Today, January 4th, 2016, was the final day for people to provide feedback to the US Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services on a new draft policy about early education. The document is 18 pages. Here we summarize the major points of concern. While it may be too late for you to comment here’s the email address just in case you want to comment after the fact: ECD@acf.hhs.gov > > >
DOE/HHS Statement #1: We refer to “family engagement” as the systematic inclusion of families as partners in children’s development, learning, and wellness. Engagement is enabled by positive relationships between families and staff in the institutions where children learn. The goal of family engagement is to support family wellness and children’s learning and development.
Comment: The government feels the need to jump into how parents raise their children under the guise of helping you do it better.
Objective #1: Reviewing the research base that supports effective family engagement in children’s learning, development, and wellness
Comment: The government is going to tell parents what works and what doesn’t and encourage parents to do what the government says is best and necessary. Given time those that don’t may receive “further instruction and education” to help you do your job right. Down the road perhaps you’ll even be relieved of your burden so the state and do it better?
Objective #2: Identifying core principles of effective family engagement practices from HHS’ and ED’s frameworks to drive successful policy and program development
Comment: The government (who is never wrong….ever) is going to do research and sponsor research (that will strangely support their view of the world) that will be used to support their view of what needs to be done and how it should be done. This of course will be done for the benefit of the children. Money may be given or taken away depending on how good a job a parent(s) does in implementing the “guidelines”.
Objective #3: Providing recommendations to States, LEAs, schools, and community-based early childhood programs to implement effective family engagement
Comment: When you hear the word “recommendations” from an authority what does it mean to you? To use it means we HIGHLY suggest you do what we recommend…or else. So the Fed’s develop programs that they pass down and “suggest” be used. Of course they then give some of your tax money back if you do what they suggest and if not they withhold it. Any pre-school or school (public or private) that gets government money will be pressured to use the “guidelines”. Strange how the Federal Government is forbidden by law from controlling education and yet they do it anyway…don’t you love non-elected people who tell you what and how to do it? What data will they gather, who will have access and how will it be used?
Objective #4: Highlighting resources for States, LEAs, schools, and early childhood programs to build capacity to effectively partner with families.
Comment: So they plan to continue to expand and expand to “build capacity” to “effectively partner with families”. Does this leave ANY doubt as to what the plan is? Partnership with the government means “do what we tell you”.
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We’ll stop for now and hope that you take the time to read the full document…then…share your thoughts with us?
draft_hhs_ed_family_engagement_Jan_4_2016 > > > > > Here’s the HHS web site: http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/families.html
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