Why Air Opposing Views?

08/28/2008

As each of us embraces the natural strength of heart that exists within us, we express our inborn courage and become a message of hope in our own sphere of influence, which creates a ripple effect in our bigger world.
Elyssa Nelson

Yesterday's story, An Opposing View on Preschool, in ExchangeEveryDay generated more responses than any previous story. Most of the responses were very thoughtful and impassioned, presenting an array of views on the value of our work. If you didn't get a chance to see the story and the responses, we encourage you to go back and view them in the ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues Library

Some may question why we should provide coverage to critics of our profession. Over the years, we have provided many stories reporting research bolstering the value of the work we do. We all need to know about this research to improve our practice, to motivate people who work in this field, and to educate parents, politicians, funders, and regulators.

However, there are many who believe that children should not participate in preschool programs and are vigorous opponents of any public support for early childhood education. We need to be just as cognizant of what our critics are saying about our field as we are of what our supporters are saying. We need to be prepared to counter their claims — some of which may be specious, and some of which may be well grounded.

ExchangeEveryDay is not designed to promote the views of the editors of Exchange Magazine or to favor any other viewpoint. Rather, the purpose of ExchangeEveryDay is to share a wide range of viewpoints, news, and ideas in order to stimulate dialog and reflection. When you see that we are veering away from this purpose and using our editorial license unfairly, please let us know. And, if you think we are offering a valuable service, you can best show your appreciation by encouraging your colleagues to subscribe to ExchangeEveryDay.

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