I’ve been referencing Ready Nation (formerly America’s Partnership for Economic Success) often in our past few posts. Today I want to tell you a little more about them and share the principles they have come up with, this is big business stating to governments that now is the time to invest in quality early childhood education.
There are business leaders fro around the country that have signed on as strong advocates for early childhood education, including the president of AT&T Calfornia. You can read more testimonials from their “Business Champions”.
As pressure on federal and state budgets from ballooning entitlements squeezes out children’s programs, the U.S. loses critical opportunities to produce the skilled workforce that we need to compete globally and to grow our economy.
Smart budget decisions require a set of guiding principles that promote that growth and eliminate wasteful spending. These five principles provide that guidance:
Human Capital – To achieve economic growth and fiscal sustainability, government should emphasize strengthening the skills and capacities of America’s workforce.
Young Children – In developing human capital, our nation should focus especially on children, from before birth to five years of age, and their families.
Evaluation – Return on investment should be a key consideration in public resource allocation decisions.
Transparency – Government should enable citizens to understand and participate in the assessment of revenue and spending decisions.
Sustainability – State and federal budgets should be viable over the long term.
In my opinion it is encouraging to see business leaders who are not directly involved in the early childhood profession recognizing its critical importance and using their position to affect change where it matters.
Read more in the Partnership’s principals brochure