As 2007 draws to a close and we move into 2008, I thought it might be a good time to take a few minutes to reflect on the past year; specifically, the status of early childhood education. Should I think about the issue at the national level, the state level, or the local level? Where should I start? Then it came to me; I should focus on a report issued in 1990 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. After all, I teach my students about the report. I ask them to reflect on whether or not “we” (as a country) are addressing the issues outlined in the report. The report is now 17 years old, but I think it will give us a good starting point to measure our progress.

The report is titled “Ready to Learn #- A Mandate for the Nation.” At the time the report was written, George Bush Sr. was the president and he identified school readiness as a top priority. In fact, he went so far as to declare that all children in the United States would be “ready to learn” by the year 2000. To support the president's initiative, the report proposed seven steps to be carried out over a 10-year period of time to ensure that every child in the United States who starts school would be ready. The seven steps call for: 1) a healthy start for all children 2) empowered parents, 3) quality preschools, 4) responsive workplaces, 5) television as teacher, 6) neighborhoods for learning, and 7) intergenerational connections.

As I look back over the past 17 years, I can see progress in all of the areas; but I still see much work that needs to be done. Are all children across the nation getting a healthy start? We certainly have programs available to ensure that expectant mothers have access to prenatal care, that young children are well-fed, and that children have access to health care. We are fortunate that New York has made “Healthy New York” and “Child Health Plus” programs available. In addition, New York state is working to combat obesity in children by focusing on legislation that will regulate the foods and beverages served in our schools. We are also fortunate locally to have a dedicated group for individuals who administer the “Eat Well, Play Hard” program in Cayuga County. My wish for 2008 is that these programs continue and that all children are able to benefit from these programs.

As I think about empowered parents, I believe we are fortunate to have a number of organizations that provide wonderful resources for parents in our area. The two that immediately come to mind are: EPIC (Every Person Influences Children) and the Cayuga-Seneca Community Action Agency. My wish for 2008 is that all parents take advantage of the resources offered by these two community agencies.

As a nation, we have made tremendous progress in providing quality preschools with the implementation of Universal Pre-K; no-cost preschool programs for all 4 year olds. Although the money is available to each state, not all communities are taking advantage of the program. We are fortunate that the Auburn School District (and several other local districts) have put the funds to good use and have been providing quality Universal Pre-k programs for several years. My wish for 2008 is that all communities across the nation provide no-cost preschool programs to all 4-year-olds.

One area identified in the report that is still lacking is the responsive workplace. Federal legislation now mandates that working parents are entitled to leave from their jobs (without the risk of losing their jobs) to care for newborns, newly adopted children, and sick children. In addition, many larger companies have responded to the needs of working parents by providing flexible schedules, and on-site child care. In our area Cayuga Community College and BonaDent Dental Lab, and BOCES provide on-site child care for their employees. My wish for 2008 is that more employers consider flexible scheduling and on-site child care for their employees.

I hesitate to mention television as teacher as an area of need; simply because I'm concerned about the use of television by children. Although television programming has “come a long way” with PBS, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and National Geographic providing quality programming, the amount of time children spend in front of the television is increasing at an alarming rate.

My wish for the New Year is that families become more informed about the negative effects of too much television on the developing minds of children.

Neighborhoods for learning exist throughout the country; unfortunately, children in many communities, especially large, urban areas and remote rural areas, do not always have access to the same resources. We are fortunate in our area to have a number of resources readily available; the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Emerson Park, Casey Park, several public libraries, Success By 6, the Harriet B. Tubman House, Champions for Life, the nature trail at the College, Auburn Parks & Recreation Department, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, and more. My wish for 2008 is that all children across this nation have access to places within their neighborhoods to safely play and learn.

When I think about the importance of connections across generations - opportunities for children to connect with people from past generations #- I think we have much work to do. It is vitally important for children to enjoy the experiences and the memories of previous generations. Although there are some opportunities made available through collaborations with retirement homes and schools, and through services provided by RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) wouldn't it be wonderful if there were more opportunities? My wish for the New Year is that connections across generations be expanded to include more opportunities for senior citizens and children.

So, we certainly have come a long way since 1990, but we still have much to do. I encourage everyone to be an advocate for children - know who you're voting for in 2008, send letters to representatives at both the state and national level encouraging them to support child and family-friendly legislation, volunteer in the community #- and remember, John F. Kennedy's famous words: “Children are the world's most valuable resources and its best hope for the future.”

Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at Cayuga Community College.