For an introduction to the important new report, Transforming the Workforce For Children Birth through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation, see this post by Lisa Guernsey, who served on the report’s committee. From Guernsey’s post:
At the report’s heart is the recognition that supporting the growth and development of young children from birth through age eight—including their cognitive development, their social-emotional development, and so much more—is complex and challenging work. Parents, of course, are primary in children’s development, and a forthcoming report from the Academies will examine the parenting side of early childhood. But last week’s report addresses the skills of adults who are paid for working with and teaching young children. It recognizes that helping to develop children’s bodies and minds requires much more than putting out snacks and coloring books. Yet many parts of today’s early education system, or in many cases, its non-system, do not help adults provide much more than that.
“For too long,” the report states, “the nation has been making do with the systems and policies that are rather than envisioning the systems and policies that are needed, and committing to the strategies necessary to achieve them.”