our founding fathers got it wrong the miracle of our country isn’t that we
the miracle of our country isn’t that we
the miracle of our country isn’t that we were all created equal
were all created equal
were all created equal it’s that we recognize those who aren’t
it’s that we recognize those who aren’t
it’s that we recognize those who aren’t equal and we make them so we do that
equal and we make them so we do that
equal and we make them so we do that through civil rights movements there is
through civil rights movements there is
through civil rights movements there is one today that is in its infancy
one today that is in its infancy
one today that is in its infancy they are literally crying out for help
they are literally crying out for help
they are literally crying out for help they are hungry to pursue their liberty
they are hungry to pursue their liberty
they are hungry to pursue their liberty and their ability to achieve the next
and their ability to achieve the next
and their ability to achieve the next civil rights movement is providing
civil rights movement is providing
civil rights movement is providing low-income children with access to
low-income children with access to
low-income children with access to high-quality early education this is an
high-quality early education this is an
high-quality early education this is an important point in our history we know
important point in our history we know
important point in our history we know that nearly half the children born today
that nearly half the children born today
that nearly half the children born today are born into poverty to borrow from
are born into poverty to borrow from
are born into poverty to borrow from Langston Hughes they are born into a
Langston Hughes they are born into a
Langston Hughes they are born into a dream deferred we know from science that
dream deferred we know from science that
dream deferred we know from science that the ability to achieve is not inborn
the ability to achieve is not inborn
the ability to achieve is not inborn it’s made the early experiences for
it’s made the early experiences for
it’s made the early experiences for developing emotional and social skills
developing emotional and social skills
developing emotional and social skills are learned through early interactions
are learned through early interactions
are learned through early interactions with caregivers from ages birth through
with caregivers from ages birth through
with caregivers from ages birth through five these early experiences literally
five these early experiences literally
five these early experiences literally build the structure of the brain
build the structure of the brain
build the structure of the brain children who receive these experiences
children who receive these experiences
children who receive these experiences do better those who don’t tend to
do better those who don’t tend to
do better those who don’t tend to struggle there these struggles can
struggle there these struggles can
struggle there these struggles can hardly be remediated later on we know
hardly be remediated later on we know
hardly be remediated later on we know from research that the achievement gap
from research that the achievement gap
from research that the achievement gap starts long before children get to
starts long before children get to
starts long before children get to school and is difficult if not
school and is difficult if not
school and is difficult if not impossible to close once they get their
impossible to close once they get their
impossible to close once they get their children from affluent families get the
children from affluent families get the
children from affluent families get the early education they need from their
early education they need from their
early education they need from their parents at home or they can afford to
parents at home or they can afford to
parents at home or they can afford to buy high quality early childhood
buy high quality early childhood
buy high quality early childhood education while they’re at work those
education while they’re at work those
education while they’re at work those children win the lottery children from
children win the lottery children from
children win the lottery children from low-income families are consigned to be
low-income families are consigned to be
low-income families are consigned to be unequal
unequal
unequal their parents could work two or three
their parents could work two or three
their parents could work two or three jobs and they still couldn’t afford to
jobs and they still couldn’t afford to
jobs and they still couldn’t afford to send them to the high quality early
send them to the high quality early
send them to the high quality early childhood program they would need to
childhood program they would need to
childhood program they would need to succeed now if you don’t believe me let
succeed now if you don’t believe me let
succeed now if you don’t believe me let me share a fact with you by the age of
me share a fact with you by the age of
me share a fact with you by the age of three a child from a high-income family
three a child from a high-income family
three a child from a high-income family will have a vocabulary of 1100 words
will have a vocabulary of 1100 words
will have a vocabulary of 1100 words a child from a low-income family will
a child from a low-income family will
a child from a low-income family will have a vocabulary of just 500 words
have a vocabulary of just 500 words
have a vocabulary of just 500 words starting from behind means you stay
starting from behind means you stay
starting from behind means you stay behind it’s being born into the bondage
behind it’s being born into the bondage
behind it’s being born into the bondage of class and living with all of the
of class and living with all of the
of class and living with all of the limits of being born on equal the
limits of being born on equal the
limits of being born on equal the solution is to create a level playing
solution is to create a level playing
solution is to create a level playing field for children so that they can
field for children so that they can
field for children so that they can compete and they can can succeed I know
compete and they can can succeed I know
compete and they can can succeed I know something about this and the importance
something about this and the importance
something about this and the importance of extending our idea of civil rights to
of extending our idea of civil rights to
of extending our idea of civil rights to children and early education because I
children and early education because I
