Success by Six in Washington State

On this, the 50th Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, we recognize that the work to provide educational opportunities to all children regardless of color or economic status is still ongoing. There are so many levels to the problem of education, that it is sometimes difficult to know where to start looking. One problem that has been identified is the ability of children to make their best efforts in school starting in Kindergarten and the 1st Grade. Giving children a chance to succeed in school starting at the age of 6 often depends on the events and environment that they live in during those first 6 years of life. Science shows us that by the age of 3 or 4, most of the brain has already developed, including the core neuron structures behind the skills of language, mathematics, social skills and self-expression.

In Vermont, the Success by Six program has been developing over the last 12 years to help new parents provide an environment in their homes and their communities that will help their children's development be the best it can be. This program was originally submitted to the Vermont Assembly by a Republican Assemblyman, and the Governor at the time, Howard Dean, recognized the potential the program had for working on the underlying problems that our society has. It passed.

I know of many people who were aware that one of Howard Dean's potential programs that he wanted to push nationally was 'Invest for Success', which would have been a national version of the Success by Six program. I for one hope that he will continue to push for this program. But we all came to the same realization. Howard Dean was not the President of the United States when he signed the law establishing the Success by Six program in Vermont. Programs like this start on the grassroots level and make their way up to the attention of Legislators and Governors. We can do this, community by community, state by state. The question is how.

A focus group is forming to discuss and explore this concept. We have established a mailing list (yet another one, I know), to keep track of our ideas and efforts.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WA_SuccessbySix/

Whether this idea results in an Initiative to the Legislature in Olympia, going directly to the People, or yet another solution will be part of the ongoing discussion. Everyone is welcome to join the list. Please feel free to pass this message on to all the other activist lists that you are aware of.