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StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee on Obama's Pre-K proposal and efforts to reform the U.S. educational system.
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President Obama's pre -- push is drying mixed reaction over the bottom line.
And how much will cost and its effectiveness.
Earlier I spoke with Michelle -- founder of students first and she is the author of the new -- radical fighting to put students first.
And I -- since we already have head start why do we need another pre K program.
Well look the opportunity to ensure that more children in particular.
Low income and minority children are in school earlier is could be a very positive thing.
But as with anything it really depends on the accountability that's attached.
If we have children at a younger age.
Enrolled in classrooms with highly effective teachers that I think can make absolutely huge difference in terms of their school readiness by the time they get into kindergarten.
But -- if they are in classrooms.
The -- essentially babysitting is going on that we're not gonna see the return on investment that well I I guess that's why did this studies are sort of split on how effective these.
Publicly finance pre K programs are because a lot of them show that the effectiveness doesn't really continue very far at all into -- student's career.
Well again I think that that have a lot to do with the effectiveness of the program over all of that and specifically the teacher that's in front of that classroom.
When I was in DC.
We expanded the pre K options tremendously and what we found was that -- was a very wide variety between.
The quality of education the kids were getting in those programs of some of them were excellent they have very high standards.
Very clear benchmarks for what kids were expected to -- that be able to.
You know show that they've grown academically by the end of the year and other programs.
You know -- -- have that level of level for.
Look I seem to need before you start a brand spanking new program that's.
Going to be from sea to shining sea all states.
-- -- you first reconsider the effectiveness of existing programs that are already out in schools all over the country.
Well I think what would have to be done.
Is you would have to look at the research very clearly to know what works in pre K education and what doesn't work and then you would have to set some very very clear standards.
About what kinds of programs would need to be set up -- order to access this federal funding.
And also ensure that its programs did not meet those standards that that aren't are -- taxpayer dollars were going to fund those things.
Got a long way to go -- that'll be -- to see if his idea gets anywhere in the meantime I wanna ask you about your book because you how are really interesting conclusion.
That the kids most at risk and our system may not be low.
Income students but in fact middle class students why would that be.
Well I think that you know a lot of what we're seeing right now in this country is -- is people assuming that the problem in public education that we have.
Is is you know just about -- Clinton minority kids in the inner cities.
And that actually isn't true at all if you look at the top court tile of US kids.
Based on in come and compare them to the top court tile.
Of kids in other countries across the the globe you'll see that our kids actually rank 23 -- which is the same rating as our low income kids still.
So we have a -- out -- that's unbelievable -- yeah I mean that's a real news flash I think to parents all over the country.
When we do about it.
What we've got to focus on making sure they're highly effective teachers in every classroom we have to make sure.
That parents have options.
For sending their kids to a high quality school program and then the last thing which is tied to what we're just talk about Jerry.
Which is making sure that we have an effective use of taxpayer dollars a lot of middle and upper middle.
Income households.
In this country the other kids are going to school every day they think they're getting a good education.
But they actually don't know what kind of return on investment they're -- taxpayers are our taxpayer dollars and get it getting.
Well and and answering that question could be very difficult I wonder the degree to which.
The fact that so many teachers are unionized is one of those things that's draining money out of the system that could be better deployed.
Well I think it -- less to do with the fact that teachers are unionized or not you -- as could be -- but we have some of these problems in non United States as well.
I think what -- issue is is that we have -- laws and policies in place in both unionized and non United States.
That ensure that the best interests of the adults are what comes first and foremost a set of what's in the best interest of kids.
Fascinating book Michelle really interesting stuff thanks for coming on talking to us about it -- -- back again -- thank you say oh yes.
Yes.