children and early education because I was a part of a civil rights fight I was
was a part of a civil rights fight I was
was a part of a civil rights fight I was a plaintiff in Hollingsworth versus
a plaintiff in Hollingsworth versus
a plaintiff in Hollingsworth versus Perry a landmark Supreme Court case that
Perry a landmark Supreme Court case that
Perry a landmark Supreme Court case that provided me and many others the right to
provided me and many others the right to
provided me and many others the right to marry a same-sex partner
I am also the executive director of the
I am also the executive director of the first five years fund an advocacy
first five years fund an advocacy
first five years fund an advocacy organization charged with gaining
organization charged with gaining
organization charged with gaining greater government investments in
greater government investments in
greater government investments in high-quality early childhood education
high-quality early childhood education
high-quality early childhood education for low-income children the reason for
for low-income children the reason for
for low-income children the reason for this is that we understand from science
this is that we understand from science
this is that we understand from science that children’s brains are literally
that children’s brains are literally
that children’s brains are literally growing every second through early
growing every second through early
growing every second through early interactions with caregivers and trained
interactions with caregivers and trained
interactions with caregivers and trained professionals their ability to learn is
professionals their ability to learn is
professionals their ability to learn is directly related to the care they
directly related to the care they
directly related to the care they receive extending our idea of civil
receive extending our idea of civil
receive extending our idea of civil rights to the right of every child to
rights to the right of every child to
rights to the right of every child to get the early education they need is
get the early education they need is
get the early education they need is critically important in creating
critically important in creating
critically important in creating equality I too experienced being born
equality I too experienced being born
equality I too experienced being born unequal when that became evident to me
unequal when that became evident to me
unequal when that became evident to me and a society fundamental freedoms were
and a society fundamental freedoms were
and a society fundamental freedoms were immediately closed off openly falling in
immediately closed off openly falling in
immediately closed off openly falling in love getting married having children
love getting married having children
love getting married having children having the same rights as any spouse or
having the same rights as any spouse or
having the same rights as any spouse or parent was not available to me society
parent was not available to me society
parent was not available to me society thought that that should be okay but I
thought that that should be okay but I
thought that that should be okay but I knew that in order to have my
knew that in order to have my
knew that in order to have my aspirations met I had to have the same
aspirations met I had to have the same
aspirations met I had to have the same rights as other people like thousands of
rights as other people like thousands of
rights as other people like thousands of children born today I was born unequal
children born today I was born unequal
children born today I was born unequal having my civil rights has immeasurably
having my civil rights has immeasurably
having my civil rights has immeasurably improved the quality of my life
improved the quality of my life
improved the quality of my life providing high quality early childhood
providing high quality early childhood
providing high quality early childhood education to low-income children would
education to low-income children would
education to low-income children would provide them with an infinite number of
provide them with an infinite number of
provide them with an infinite number of opportunities it would improve our all
opportunities it would improve our all
opportunities it would improve our all of our lives I know this because there
of our lives I know this because there
of our lives I know this because there is research that shows that when we do
is research that shows that when we do
is research that shows that when we do this children are more likely to
this children are more likely to
this children are more likely to graduate from school they are more
graduate from school they are more
graduate from school they are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors
likely to engage in healthy behaviors
likely to engage in healthy behaviors they’re more likely to have full-time
they’re more likely to have full-time
they’re more likely to have full-time employment and they’re also most likely
employment and they’re also most likely
employment and they’re also most likely to contribute to society Nobel economist
to contribute to society Nobel economist
to contribute to society Nobel economist James Heckman has found that for every
James Heckman has found that for every
James Heckman has found that for every dollar we spend on early childhood
dollar we spend on early childhood
dollar we spend on early childhood education
education
education we experienced a 13% return on that
we experienced a 13% return on that
we experienced a 13% return on that investment funding that we can use for
investment funding that we can use for
investment funding that we can use for other purposes
other purposes
other purposes funding that’s brought back to us by the
funding that’s brought back to us by the
funding that’s brought back to us by the contributions made by the children we
contributions made by the children we
contributions made by the children we invested in now you don’t have to take
invested in now you don’t have to take
invested in now you don’t have to take this on face value this isn’t just true
this on face value this isn’t just true
this on face value this isn’t just true in theory it’s also true in real life I
in theory it’s also true in real life I
in theory it’s also true in real life I want to tell you about a little girl in
want to tell you about a little girl in
want to tell you about a little girl in Denver Colorado Joe is the daughter of a
Denver Colorado Joe is the daughter of a
Denver Colorado Joe is the daughter of a single working mother no matter how hard
