David Kirp, UC-Berkeley professor and author, says he strongly disagrees with those who argue Head Start should be kept out of the recovery package. The same day this article ran in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Senate passed its version of the economic recovery package, which included $500 million for Head Start and $550 million for Early Head Start. According to the National Women's Law Center, it is a reduction from the $2.1 billion that was in the original Senate version.

The New America Foundation's Early Education Initiative has come up with 10 new policy ideas to improve access, quality and alignment in early education from preschool to the early elementary school years.

In an alarming trend found among early childhood researchers, kindergarteners are spending 30 minutes or less in playtime during a six-hour school day. The drive for accountability has spilled down to the kindergarten and preschool levels, in the form of more teacher-directed lessons, scripted number and letter drills, and standardized tests to measure progress. Teachers who took part in this study, 24 teachers in Los Angeles and New York City, spent two or three hours a day on these types of lessons -- four to six times more than the time devoted to play.

The Senate narrowly passed its $383 billion economic recovery plan on February 10, by a vote of 61-37. With its passage, the House and Senate now head to a Conference Committee to come up with a final version of the bill to send to President Obama for his signature. The House passed a similar measure, worth $819 billion, on Jan. 28. From what members of the Alliance have been able to gather, the Senate bill includes $500 million for Head Start and $550 million for Early Head Start. BOTH bills have $2 billion for CCDBG. The Senate bill has $13 billion for IDEA Part B, with a 15% mandate that must be used for Section 619 preschool, and the House bill has $13 billion without the 15% mandate. 

The National Women's Law Center in Washington, D.C. has analyzed the Senate's version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan and how it addresses the needs of millions of women and their families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Harry Holzer, the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, says education and training can be an effective short-term stimulus and long-term investment in the economy. 

There are a number of reasons why an early childhood education teacher feels he or she has burned out. This article describes what one should look for in terms of symptoms of a burnout and what one can do to avoid burning out.

Some educators and health professionals believe that a better awareness and earlier identification has led to a national increase in the number of children treated for autism. Pre-K screening is not meant to diagnose or serve as a kindergarten readiness test, but can help identify possible developmental and emotional barriers children might have when they begin school.

Blogger Lisa Guernsey explores the difficulties that Head Start programs face if they convert to an Early Head Start program.

Arne Duncan, the new education secretary, is trying to get the message out  that the best way to bring the economy back to health is to have an educated workforce. At every level of education, Duncan said, there is a significant reform agenda, including the expansion of early childhood education.