Teachers College Press Reshaping Universal Preschool: Critical Perspectives on Power and Policy (Early Childhood Education Series)

This is a comprehensive, detailed account of the complex state of Universal Preschool (UPK) in the United States. As discussions regarding access, equity, and the societal value of early childhood education enter into the public forum, this book offers critical perspectives for next steps. The authors join the synergy of wonder to the practicality of wisdom to navigate complicated systems of power, relationships, and discourse. Cross-sector efforts to address planning and implementation of UPK are examined while acknowledging the current inequitable nature of the field. The book is a cautionary tale that includes historical and current vignettes showing that some issues in UPK collaboratives are constant across time. To bring the discussion alive, a variety of stakeholder perspectives offer insights into the "why" behind policy decisions. Reshaping Universal Preschool will help stakeholders explore, reflect, and apply lessons learned to existing or potential UPK collaborative efforts. Book Features:Honors and illustrates perspectives from the participants―families, teachers, support staff, administrators, researchers, and policymakers.Considers the complicated nature of perceived power among stakeholders.Offers pragmatic suggestions to consider while engaging in policy changes that affect early childhood practice.Provides insight on collaborative practices building up from early education to the larger educational context.Contains reflective questions to help readers apply the research and concepts to their own practice, situation, and communities. Review " Reshaping Universal Preschool is an ideal book for those who are interested in exploring the early education landscape in the United States from a critical perspective. In the quest for establishing universal preschool and equal access to high quality early education, Heimer and Ramminger's book offers practical recommendations on how to do so and, at the same time, acknowledges and highlights some of the associated challenges of such an endeavor."--Teachers College Record About the Author Lucinda G. Heimer is associate professor and program coordinator for the dual licensure program in early childhood education special education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Ann Elizabeth Ramminger is founder of Early Childhood Solutions Consulting based out of central Massachusetts. With contributions by Katherine K. Delaney, Sarah Galanter-Guziewski, Lacey Peters, and Kristin Whyte.