"Duncan has big job ahead" [editorial, Dec. 16] underscores the daunting challenges facing Arne Duncan as the next U.S. secretary of education. By fourth grade, the majority of American children cannot read at grade level. Most children who do not master the fundamentals of literacy by then will struggle in the years ahead. Children who start kindergarten behind their peers rarely catch up in subsequent grades.
It is critical to sustain the gains achieved in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs by connecting them with complementary and coordinated education in kindergarten, first, second and third grades.
This approach is not just about extending the existing K-12 education system to serve younger children, but is also about changing the first tier of public education to begin at age 3 or 4 and to continue as an aligned system through third grade. High-quality classrooms and well-prepared teachers and aides who can teach at all levels are essential.
Our children are failing to learn at the starting gate. Our schools are not focusing enough on the most critical time period for long-term school success: Pre-kindergarten through grade three. To reverse this trend and provide children with the skills necessary for future success, Duncan must take responsibility for establishing a nationwide, high-quality pre-kindergarten-to-third grade system of education for current and future generations.
P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale,
Professor, School of Education and Social Policy Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University