Early Care Grows Minds, Values for Georgia
Campaign cabinet member and partner Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) released a study today about early childcare’s significant contribution to Georgia’s economy, which reminded us of some of the topics DECAL’s Research and Senior Policy Advisor Bentley Ponder shared at the Get Georgia Reading Innovation Forum back in 2013. The new study says the economic impact of the early care and education industry in Georgia is big—generating $4.7 billion in economic activity annually while creating more than 67,000 jobs statewide. In 2014, DECAL commissioned the University of Georgia (UGA) and Georgia State University (GSU) to study the impact of the child care industry on the economy of Georgia. Results of the study will be discussed at four public policy forums across the state in September and October.
Bentley and his mom in the ’70s
Having learned about accountability at a young age from his mother, a kindergarten teacher, Bentley spoke about the importance of not only gathering data, but also analyzing and using it responsibly. He urges us all to hold our state agencies accountable by expecting leaders to ask hard questions and use the answers they find in the most productive ways possible.
Then go back and watch Carrie Woodcock’s talk in our Innovation Video Series about what can happen when cultures clash at school.