Your Legislators - Early childhood education - March 24, 2016

KEEPING PARTICIPATION UP LONGER. >> SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE >> SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T RESOLVE IT, AND MAYBE WE DIDN'T RESOLVE IT, AND MAYBE NOT TODAY. NOT TODAY. IT'S THE ROLE OF EDUCATION, IN IT'S THE ROLE OF EDUCATION, IN PRODUCTIVITY AND POPULATION PRODUCTIVITY AND POPULATION GROWTH, ON THIS PROGRAM, WE GOT GROWTH, ON THIS PROGRAM, WE GOT A ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT EARLY A ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND THERE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE ARE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PARTICULAR EFFECTIVENESS OF PARTICULAR PROGRAMS IN THAT CONTEXT. PROGRAMS IN THAT CONTEXT. BUT MORE GENERALLY, I WONDER IF BUT MORE GENERALLY, I WONDER IF YOU ARE IN A FOLKS TALK ABOUT YOU ARE IN A FOLKS TALK ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW WITH A PRETTY HIGH WHAT WE KNOW WITH A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE WITH WHAT LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE WITH WHAT ROLE IT PLAYS ECONOMICALLY. ROLE IT PLAYS ECONOMICALLY. >> WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF >> WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH IS THINGS, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH IS ANOTHER ONE ANDLET THINKER ANOTHER ONE ANDLET THINKER WORKERS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND WORKERS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND EDUCATION IS INVESTING IN EDUCATION IS INVESTING IN EDUCATION IM PROVINGS WORKER EDUCATION IM PROVINGS WORKER PRODUCTIVITY. PRODUCTIVITY. >> EARLY CHILD EDUCATION. >> EARLY CHILD EDUCATION. >> HOW CERTAIN ARE WE. >> HOW CERTAIN ARE WE. >> WE SPEND MORE MONEY IN >> WE SPEND MORE MONEY IN WASHINGTON, DC THAN ANYWHERE WASHINGTON, DC THAN ANYWHERE ELSE. ELSE. >>> THERE ARE SOME QUALITY >>> THERE ARE SOME QUALITY ISSUES. ISSUES. I'M WONDERING HOW CERTAIN ARE WE I'M WONDERING HOW CERTAIN ARE WE THAT WAS LINK? THAT WAS LINK? >> I THINK WE'RE QUITE CERTAIN >> I THINK WE'RE QUITE CERTAIN OF IT, I THINK THAT, IT VARIES OF IT, I THINK THAT, IT VARIES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EDUCATION. EDUCATION. SO INSURING THAT PEOPLE GRADUATE SO INSURING THAT PEOPLE GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. FROM HIGH SCHOOL. HIGH RATES AND, GRADUATE WITH HIGH RATES AND, GRADUATE WITH THE ABILITY TO GO ONTO COLLEGE THE ABILITY TO GO ONTO COLLEGE OR TO WORK, GETTING THROUGH OR TO WORK, GETTING THROUGH THEPLAR ENGINE, THE ADDITIONAL THEPLAR ENGINE, THE ADDITIONAL BEN FAST HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAIS BEN FAST HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAIS QUITE HUGE. QUITE HUGE. AND THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT AFTER AND THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT AFTER COLLEGE DEGREE IS QUITE LARGE. COLLEGE DEGREE IS QUITE LARGE. IT IMPROVES YOUR ABILITY TO GET IT IMPROVES YOUR ABILITY TO GET A WELL PAYING JOB. A WELL PAYING JOB. NOW INVESTMENT IN EARLY NOW INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, THAT'S CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, THAT'S INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE OF INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE, NOT THINK OF KIDS AS THE FUTURE, NOT THINK OF KIDS AS OUR FUTURE WORKERS. OUR FUTURE WORKERS. THEY'RE VALUABLE. THEY'RE VALUABLE. THERE'S A TIGHT LABOR MARKET. THERE'S A TIGHT LABOR MARKET. THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENT MEN THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENT