Letter to the Legislature
Governor Gary
Locke's website now carries
a link to the Governor's
Commission on Early Learning.
On the home page of that site is the following quote from Gov. Locke:
Science has now
proven the first three years of life are critical to a child's learning and
development. Because these earliest
stages set the stage for the rest of that child's life, parents and care-givers
need to know how to make the most of those learning opportunities.
Governor Locke made a similar claim in
a press release in
June 1998 in which he also announced the establishment of the Governor's
Commission on Early Learning. However,
when I requested of Governor Locke the scientifically
validated research to prove his contention, he could not produce it;
producing, instead, a packet of magazine articles
that did not and do not constitute scientifically validated research. It appears that the packet of information
provided was received by Locke at the February 1997 National Governor's
Conference that preceded the White
House Conference on Early Childhood Learning and Development in
April 1997.
On November 10, 1998, the Governor's
Commission on Early Learning held a "public forum"
(a facilitated focus group meeting) in Spokane.
In my report on that event, I stated,
A thirteen-minute video
clip (shown at the June 26, 1998 meeting of the Governor's Commission on Early
Learning) from ABC made the contention that early childhood brain development
is dependent on early childhood experiences.
The credentials of the individuals on the video were never presented,
yet they were presented as "experts" in both early childhood
development and in neuroscience.
The name of the clip was From the
Beginning, narrated by Diane Sawyer, Prime Time Live, ABC News. The
"experts" quoted in the clip included Michael Phelps, Harry Chugani, and Penelope Leach. It is of note that all of these individuals
have connections to individuals present at the White House Conference on Early
Childhood Development and Learning.
I wish to draw your attention to yet
another article written by neuroscientist, Dr John Bruer,
of the James S McDonnell Foundation. The noted article is entitled In Search of…Brain-Based
Education and has been published in Phi Delta Kappan.
This article blows holes, as has his
other articles,
in the claims of Governor Locke and others bent on pushing early childhood
education. To put it mildly, these
people are engaging in pseudo-science.
The following is just one quote from the above article, but makes the
point very adequately:
Chugani accurately
described the scientific state of affairs in his Preventive Medicine
review. He believes, along with some educators and early childhood
advocates, that there is a biological window of opportunity when learning is
easy, efficient, and easily retained. But
there is no neuroscientific evidence to support this belief. And where there is no scientific evidence,
there is no scientific fact. (Bold type added for emphasis)
Governor Locke requested and received
$1,500,000 to continue the work of the Governor's Commission on Early Learning
via ESSB 5180, yet the work of the Governor's
Commission on Early Learning is not based in solid scientific fact, but
rather in pseudo-science, relegating the work of this commission to a political
agenda that is not about what is best for children, the development of
children, or about families, but leads directly to further government intrusion
into the sanctity of the family in the interests of the state, further
destroying children, families and society.
I have repeatedly pointed out to the
Legislature that the work of this commission is not based on scientific
fact, contrary to the claims of Governor Locke and the GCEL. I do not understand why the Legislature
continued funding for this commission when its work is not supported or
based in that which is scientifically provable.
I have to question why nothing has been done to stop what amounts
to a politically motivated propaganda campaign by the GCEL
that has nothing to do with what is best for children or families. And I have to question why, when our
families are already heavily overtaxed, was $1,500,000 given to further the
political cause of this commission.
Lynn M Stuter
7th District
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