Non Profits Face the Pre-K Movement

08/24/2006

Non Profits Face the Pre-K Movement

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.
Tony Blair

For the May/June 2006 issue of Exchange, a panel of non profit leaders were surveyed about the status of the non profit early childhood world. In part, here is what they had to say about the impact of the Pre-K movement on non profits...

What the future holds is far from certain. As Doug Baird concludes, the universal pre-k movement “ . . . could be a blessing or a curse. I am very close to it (perhaps too close) and cannot honestly tell you. The trouble at the moment is that it is really, on the street, all promise and no performance. We are all on our tippy toes ready for the starter’s gun to blam. It is not clear what direction and what pace will win the race.”

... The bottom line, according to our panel of experts, is that non profits need to adjust to the new realities of their world, or be faced with dimming prospects. This means that they will need to team up with new players at the state and local levels — players who may have different views on curriculum goals, on accountability, on staff qualifications, on ways of managing organizations.

School districts often operate in an insular world and they won’t understand or appreciate the value of the community-based sector unless they become informed. Getting into the fray of advocacy — advocating for mandatory contracting with the community-based child care sector — is the bottom line for success.

The entire article, "Non Profit Child Care Outlook: After 160 Years, It's Time to Change," can be viewed on our web site.

1,600 Exchange Articles for $9. Exchange subscribers can sign up for Articles on Demand for an introductory rate of only $9 per year and have online access to over 1,600 Exchange articles.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.