MEN WHERE WE HAVE A DEEP BENCH. WHERE WE HAVE A DEEP BENCH. IT'S SHALLOW. IT'S SHALLOW. SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE WORKERS LEFT BEHIND. WORKERS LEFT BEHIND. SO, WE NEED THINK ABOUT THOSE SO, WE NEED THINK ABOUT THOSE LONGER TERM EDUCATIONAL LONGER TERM EDUCATIONAL INVESTMENTS, BUT ALSO, ABOUT INVESTMENTS, BUT ALSO, ABOUT LIFE SPAN EDUCATION AND I KNOW LIFE SPAN EDUCATION AND I KNOW THAT TOM AND TOMMY USE KNOWED THAT TOM AND TOMMY USE KNOWED TALK ABOUT THAT. TALK ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE WORKERS WHO ARE WE HAVE WORKERS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED, AND ONE SECTOR, AND UNEMPLOYED, AND ONE SECTOR, AND ANOTHER SECTOR MAY PICK THEM UP ANOTHER SECTOR MAY PICK THEM UP BUT THEY MAY NEED MORE EDUCATION BUT THEY MAY NEED MORE EDUCATION >> CAN. >> CAN. >> ANY THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION? >> ANY THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION? >> I WOULD SAY THAT, AGAIN, A >> I WOULD SAY THAT, AGAIN, A PIECE OF CONTEXT THAT DEMOC PIECE OF CONTEXT THAT DEMOC GREFY CAN BRING, WHEN WE THINK GREFY CAN BRING, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW OUR POPULATION IS ABOUT HOW OUR POPULATION IS GROWING IT'S FROM BIRTH AND GROWING IT'S FROM BIRTH AND WE'RE MOVING TOWARD AN ERA WHERE WE'RE MOVING TOWARD AN ERA WHERE IMMIGRATION WILL BE A GREATER IMMIGRATION WILL BE A GREATER PROPORTION OF OUR GROWTH. PROPORTION OF OUR GROWTH. AND ALWAYS LOT OF OUR GROWTH IS AND ALWAYS LOT OF OUR GROWTH IS COMING, FROM POPULATIONS OF COMING, FROM POPULATIONS OF COLOR. COLOR. SO WHEN WE SEE SOME OF THE SO WHEN WE SEE SOME OF THE EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES THAT IS EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES THAT IS WE SEE NOW IN TERMS OF HIGH WE SEE NOW IN TERMS OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, IT IS SCHOOL GRADUATION, IT IS CONCERNING EVEN MORE SO THAN CONCERNING EVEN MORE SO THAN MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE, MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE GROWTH IS BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE GROWTH IS COMING FROM. COMING FROM. >> SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IT HAS >> SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IT HAS TO ADD TO THAT DISCUSSION. BUT TO ADD TO THAT DISCUSSION. BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN IT, AND EVEN AT TO INVEST IN IT, AND EVEN AT TIME WHEN WE'RE JUGGLING THESE TIME WHEN WE'RE JUGGLING THESE NEW THINGS. NEW THINGS. >> IF I WERE TO SUMMARIZE, IT >> IF I WERE TO SUMMARIZE, IT WOULD BE THAT YOU'RE NOT WOULD BE THAT YOU'RE NOT OFFERING A SPECIFIC POLICY OFFERING A SPECIFIC POLICY PRESCRIPTION ABOUT HOW IT GET PRESCRIPTION ABOUT HOW IT GET FOES A HIGHER PERSIANTAGE OF FOES A HIGHER PERSIANTAGE OF STOOBILITIESES GRADUATING. STOOBILITIESES GRADUATING. BUT IF IT IS IN THE RIGHT BUT IF IT IS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WE'LL SEE ECONOMIC DIRECTION WE'LL SEE ECONOMIC BENEFITS. BENEFITS. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. >> GOT STENT THAT WE CAN, WE >> GOT STENT THAT WE CAN, WE CAN'T AFFORD AS STATE TO LEIGH CAN'T AFFORD AS STATE TO LEIGH STOORNLTSES AND POTENTIAL STOORNLTSES AND POTENTIAL WORKERS BEHIND. WORKERS BEHIND. LOOKING TO WHERE IS THE GROWTH LOOKING TO WHERE IS THE GROWTH GOING TO COME, AND, CAN WE CLOSE GOING TO COME, AND, CAN WE CLOSE THOSE EDUCATIONAL GAPS BECAUSE THOSE EDUCATIONAL GAPS BECAUSE THEN THAT IS MIRRORED IN THE THEN THAT IS MIRRORED IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT, SO CLOSING THOSE UNEMPLOYMENT, SO CLOSING THOSE GAPS WILL, IT'S A