Here’s a fascinating look at what schools could be like if they were designed like children’s museums.
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"Why would we endlessly debate the safety of putting children in classrooms, but put them in day care settings without anyone batting an eye — and certainly with no national debate? In reality, there is no magical distinction that leaves children and adults immune to the coronavirus in a child care setting but not in a school. And yet throughout the pandemic we’ve operated as if there is. It has taken a once-in-a-lifetime crisis to reveal what was always true: School is — whisper it — a form of child care; child care, at its best, fosters children’s development. We have long drawn a sharp distinction where there shouldn’t be one. School is, first and foremost, about education. But it is also a safe place for parents to send their children while they’re at work." |
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According to Groundwork Ohio's new report, in 2016, 3% of 0-5-year-old children tested in Ohio had confirmed elevated lead levels in their blood. However, fewer than 40% of the children most at risk to lead exposure were even tested.
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Safety
This Dispatch piece, the third in a four-part series, discusses how many gunshot victims in Columbus have been children. It’s a sobering reminder that sensible gun policy is a children’s issue.
Another issue impacting children and families is domestic abuse, incidents of which have risen during the pandemic. The Dispatch points out in this editorial that Ohio is among the states with the lowest funding for domestic violence programs.
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Lead poisoning
Groundwork Ohio released a report urging the state to commit to a prevention-first strategy on lead poisoning. The report highlights lead poisoning as a public health crisis and also as an equity issue. Black families are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards, like lead exposure, than their white peers. The report states that more than half of Ohio's children are at risk of lead poisoning, and urges the state to be proactive in gathering information on lead hazards in child care settings.
WOSU has more on the report as well as how Cleveland has made strides in lead poisoning prevention in recent years.
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Mark your calendars for November 6 at 12 pm for a discussion on "The Impact of COVID-19 on K-12 Education and Child Care" that I (Jamie) am so excited to be a part of. This virtual discussion includes Dr. Talisa Dixson, Superintendent of Columbus City Schools, Jamie Davies O’Leary, MPA, Associate Director of Policy for the Crane Center and Schoenbaum Family Center at OSU, and Dr. Eric Karolak, Chief Executive Officer of Action for Children. Register and learn more here.
The Columbus Foundation's The Big Table event is today at 11 am. Action for Children is hosting their virtual conversation around school readiness and how COVID has impacted parenting and child care. Register here.
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A pilot program in Kentucky will reach 200 pre-K students virtually, though it’s not meant to “replace brick-and-mortar pre-K programs” and instead should be “supplemental” (though honestly who has time for both?). Meanwhile in places like Denver, preschool is being offered in-person only – despite parent requests for a virtual option. The city hopes to try a remote preschool pilot soon.
Washington is the latest state making headlines for its significant reductions in kindergarten enrollment numbers. The practice of “redshirting” has been more widespread this fall as remote kindergarten has been undoubtedly less appealing to parents and caregivers.
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Here's a timely op-ed from Ohio Sen. Peggy Lehner, chair of the Senate Education Committee and long-time champion of early childhood issues. She describes the return on investment that is achieved when we invest in young children, and the broad bipartisan coalition supporting early childhood. She ends with this appeal to her fellow policy makers: “But if you’re an elected official seeking reelection in the near future, supporting and prioritizing a comprehensive early childhood agenda is a no-brainer. It’s good for kids, good for families, good for the economy — and good for your next election. Just ask all those women and suburban voters you are courting.”
In a similar vein, this firsthand business perspective by Sheryl Sandberg – an appeal to fellow business leaders – is a must-read. She warns that the current child care crisis will result in businesses losing their best female leaders.
The Erikson Institute published a great research-to-policy brief on family child care providers, who have been “unsung heroes” during the COVID crisis. It includes well-thought-out recommendations for supporting this segment of the workforce.
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Findings from a working paper by NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research) suggest that well-trained tutors could help mitigate student learning losses from the pandemic. This article in the 74 Million describes the (mostly encouraging) findings of the metanalysis, which measured the effectiveness of 96 randomized tutoring initiatives for children between pre-K and high school, while admitting that cost is a barrier to scaled-up tutoring solutions. The article touches on one interesting way to address this: a national tutoring corps funded by the federal government.
This article in Chalkbeat looks at a new body of research suggesting that family wealth, not income, should be used by education researchers when examining gaps in achievement or opportunity.
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This edition written by: Jamie Davies O'Leary, Associate Director of Policy and Caitlin Lennon, Communications & Policy Specialist |
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