March 18 2013
President Barack Obama has called for the greatest federal expansion of early childhood programs since the Department of Health and Human Services launched Head Start in 1965, including a proposal to provide high-quality preschool to every American child via a new federal-state partnership.
High-quality early childhood interventions can improve academic achievement, reduce crime and delinquency, and enhance future labor market success. Research has also shown that these programs can yield returns to society ranging from $2 to $17 for every dollar spent.
The operative phrase, however, is “high quality.” And for early childhood programs to be high quality, they must have qualified instructors. After all, teachers affect student achievement more than any other school-related factor.