Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today as the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee conducted a hearing on early childhood education and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
"What happens between birth and a child's first day of school is critical in determining what kind of experience he or she has in our education system -- and ultimately what trajectory his or her life may take," said Dodd. "Investments in quality early childhood education and development pay dividends in a variety of ways: more successful transitions to kindergarten, better academic performance, better employment opportunities, higher income potential, less crime, a decrease in dependence on public welfare, and even improved health."
Throughout Dodd's time in Congress, he has fought to expand and strengthen education for all students. And since 2004, Dodd has spearheaded efforts to reform the No Child Left Behind Act to ease the burdens on students, teachers, and administrators without sacrificing the spirit of this law.
Dodd's full statement from the hearing is below:
Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this important hearing.
And to our witnesses, I thank you for joining us today, and for the good work you do every day on behalf of the next generation of Americans.
This is the final hearing in our series on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). And it is an important opportunity for us to evaluate this critical element, not only of our education system, but of the promise we make to each child born in America -- the promise that they will be able to achieve great things.
Learning starts at birth. And what happens between birth and a child's first day of school is critical in determining what kind of experience he or she has in our education system -- and ultimately what trajectory his or her life may take.
Investments in quality early childhood education and development pay dividends in a variety of ways: more successful transitions to kindergarten, better academic performance, better employment opportunities, higher income potential, less crime, a decrease in dependence on public welfare, and even improved health.
Over my career, from Head Start to Child Care and Development Block Grants, I've argued for the importance of early learning in all its forms -- child care, Head Start, Early Head Start, pre-K, and more.
Today, we have a chance to discuss how we can work with states and localities to provide better opportunities to more kids through ESEA.
ESEA offers us a variety of opportunities to help states, school districts, and even individual teachers and administrators to connect with and improve early learning programs. We can work to train and retain educators, improve transitions between early learning programs and schools, and encourage families and communities to embrace their roles in early child development.
I see this as an important part of the work we have to do in reauthorizing ESEA -- and an important part of the work we have to do in ensuring that every American child is prepared to succeed.
And I'm eager to get started today.