A recent report on the benefits of investing in high-quality early childhood education has been getting significant press across the state. A major reason for the attention is that the report is not from the usual suspects—it’s from the conservative Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), headed by George Lightbourn, who served as Secretary of the Department of Administration (basically the budget director) in Governor Tommy Thompson’s administration.
The report, The Economic Power of Early Childhood Education in Wisconsin, was written by Rob Grunewald, an economist with the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Board, and Don Bezruki, the former director of the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau. The report lays out strong evidence for why early childhood education is one of the most cost-effective and potent economic development investments available. The “white paper” focuses in on the YoungStar program, a program geared to improve the quality of child care for children from low-income families, now being implemented. The Washington-based Committee for Economic Development funded the report, working with the Celebrate Children Foundation and the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Earlier, WPRI had conducted a 2011 public opinion poll that found that 60% of Wisconsinites surveyed agreed that early childhood education is an investment in Wisconsin’s economic future.
$20 million investment would generate $60 million a year in future returns
In an April 14 opinion column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Big payoff for early education,
Mr. Lightbourn promoted investment to increase quality levels for child care programs serving children supported by the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program, rated through YoungStar on a five-star scale. Here’s an excerpt:
“I asked the experts to estimate what would happen if we moved half of those children from two-star centers to higher quality, four- or five-star centers. A conservative calculation shows that an initial $20 million cost would generate a $60 million a year return in future benefits – a huge impact.”
Strong media response
Jim Leonhart, Vice President of the Celebrate Children Foundation worked with Lightbourn and other WPRI staff and the authors to meet with editorial boards across the state and got a strong response. In the midst of the recall efforts and increasingly polarized politics in Wisconsin, this report and the reactions to it raise the possibility that investing in early childhood education may be a place for cooperation and agreement across the ideological divide. The evidence of strong returns on investment for high-quality early learning has the promise to bring conservatives and liberals together.
Below is a list of several editorials and articles that have been generated:
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial, March 27:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/wisconsin-kids-benefit-from-early-education-q24os61-144468015.html
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WCCF letter to the editor, April 1:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/letters01-c54ptd3-145232095.html
• Madison Capital Times, Neil Heinen’s editorial (text), April 9:
http://www.channel3000.com/news/30775038/detail.html
• Neil Heinen’s editorial (video), April 9:
http://video.channel3000.com/watch.php?id=40971
• Green Bay Press-Gazette story, April 2:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012204020469
(Editorial anticipated during the next several weeks)
• Eau Claire Leader Telegram editorial, April 5:
http://www.leadertelegram.com/opinions/editorials/article_48b21d15-da35-5dc3-8757-8347da8413b9.html
• Wausau Daily Herald editorial. April 5:
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20120406/WDH06/204060379/Robert-Mentzer-column-Pre-K-education-pays-off-16-1
Jim Leonhart indicated that there may be more media coverage coming.
By Dave Edie, Early Education Policy Analyst
dedie@wccf.org
