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Page 6 August 10, 2016 O PINION Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Progress Means Changing the Status Quo Defending the Preschool Promise s wati a darkar Two pieces pub- lished recently in the Portland Ob- server (“Preschool Promise Conflict” and “Well Intend- ed but with Dev- astating Consequences,” July 20 issue) raise concerns about Or- egon’s new preschool program, Preschool Promise. The program will begin providing high-quality preschool for three- and four-year- old children from low-income families this September. The legislation behind Pre- school Promise is driven by a commitment to provide high-qual- ity early learning environments for children across the state — a proven strategy to reduce both health and education disparities before kindergarten. “High-quality” is not a catch phrase. It has a specific meaning by built upon the best practices and research that have yielded results for early learners, including chil- dren of color and dual language learners. Preschool Promise lifts early learning standards, increases funding to qual- ified providers to support equitable teacher pay with kindergarten teachers, provides full-day classes, maintains a 1:10 adult- child ratio, and calls for lead teachers with bach- elor’s degrees in early childhood education or a related field. The article and opinion piece published by the Portland Ob- server suggest that the bachelor’s degree requirement for teachers in Preschool Promise may isolate kids of color and have “devastat- ing consequences” by reducing the number of teachers of color serving those children. They also suggest that there is no connection between a bachelor’s degree and teacher quality. Children’s Institute under- stands these legitimate concerns about how Preschool Promise will address the need for a diverse workforce to serve children of col- or. We know that creating quality goes beyond having teachers with bachelor’s degrees. Preschool Promise allows for a range of ed- ucation levels in the classroom; it emphasizes that family and com- munity engagement and involve- ment is critical to quality early learning. We have been truly inspired to see many examples in Oregon where parents start as classroom volunteers, get energized by the work, and further their education to become classroom assistants and beyond. This is supported and encouraged in Preschool Promise and does not undermine existing professional development pro- grams. Children’s Institute has learned much by working with diverse families and children at our Early Works site at Earl Boyles Elemen- tary School in southeast Portland. Families from that community have been our teachers and part- ners in understanding the fierce obstacles facing low-income children and families of color to achieve early school success. This model of involvement and partic- ipation has helped shape our un- derstanding of quality early learn- ing and effective implementation. Preschool Promise raises the bar for teacher education and quality in Oregon. Raising educa- tion requirements and recognizing the importance of classroom expe- rience and training for preschool teachers has clearly demonstrated that it increases preschool quality. Research also continues to con- firm that intentionally structured, high-quality preschool supports optimal development for chil- dren during their earliest years, a crucial period about which there is little disagreement: Brain de- velopment is unparalleled in the years before kindergarten and stimulating learning during this time is absolutely essential. Further, the National Acade- mies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently published an extensive report on transform- ing the early childhood workforce. Among the core recommendations is clear support for a bachelor’s degree with “specialized knowl- edge and competencies” for early educators working with children from birth through age eight. Fed- eral trends and programs, includ- ing Head Start, are also moving toward requiring more lead pre- school teachers to hold a bache- lor’s degree. These findings and trends repre- sent movement toward high-qual- ity early learning systems. Ore- gon does not have one yet, but Children’s Institute has a vision of what that system can be and what it can accomplish. As Pre- school Promise launches, it serves as a call to action for Oregon: The quality of a preschool program is dependent upon the quality of its teachers. It recognizes that better educated early childhood teachers offer significantly higher quality learning environments. It’s based on research that tells us well-edu- cated teachers give children more stimulating and developmentally appropriate curricula, improved cognitive and social gains, and more responsive interactions with children that activate learning. It also recognizes that high-quality C ontinued on P age 14 Thinking Much About What’s Healthy Eating For others — myself includ- ed — there’s a constant struggle to determine what’s healthy, both for our- selves and for the plan- by a va r iChardson et. The dietary habits we Why do we eat maintain become part of what we eat? our identities. Many of us eat But thanks to conflict- foods that are fa- ing information, evolv- miliar, convenient, ing norms, and endless and that simply taste confusion about what good, without think- counts as “healthy,” it’s ing much about why we make the getting harder to settle comfort- choices we do. My food identity dilemma The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com ably into our choices. I call it my food identity dilem- ma. And believe me, it’s been a long journey. I’ve cycled through both veg- anism and vegetarianism. I dab- bled for a time in pescatarianism (eating fish, eggs, and dairy, but no other meats), raw foodism (consuming only raw fruits, veg- etables, and legumes), and hard- core locavorism (buying only food grown within a 3-5 hour driving distance), among other diets. The most challenging — and most rewarding — diet I tried was raw-food veganism. Benefits in- cluded clearer skin, a better mood, and a healthier weight, at least for me. But learning to prepare raw vegan food was difficult. So was the fact that virtually all of my friends were omnivores. On social occasions, it was often either “eat before you go” or go hungry. At other times I tried out the pa- leo fad, intermittent fasting, high- carb diets, low-carb diets, and so many more. My changing diets have been part of an ever-shifting understanding of what it takes to achieve optimal health while sup- porting a more sustainable food system. For more casual eaters, just fig- uring out what counts as “healthy” is tough enough. I’m always try- ing to stay updated on the latest re- search, and even I struggle with it. In a recent New York Times survey, for instance, 71 percent of Americans viewed the ubiquitous granola bar as healthy, compared to just 21 percent of nutritionists. Similar gaps existed for regular granola and foods like frozen yo- gurt, with the public perceiving them as much healthier than the nutritionists. Here’s what the nutritionists know that the rest of us may not: All those foods contain lots of added sugars, which new research suggests are much more problem- atic than the fats we used to fret about (and which many eaters still do). In fact, many fats are now considered okay in moderation, while others — such as coconut oil or fats from nuts — are even touted as “super foods.” Even the government, which stuck to the old “food pyramid” for decades, is revisiting its regu- lations. The Food and Drug Admin- istration recently announced an update of its years-old nutrition labels to emphasize added sugars and to clarify serving sizes, among other changes. And the agency is cracking down on companies that throw around the term “healthy” for snack foods like those granola bars. Still there are debates, like the never-ending quarrel over carbs: the good carbs, the bad carbs, and the unmentionable. Naturally, dif- ferent diet fads offer conflicting advice about how to include carbs in a healthy, balanced diet. At times, I have to admit, I became rather pretentious in my quest for a healthy, well-balanced diet. I started thinking my food habits were far superior to those of my peers. But now I’ve come to appreci- ate how much we still have to learn about nutrition — me and every- one else. It’s helped me learn to be humble. In the end, my food identi- ty may remain as ever-changing as our understanding of the relation- ship between food and health. It’s enlightening, in a way. And occasionally delicious. Ava Richardson is a New Econ- omy Maryland fellow at the Insti- tute for Policy Studies. Distribut- ed by OtherWords.org.
