Letter: Early learning critical
22.05.12
Thank you for your excellent Mardi Gras Day editorial, “Picard legacy needs support.” I, too, applaud the governor for his recognition that high-quality early childhood education is critically important.
There is a convergence of knowledge from neuroscience, child development and economics on the importance of early childhood. A child’s most important brain development occurs before age 5, and children who begin school behind typically remain behind. Early experiences affect the quality of the brain’s architecture — establishing a sturdy or fragile foundation for all learning, health and behavior that follow.
Your editorial also unmasked the state’s actual investments for young children. The $1.4 billion figure used by the governor grossly overestimates what the state actually is spending to support early learning.
In fact, only 20 percent of that figure is being spent on educating our young children, and almost all of that (89 percent) comes from the federal government. This information is available on the Louisiana Division of Administration’s website in the Early Childhood System Integration Budget.
Source: The Advocate