Education -"The Biggest Issue"

In his most recent column, David Brooks from the New York Times outlines the biggest issue facing Americans this election season. No, it is not gas prices, foreclosures or even the war in Iraq. The biggest issue is what he calls the "skills slowdown", that most of the growth in the US has been the result of an investment in human capital through education. But since 1970, the United States has been loosing it's competitive edge when it comes to educating it's citizens.

Indeed, Growth and Justice predicts that Minnesota will soon not have enough college graduates to meet the economic demand and stay competitive. This is a problem not just for the under-educated individuals stuck in low-wage jobs, but for all of us. We will all be affected when there are not enough doctors, teachers or other professionals to go around.

Of course, all this starts with investing in early childhood. As Brooks writes,

...big gaps in educational attainment are present at age 5. Some children are bathed in an atmosphere that promotes human capital development and, increasingly, more are not. By 5, it is possible to predict, with depressing accuracy, who will complete high school and college and who won't.

That is why Ready 4 K is working to promote investments in early childhood care and education. We need to let our elected officials know that this continued under-funding is not acceptable. Will you join us in making early childhood a top priority?