12 May 10
New Mexico's Kids Our Best Investment Strategy
By Larry Langley, CEO/President, New Mexico Business Roundtable

There has been a lot of talk lately, both here in New Mexico, and in other communities all across our nation, about the potential long-term economic and workforce benefits of early childhood education.

There always has been a powerful consensus among our service providers — those people who work daily meeting the needs of families and children — that providing every child with an opportunity to be healthy, educated and successful in life is the right thing to do. What has changed radically in the last few years is that experts in economic theory have joined the discussion.
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15 Jan 10
Achievement Gap Begins Early, Fed Economist Says
New Mexico Business Weekly - Megan Kamerick, NMBW Staff

It’s the place where children are above average, according to Garrison Keillor.

So Minnesota business leaders were shocked to learn that half the children in their state were unprepared for kindergarten.

Is it a big deal if a kid is lagging at such a young age? Yes, said Rob Grunewald, because so much development happens so early in children’s brains that they might never catch up if they fall behind. Grunewald, associate economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, is the co-author of several papers linking early childhood investment to effective economic development.
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13 Nov 09
Summit to Businesses: Invest in the Young or Face Economic Decline
New Mexico Business Weekly - Megan Kamerick, NMBW Staff

The state of Hawaii, faced with budget deficits, recently cut its school week from five to four days.

That was a bad business move, said Robert Dugger, managing partner of the Hanover Investment Group LLC. Dugger advises very large investors, such as the Saudi Monetary Authority and the Singapore Investment Bank.

"I’d have to ask them ‘Do you think it’s a good idea to invest your financial capital where those people are not investing in their own human capital?’ The answer is always no,” he said. “This is exactly where New Mexico is."
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