators and School Age Providers MA Association of School Superintendents MA Biotechnology Council MA Board of Higher Education MA Business Alliance for Education MA Business Roundtable MA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics MA Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Network MA Education Initiative for Latino Students MA Elementary School Principals’ Association MA Head Start Association MA High Technology Council MA Teachers Association MassMutual Financial Group Middlesex Community College Parents Alliance for Catholic Education Schott Foundation for Public Education Springfield Day Nursery Staples, Inc. The O’Brien Group, Inc. Verizon Communications, Inc. Wheelock College YMCAs of Massachusetts

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 12 Strategy: Align “likely” allies EEA Campaign Policy Committee American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts Associated Early Care and Education Boston Child Care Alliance Bureau of Jewish Education Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield Gaston Institute MA Association for the Education of Young Children MA Association of Early Educators and School Age Providers MA Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Network MA Elementary School Principals’ Association American Federation of Teachers MA Head Start Association Northampton Public Schools Parents Alliance for Catholic Education Ritmos Academy Springfield Day Nursery The Family Child Care Project Urban Superintendents Network Wheelock College YMCAs of Massachusetts

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 13 Strategy: Using research to make the case Produce: Fact Sheets: –Fast Facts: Children, Families and Early Education in Massachusetts Policy Briefs: –Quality Early Educators are Essential: Investing in the Early Childhood Workforce Research in Briefs: –Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children begin School Commission Research: –The Massachusetts Capacity Study (2005) –2006 Early Education Massachusetts Household Survey –Report on Cost of Universal, High-Quality Early Education in MA (2006)

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 14 Strategy: Develop an independent advocacy organization Strategies for Children, Inc, founded in 2001, is a private non- profit organization specializing in public policy, advocacy and constituency building. The mission of SFC is to improve the well-being of children and families by moving their issues to the top of the agendas of communities, states, and the nation. EEA is an initiative of SFC along with other work including Cherish Every Child in Springfield and national TA.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 15 Progress to date: Strong public support: EEA and related policy work have been the subject of 74 newspaper editorials. EEA and related policy work have appeared 898 times in print, radio and TV and have appeared in 209 newspapers, reaching 50.3 million readers. Strong voter support - Poll conducted in late 2003 showed extremely high support for “early education for all” across the spectrum of Massachusetts voters.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 16 Progress to date: Strong legislative support: Creation of first-in-the-nation Board and consolidated Department of Early Education and Care (FY05 Budget). –Creates an independent Board and consolidated Department of Early Education and Care; –Mandates a program of voluntary, universally accessible high-quality early childhood education for all preschool aged children; –Creates a process to strengthen the early education and care workforce; and –Calls for a kindergarten readiness assessment system and a comprehensive program evaluation.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 17 Progress to date: Strong legislative support: Significant increase in public funding for high-quality early education and care: –$20 million in FY06 –$45 million in FY07 –$4.6 million for pilot projects as part of the new Massachusetts Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program –$3 Million for Early Educators Scholarship Program Unanimous enactment by House and Senate of legislation (H.4755) creating the Massachusetts Universal Pre-K Program (2006)

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 18 A new administration: “Because early learning is critical to future academic success, I will expand early education opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds, specifically, by working to pass pending legislation that addresses this need. I will also ensure that free, full-day Kindergarten programs are available to all 5-year-olds in Massachusetts.” - Governor Deval Patrick

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 19 Three states have Universal Pre-K –Georgia –Oklahoma –Florida 17 states are moving towards Universal Pre-K including: –Illinois –New York –Virginia –Ohio –New Mexico –California –Tennessee 31 states increased investments in Pre-K in FY07 29 Governors recommended funding increases for Pre-K in FY08 Early education a priority across the United States:

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 20 Early Education for All Campaign Next Steps Support the Department of EEC and help ensure success of MA UPK and Early Educators Scholarship programs. Secure passage of An Act Relative to Early Education and Care (H.3776) which establishes the MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program. Support the development of a workforce plan. Advocate for expanded investments in high-quality early education and care – including $25 million in FY08 for MA UPK - fulfilling the promise of universal high-quality early education by Help ensure that these new investments make a difference in the lives of young children and families.

©2004 Strategies for Children. All rights reserved. 21 Powerless Children Need Powerful Friends For more information visit: