Learning, land use targets
of new post by Chris Christoff, Detroit Free Press, February 24, 2003
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Sunday she will create a
cabinet-level position to develop statewide strategies for early childhood
learning and land use.
The appointee, whose name Granholm would not release, will answer to the
governor and work with private foundations that are involved in children's
and land conservation programs, such as the Skillman and Mott foundations.
Granholm said while the foundations' preschool programs work well
independently, they should be incorporated into a uniform program.
Faced with a $1.7-billion state budget deficit, Granholm told the Free
Press she nevertheless will begin planning an early childhood education
system that at first will rely heavily on private grants and intermediate
school districts.
"There is a heck of a lot in our varied and generous foundation community,
in terms of where they send so much money now," Granholm said.
She added, "If you have the government, and the foundation community and
the education community and early childhood community agreeing on what the
best practices are, and get additional funding for it initially from
foundations, you can kick something off."
Granholm said while public schools will absorb funding cuts when she
presents her 2003-04 budget on March 6, intermediate districts will see
smaller cuts if they agree to make early childhood learning a priority.
"There will be an incentive," she said.
Also, Granholm said the state might consider higher standards for day care
centers by requiring them to use reading and education programs. She said
such standards could be imposed through state licensing, although she
acknowledged that low pay for many child care workers would be an
impediment to demanding education standards.
Granholm said she is looking into ways to consolidate federal money the
state receives for Head Start and other child programs into one network of
preschool programs. She said the state should be the catalyst to promote
preschool programs that have proven track records.
"We've got to do this right," Granholm said.
"If we can have tunnel vision about early childhood intervention, I think
we could have a major impact."
She said the foundations' work with land conservation and urban programs
could help a new land use commission develop strategies. The commission is
cochaired by former Gov. William Milliken and former Attorney General
Frank Kelley.
Much of the governor's new liaison's focus, however, would be on early
childhood development.
Granholm said intermediate school districts would be an integral part of
preschool development programs, which also will incorporate classroom
learning, health care and parenting instruction.
At-risk children would be targeted first, until the state's financial
picture improves. Granholm hinted that it would take several years to map
out and put into practice a statewide early education program.
David Egner, president of the Hudson-Webber Foundation in Detroit, said he
and executives from other foundations had talked to Granholm about
creating a state liaison. He said while private foundations could not fund
a statewide early childhood program that is comprehensive, they could join
to create pilot programs and fund research that the state could use for
public-funded projects.
"It's a real chance to leverage private resources for the public good in a
coordinated fashion," he said.
The Hudson-Webber Foundation is not involved in early childhood programs,
but it does contribute to urban revitalization and is a benefactor to the
Detroit Institute of Arts.
Granholm made her remarks following a presentation on early childhood
development at the National Governors' Association winter conference. The
session featured actor and director Rob Reiner, chairman of the I Am Your
Child Foundation.
Among its projects, Reiner said, the foundation created a $100-million
preschool program in Los Angeles County, paid for through a tobacco tax.
Reiner said for every dollar spent on effective early childhood programs,
states can save $4 to $7 in remedial school programs, health care and
incarceration costs.
He said despite their dire finances, states should begin planning early
childhood programs that can take effect when budget pictures improve.
Granholm was one of five governors who appeared in a short video that
opened the session, in which they extolled the benefits of nurturing young
children.
Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, a Democrat and chairman of the National
Governors' Association, said after hearing Reiner's pitch to governors
four years ago, he began a statewide preschool program.
Also, Craig Ramey, director of Georgetown University's Center of Health
and Education, gave a detailed account of a 30-year study of early
childhood development programs that has involved several hundred children.
The study showed that those children who were nurtured intensely from
birth through age 8 showed dramatically higher levels of reading ability
and sociability by the time they began kindergarten.
After their presentations, Granholm asked Reiner and Ramey if they would
come to Michigan, and both agreed. She said later she wants the two to
speak at a governor's summit on early childhood.
Granholm said early childhood teaching would expand to parents as well as
children. She said some programs would be relatively inexpensive, and as
simple as showing new parents a video on child care before they even leave
the hospital.
Granholm said she would consider requiring hospitals and obstetricians who
receive Medicaid or other public funding to promote good parenting to
patients.
"Truly, nobody wants to be a lousy parent, but there are a lot of lousy
parents out there who had no role model themselves," Granholm said. "So,
how is it possible to bring them along?"
