The Christian Science Monitor

November 15, 2009

"This is the 'race to the top fund' for early education," says Cornelia Grumman, executive director of the First Five Years Fund, an advocacy group in Chicago, referring to the challenge grants that the Obama administration has been giving to spur K-12 education reform.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

November 17, 2009

In fact, James Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago, said money spent on early childhood education has quadrupled the benefits of money spent on adult job training programs and far outpaces investments in high school or college.

September 16, 2009

Consider the problem of rising income inequality. This is a problem that has its roots in disadvantage in early childhood. Unnoticed in recent discussions of income inequality is the growth in the percentage of American youth who are high school dropouts. Properly counted, the high school dropout rate is increasing.

The American

August 07, 2009

In times of economic adversity, governments look for temporary stimulus packages, be it cash for clunkers or shovel-ready jobs filling potholes. More often than not, they overlook America’s best economic stimulus package with lasting benefits long after the money is spent—investing in the youngest among us and producing significant

August 05, 2009

University of Chicago professor James Heckman is one of the nation's leading proponents of early childhood education. Heckman basis his advocacy on the belief that investing in children from birth through five years of age is essential and pays enormous dividends. The educator explains his theory and how he thinks schools can help children build a healthy foundation for life.