National security

Protecting early childhood education helps national security


The next time you drop your child off to preschool, or spot a gaggle of four year olds on a playground, you should think about national security.

Yes, you read that correctly, because a lot of what happens in a four year old’s mind right now will have a big impact on his or her ability to qualify for military service or employment later in life.

This was my key message at a recent panel on Tennessee’s ranking on the Council for a Strong America Citizen Readiness index. We did not do so well, unless you subscribe to the notion that “misery loves company.” Tennessee was one of 39 states that earned a grade of C or worse. That ranking was based in part on the fact that nearly three-quarters of Tennessee’s 17-to-24-year olds would not be eligible to serve in today’s military because of issues such as educational underachievement, obesity, drug/substance abuse or crime.

The state of Tennessee’s Pre-K program could be one of the vehicles to help solve this problem for the next generation of Tennesseans. Long-running studies conclusively show that when early learning programs are provided correctly, they can boost graduation rates, deter children from criminal behavior/crime, and reduce the likelihood that a child will be held back in school.