The Blog

Bette Hyde, Director, Department of Early Learning

05/27/09

Tonight, KCTS 9 public television in Seattle will air a one-hour special on early learning called “Ready, Set, Grow.” It’s sure to be a fascinating look at what happens developmentally in children’s earliest years, what policymakers and researchers are doing to support early learning, and how parents and caregivers can make sure children grow up healthy and ready to learn. I was invited to be part of this program, along with Nina Auerbach, president and CEO of Thrive by Five Washington, Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, Bill Gates, Sr., and many others involved in building Washington’s early learning system.

One of the most important questions asked during this special is: Why should everyone in our state care about early learning, even those whose children are grown or who don’t have children of their own?

The short answer is this: Either we invest in our children now, or we invest much more later. After spending my career in K-12 education as a teacher and administrator, I am convinced that early learning is the single most important investment we can make to ensure a healthy, safe citizenry. The research is clear – children who have excellent early childhood education experiences and opportunities are much better prepared to succeed in school and life. They are more likely to graduate on time and go on to higher education or job training, and are less likely to enter the criminal and welfare systems.

Our state is among the nation’s leaders in prioritizing young children and combining public and private dollars to support early learning efforts. There is much more to do. I encourage you to watch the KCTS special, which includes fascinating segments looking at what our state and other states and nations are doing around early learning, and what the latest brain research tells us about children’s learning in the earliest years. I also encourage you to learn more about ways each of us can support healthy child development on the Department of Early Learning’s Web site at www.del.wa.gov.