The Early Ed Watch Blog has a series - Illinois & Chicago-Hint of What’s to Come? I’ve had this thought often since last November concerning our country’s future. 
 
These articles revolve around the possibilities stemming from the early education program (Preschool for All) initiated by Illinois’ impeached governor Blago, along with lots of help from the Illinois legislators.  Consider the players and their national recognition (notorious and not) and your interest might perk up. 

February 17: All Eyes on Illinois…
February 19: Duncan’s Record in Chicago
Today: Q-and-A with Barbara Bowman

I should mention that Illinois is flat out broke; approaching a $9 billion deficit.  But of course, the federal government is too.  But it appears that we should hope extending compulsory attendance would suddenly turn education successes around for institutional schools.  Many of these kids (the prospective dropouts and pushouts and college attendees taking remedial classes)  will become miraculously learned and inspired so that they can go from school to work and pay off our huge debts we’re inflicting on these future generations.  President Obama promised last night that a “complete and competitive education” will start: "From the day they are born to the day they begin a career”.

From All Eyes on Illinois:

Now that President Obama has signed the stimulus legislation into law, early education supporters can shift their speculative energy toward what the administration’s broader early childhood agenda will look like. During the 2008 campaign, Obama promised a substantial, $10 billion investment in early education programs, including new "Early Learning Challenge Grants" to states, but provided few details about what those programs would look like in practice.

A closer look at early education programs in Illinois and Chicago might provide some useful hints. Both President Obama and Arne Duncan, his secretary of education, hail from the Windy City, and both played a role in expanding early education programs in Illinois and Chicago. It seems reasonable to expect that their experiences will inform their federal policy agenda for early education.

There are a lot of reasons to be impressed by early education in Illinois. Not only is it one of the few states working towards universal pre-k for 4-year olds by 2011, it is the only state pursuing universal pre-k for 3-year olds too.

Indeed, Kwame Raoul, handpicked to replace President Obama’s 13th District senatorial position, introduced legislation in 2005 where he was Wishing for 3 year olds:

In testifying at the Senate Education Committee, Senator Raoul said this in his last attempt: “I wish this bill was lowering the age to 3!”   He also leaves little to the imagination with the following quote, as he stated in the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006. (This article is in the archives.):

Ready or not? Should kids be in school at 5?: Kindergarten? Preschool? Parents wrestle with decision

Author: Maudlyne Ihejirika The Chicago Sun-Times Date: July 30, 2006

“The home-schooling lobby also fought the bill sponsored by state Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago). It squeaked out of the Senate but died in the House. A 2003 effort by state Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) saw a similar fate. “Logically, it doesn’t even make sense to talk about preschool for all if we don’t say you have to have your kids in kindergarten,” Raoul said.”

Raoul had a lot of help from people like Jerry Steimer, who headed a group called Voices for IL Children.  I found their name offensive under their agenda and wrote a letter to the editor in 2006. The Bloomington Pantagraph gave the letter this heading:

Doesn’t want ‘Voices’ speaking for her

Stermer is now our new Governor’s chief of staff.   From the Bloomington Pantagraph this month:

But some Republican lawmakers already questioned whether Stermer was the right pick for the job with the state in the midst of a financial meltdown. “I like and respect Jerry Stermer’s tremendous advocacy on behalf of Illinois children. As a former chief of staff to Gov. Edgar, I was a little surprised considering the state’s fiscal condition that Gov. Quinn picked a perpetual advocate of additional spending rather than a managerial type,’’ said Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard.

From Illinois & Chicago-Hint of What’s to Come?:

Q-and-A with Barbara Bowman

For the third installment in our series on Illinois and Chicago, Early Ed Watch talked to Barbara T. Bowman, chief early childhood education officer for the Chicago Public Schools. Bowman’s experience runs deep. She co-founded the Erikson Institute and has served as president of the NAEYC.

Bowman co-founded the Erikson Institute with child psychologist Maria Piers and social worker Lorraine Wallach, along with the support of businessman Irving B. Harris. One product of the Erikson Institute is the Irving B. Harris Infant Mental Health Certificate Program. Another is this:  "Erikson now has a $2.4 million grant from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to provide infant mental health screenings to all children, parents, and foster parents in the foster care system. “Irving would have been so proud of that,” Stott {Erikson administrator] says."  Who would have known Toni home perms could have such an effect.

Indeed, there is a bit of controversy about need for universal mental health screenings for children and families, related to concerns with the profitability of pharmaceutical companies and other interested parties.  (Gardasil is one example.) Illinois was also innovative in passing a Children’s Mental Health Act in 2003.  The Harris Foundation, Voices for IL Children and other interested "job creation" (government) promoters were instrumental in getting this Act passed with initial requirements for universal mental health screenings for all children and all pregnant and new mothers.  (This plan follows the federal Bush-created New Freedom Commisssion on Mental Health report that states "Both children and adults will be screened for mental illnesses during their routine physical exams".  In the state’s scramble for new federal grants, Page 17 gives you an idea of Illinois’ "Prevention" with: " Periodic developmental screens • Voluntary home visits • Parenting education and support services • Social and emotional development programs and curricula for community services and schools". ) That’s just a start if you read on. 

It appears that Bowman has a bright future:

Early childhood advocates say she will probably be named to the Presidential Early Learning Council that President Obama has pledged to create. At the moment, she said, she is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education, "making recommendations to Arne Duncan on how to improve the department’s emphasis on early childhood."

… the Chicago public school system strives to provide free, high-quality preschool opportunities for all 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families. The system allows families to choose from five different types of preschools, including some in childcare centers run by outside agencies. The lead teacher in each preschool classroom must have a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification from the state of Illinois.

Certification and a bachelor’s degree is of supreme importance, along with a "trained infant specialist"(s) for community agencies providing childcare with state aid.  The ‘successes’ of the public institutions will soon overtake the private entities. 

Where is our country heading?  The bureaucrats have been at this for a long time.  Family advocates in Illinois know that government oversight proponents have been keeping their eye on the prize for some time. Groups such as Voices for Illinois Children and our governmental bureaucracies are paid to protect their jobs and build that sustained cocoon of “job creation”.  This has been a long standing bi-partisan effort. 

From the Chicago Tribune in May of 2006:

Jerry Stermer, president of Voices for Illinois Children, said, "Lawmakers in both parties, in both chambers, were concerned that we expand in the most thoughtful way, providing services to at-risk children first."

He said no one expected the plan to serve all children at once.

"We believe we’re on the road to universal preschool, as we had anticipated being."

Who’s going to stop them? 

“Kids Themselves Aren’t The Same”

The $$$-School Issue

Mandatory Mental Health Screenings: Are We Crazy?