Policymakers and stakeholders from the Great Lakes region gathered to discuss best practices in prekindergarten programs at the Herr Research Center's second annual Midwest Policy Conference.

The event kicked off on Oct. 4 with a public book talk and discussion featuring David Kirp, professor at the University of California Berkeley and author of The Sandbox Investment: The Preschool Movement and Kids-First Politics.

President Meisels kicks off the conference with a policy chat with author David Kirp.

Erikson president Samuel J. Meisels  led the discussion, which focused largely on the variation in quality across publicly funded prekindergarten programs throughout Chicago and the nation. Kirp urged the audience to consider his argument: “It is easier to go from better to bigger than from bigger to better” in developing high-quality, public preschool programs that will support children's positive development and well-being.

The conference continued on Oct. 5, with a half-day working session to discuss issues around monitoring quality in publicly funded prekindergarten programs in greater depth. The Friday program opened with remarks from Kirp, followed with a brief panel presentation on challenges facing states’ efforts to implement quality in prekindergarten programs and how they have responded to these challenges. Panelists included:

• Lindy Buch, director of the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood Education & Family Services;
• Jana Martella, executive director of the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) and coordinator of the Council of Chief State School
• Ellen Wolock, director of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Preschool Education, Division of Early Childhood Education.

Following the panel presentation, guests broke out into small groups for in-depth discussion of key, problem-focused topics, including technical assistance and integrated quality systems, monitoring systems and program standards alignment, and implementing quality standards across model programs versus increasing reach of existing services to meet immediate needs.

Audience participants included key personnel from many local and state agencies and organizations, including the Illinois State Board of Education, Ounce of Prevention, Voices for Illinois Children, Illinois Action for Children, Chicago Public Schools, and the Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services. Guests from outside the Chicago metropolitan area included officials from health services and education offices and agencies in Wisconsin and Michigan.