Shelley Waters Boots

The New America Foundation launched its Early Education Expansion and Reform Initiative and released its new report "Building a 21st Century Economy: The Case for Investing in Early Education Reform," by Shelley Waters Boots.

As Congress begins to consider reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and the education and training demands of the global economy, maximizing the effectiveness of our early childhood education system takes on greater significance. Compelling research confirms that by the third grade,… more

Never before has the connection between our economic growth and our education system been so critical. In the antiquated industrial economy of the past, a country that could efficiently manufacture and produce material goods succeeded. In today’s new knowledge-based economy, a nation’s success is contingent on its citizens’ human capital. As the Council on Competitiveness predicts, “where once we optimized our organizations for efficiency and quality, now we must optimize our entire society for innovation.”

The drive for innovation demands that… more

Being a mom is stressful. Who knew? And if this morning's toddler tantrum and missed conference call isn't proof enough, we have a chorus of writers, self-help gurus and well-intentioned neighbors to help remind us that we are not alone. From Judith Warner's Perfect Madness to a host of New Age strategies designed to help us find our "authentic" selves, there is finally universal acceptance that stress and motherhood are a bad combination. So while we would never… more

Time is money, and these days there doesn't seem to be enough of either to go around. The new reality in today's 24/7 economy is that the demands on workers continue to grow, but compensation, benefits and flexibility fail to keep up. Unfortunately, it is not just workers that pay a high price. In this game of long hours, shrinking benefits and stagnating wages, the biggest losers are workers' children and families.

Let's get to the heart of the issue: Between… more

In recent years, researchers, the media, and policymakers have struggled to examine the shifting dynamics of work and family and to better understand the implications of these changes for American life. Most experts can agree that American families have changed. We no longer fit the June and Ward Cleaver model. In 1960, 70 percent of American families with children had at least one parent home full-time. By 2000, this trend has been completely reversed. Today, nearly 70 percent of families… more

Father’s Day holds few surprises. A gift from the kids-usually a bad tie-and dinner with the family. Fatherhood itself, however, has undergone dramatic changes over the past few decades as Dads have taken on far more responsibility at home and, in many ways, changed the very definition of Father. The rest of the world has yet to catch up with the new Dad. As a result, even in 2004, too many fathers must still choose between being good breadwinners and… more

The American family changed dramatically overthe last decades of the twentieth century. In1960, 70 percent of families had a parent homefull-time. Today, this is reversed. Fully 70percent of families with children are now headedby two working parents or by an unmarriedworking parent. The breadwinner and homemaker have been replaced by “juggler parents” with responsibility for both makingends meet and caring for the family. And thisfamily can now include elderly relatives. Morethan… more