With all the talk of leaving no child behind, there is considerable evidence that many children start school behind - and that those who start behind remain behind. With this in mind, a School of Education and Social Policy event in Florida centered on the subject of early childhood education for all. Held at the Eleanor R. Baldwin House at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton on February 2, the event addressed the topic "Are We Leaving Our Children Behind in First Grade?" David Lawrence Jr., president of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, and SESP professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale were the speakers. About 60 people attended the event.
Lawrence spearheaded the pioneering Florida initiative that offers pre-kindergarten for all four-year-olds in the state on a voluntary basis. His effort collected signatures of 722,000 Florida residents in support of state-funded pre-kindergarten for all children.
"We need to get folks working toward a central vision of what's good for all children," Lawrence says. "Florida is a good example of what can be done and ought to be done."
Chase-Lansdale, a professor of human development and social policy, provided a research perspective on universal pre-kindergarten. She pointed out the "enormous disparity" when children enter school. "The earlier children begin to learn, the more successful they are," Chase-Lansdale says.
Photo:
(Front row) President Henry Bienen, Leigh Bienen, Eleanor Baldwin (MS66 and Northwestern Alumni Regent), Florida Atlantic University President Frank Brogan, Courtney Brogan, David Lawrence of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, (back row) Dean Penelope Peterson and SESP professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale at the Florida alumni event.
Last Modified: 8/14/09