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irginia
C
apitol
C
onnections
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all
2014
18
The economics of
early childhood education
By Charles C. Todd, Jr.
In mid October, The Virginia Chamber
of Commerce and the Virginia Early
Childhood Foundation presented a program
at the University of Richmond highlighting
why the business community should care
about early childhood education. About 100
interested citizens including members of the
General Assembly, business leaders, active
and retired educators, philanthropists, and
others gave rapt attention to presentations
by Mike Petters, President and CEO of
Huntington Ingalls Industries of Newport News and Dr. Craig T.
Ramey, Research Professor, Virginia Tech University.
Huntington Ingalls Industries designs, builds and manages the
life-cycle of the most complex nuclear- and conventionally powered
ships for the U. S. Navy and Coast Guard. “In my business,” said
Petters who holds a degree in physics from the Naval Academy
and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the
College of William and Mary, “engineers know if a problem is not
solved at the design stage, it will persist in the finished product. In
education, the design stage is pre-K. Early learning can help a child
succeed—not only in school, but also in life.”
“In France, Italy, Spain and Sweden, among others, more than
90 percent of 3-year-olds are enrolled in formal preschool programs.
Although I’ve tossed quite a few statistics at you, the bottom line is that
toddlers in these countries will be our children’s or grandchildren’s
competitors in the next generation’s global workforce. We need
to improve and expand access to high-quality early childhood
education—especially for disadvantaged children.”
Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D., is the Distinguished Research Scholar of
Human Development at theVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute,
Professor of Psychology at Virginia Tech, and Professor of Pediatrics
at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He specializes in
the study of factors affecting children’s health and the development
of intelligence, social competence, and academic achievement.
Dr. Ramey used a series of slides to show that preschool
education increases readiness for kindergarten, improves math and
reading skills, and reduces retention in elementary grades. Longer-
range benefits include reduced crime and the use of marijuana and
other drugs. Dr. Ramey made an impressive cost-benefit analysis.
Delegate Rob Krupicka of Alexandria wrote to
Virginia Capitol
Connections
following the conference, “The Virginia Chamber of
Commerce and Virginia Early Childhood Foundation put together
an excellent event highlighting why the business community should
care about early education. Making sure Virginia’s children get a
solid start in their academic career is one of the best ways to improve
student achievement, boost graduation rates and grow a strong
workforce in our state. A great case was made for the many benefits
of early childhood education, including its high return on investment
for Virginia. As Mike Petters, President & CEO of Huntington
Ingalls Industries, who has worked for early childhood education in
Alabama and Mississippi, said during his speech, it is a lot easier
to fix something at the beginning of the production cycle than the
end. Early education is one of the best tools we have for developing
a strong, vibrant workforce in Virginia. This is a nonpartisan issue
focused on the future of the Commonwealth. Events like the Chamber
lunch are a great way to help all of us find a way to work together on
this important topic.”
Other General Assembly members and conference participants
agreed that there needs to be much consideration of early childhood
education to develop financial support.
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