single working mother no matter how hard
single working mother no matter how hard jaws mom works she could never afford to
jaws mom works she could never afford to
jaws mom works she could never afford to send Joe to a high-quality early
send Joe to a high-quality early
send Joe to a high-quality early learning program but fortunately in
learning program but fortunately in
learning program but fortunately in Colorado they provide some funding and
Colorado they provide some funding and
Colorado they provide some funding and that gets mixed with federal funding
that gets mixed with federal funding
that gets mixed with federal funding which allows Joe to attend Klayton early
which allows Joe to attend Klayton early
which allows Joe to attend Klayton early learning every day at Clayton is a
learning every day at Clayton is a
learning every day at Clayton is a learning and growing adventure for Joe
learning and growing adventure for Joe
learning and growing adventure for Joe in the morning she can’t wait to get up
in the morning she can’t wait to get up
in the morning she can’t wait to get up and go to school at night when her mom
and go to school at night when her mom
and go to school at night when her mom comes to pick her up she rarely wants to
comes to pick her up she rarely wants to
comes to pick her up she rarely wants to go home she is benefiting from the
go home she is benefiting from the
go home she is benefiting from the structured intentional curriculum of
structured intentional curriculum of
structured intentional curriculum of Clayton early learning Joe is incredibly
Clayton early learning Joe is incredibly
Clayton early learning Joe is incredibly lucky the sky is the limit for Joe
lucky the sky is the limit for Joe
lucky the sky is the limit for Joe thanks to early childhood education but
thanks to early childhood education but
thanks to early childhood education but Joe is one in five of the low-income
Joe is one in five of the low-income
Joe is one in five of the low-income children who get transformative early
children who get transformative early
children who get transformative early education unfortunately 90% of children
education unfortunately 90% of children
education unfortunately 90% of children who are eligible for federal programs do
who are eligible for federal programs do
who are eligible for federal programs do not receive it for lack of funding this
not receive it for lack of funding this
not receive it for lack of funding this is tragic this isn’t right we should not
is tragic this isn’t right we should not
is tragic this isn’t right we should not be a part of this injustice this is the
be a part of this injustice this is the
be a part of this injustice this is the next civil rights movement now I know
next civil rights movement now I know
next civil rights movement now I know why you’re here but do you know how you
why you’re here but do you know how you
why you’re here but do you know how you got here all right
got here all right
got here all right raise your hand if you had a parent or a
raise your hand if you had a parent or a
raise your hand if you had a parent or a relative or a caregiver stay home with
relative or a caregiver stay home with
relative or a caregiver stay home with you and your earliest years keep your
you and your earliest years keep your
you and your earliest years keep your hand up
hand up
hand up if they took you shopping or to the
if they took you shopping or to the
if they took you shopping or to the library or the zoo or the park and talk
library or the zoo or the park and talk
library or the zoo or the park and talk to you constantly alright okay now put
to you constantly alright okay now put
to you constantly alright okay now put your hand up if your parents could
your hand up if your parents could
your hand up if your parents could afford to send you to preschool or
afford to send you to preschool or
afford to send you to preschool or daycare while they were working all
daycare while they were working all
daycare while they were working all right
right
right now raise your hand if somebody saw
now raise your hand if somebody saw
now raise your hand if somebody saw potential in you when you were very
potential in you when you were very
potential in you when you were very young and proactively helped you to
young and proactively helped you to
young and proactively helped you to develop it all right now look around the
develop it all right now look around the
develop it all right now look around the room keep your hands up now you know how
room keep your hands up now you know how
room keep your hands up now you know how you got here if you didn’t see
you got here if you didn’t see
you got here if you didn’t see somebody’s hand up near you know that
somebody’s hand up near you know that
somebody’s hand up near you know that they survived formidable odds just to be
they survived formidable odds just to be
they survived formidable odds just to be here today now you don’t have to march
here today now you don’t have to march
here today now you don’t have to march in the streets you don’t have to take
in the streets you don’t have to take
in the streets you don’t have to take this to the Supreme Court but you do
this to the Supreme Court but you do
this to the Supreme Court but you do have to lend a helping hand to children
have to lend a helping hand to children
have to lend a helping hand to children like Joe thousands of children like Joe
like Joe thousands of children like Joe
like Joe thousands of children like Joe you need to take them with you to the
you need to take them with you to the
you need to take them with you to the voting booth you need to talk about them
voting booth you need to talk about them
voting booth you need to talk about them to candidates that are running for
to candidates that are running for
to candidates that are running for office you need to insist that we do
office you need to insist that we do
office you need to insist that we do everything we can to help them reach
everything we can to help them reach
everything we can to help them reach their full potential transformative
their full potential transformative
their full potential transformative early childhood education is the great
early childhood education is the great
early childhood education is the great equalizer it will break the bonds of
equalizer it will break the bonds of
equalizer it will break the bonds of class everyone is succeeds when everyone
class everyone is succeeds when everyone
class everyone is succeeds when everyone is included thank you
”
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