{"id":36350,"date":"2012-02-08T06:37:56","date_gmt":"2012-02-08T13:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=36350"},"modified":"2012-02-08T06:38:02","modified_gmt":"2012-02-08T13:38:02","slug":"let-voters-decide-on-funding-for-early-learning-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/02\/let-voters-decide-on-funding-for-early-learning-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Let voters decide on funding for early learning services"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Maria<\/a>

Maria A. Flores<\/p><\/div>\n

The proposal to increase early childhood education funding is a chance to make a huge difference in the futures of tens of thousands of New Mexico children.<\/h4>\n

The Legislature has a unique opportunity to turn around the disturbing trends we are so tired of hearing about. I, for one, no longer want to read about how New Mexico ranks at the bottom for so many important indicators of our children\u2019s academic, health and economic future.<\/p>\n

As a parent, teacher and school board member, I have been involved for years in efforts to deal with closing the achievement gap and other critical issues facing our schools. Finally, we see a solution proven by science \u2014 if we will only grasp it.<\/p>\n

There is now a huge body of evidence that children\u2019s success in school, and even their success later in life, is greatly improved by investing in early learning services \u2014 especially programs that include active involvement by parents.<\/p>\n

We have a unique opportunity in New Mexico to act on this evidence. Even though we are a poor state with lots of challenges, we have the second-highest Land Grant Permanent Fund in the country \u2014 currently valued at over $10 billion. It has grown over time at an average rate of 10 percent per year. Next year, the distribution (mostly to the public schools) is set at 5.5 percent, and is scheduled to decline to 5 percent.<\/p>\n

The Legislature is considering SJR 9<\/a> and HJR 15<\/a>, which place a state constitutional amendment on the ballot to increase the distribution by 1.5 percent to invest in high-quality early childhood educational programs. The increased distribution would last for 10 years, during which the results will be carefully evaluated. All of the evidence suggests that it will be an excellent investment, both educationally and fiscally.<\/p>\n

Public supports it; evidence is compelling<\/h3>\n

This is a chance to make a huge difference in the quality of New Mexico\u2019s educational system and in the futures of tens of thousands of New Mexico children. Polls show that more than 70 percent of the public supports this idea \u2014 all kinds of people who live in all areas of the state and vote for different parties.<\/p>\n

The evidence is compelling. The prestigious journal\u00a0Science\u00a0devoted an entire issue<\/a> to these findings last summer. The largest study to date followed 1,400 children from birth to age 28 who participated in a program that taught children ages 3 and 4 and involved their parents to foster language arts and math skills as well as self-confidence and social interaction skills.<\/p>\n

Over 20 years later, evidence shows that these children:<\/p>\n