Shelley Waters Boots

Building a 21st Century Economy

Communications — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
12/13/2005 - 12:12pm

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

Building a 21st Century Economy

Education Policy — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:00:00 -0500

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 we look at improving our education system from the ground up. However, to date, we have heard little in the education debate about children’s early years. This is radically different than our competitors, who begin investing much earlier in their citizens’ education, knowing that these investments have long-term benefits for children and families. For America to succeed, we must do the same. We make the case for a fundamental change in U.S. early education policies, looking specifically at prekindergarten through third grade -- what we call the PK-3 agenda.

The reforms we outline below are critical to developing the foundation for learning that children need to succeed in a global economy. PK-3 efforts will also help to ensure that children who start from behind are able to catch up and become full participants in America’s future growth and prosperity.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version.

Roses, Relaxation And Real Reform

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 06 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

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 say "no" to a facial or a yoga class, we have a much more practical solution to help American mothers relax. And this year, instead of respite from our busy lives, we're asking the government for the ultimate Mother's Day gift: policies that truly support our children and families.

Quality, affordable child care: It's hard for mothers (and fathers) to make a living without child care they can trust. But even if you can find a quality program or provider, child care can cost as much as college tuition. High-quality, affordable child care solutions would help families navigate work and family responsibilities and ensure quality settings to help all children get a solid academic and developmental start on the skills they need to succeed as adults.

Marriage support for the real world: Who doesn't want a healthy marriage? The real question is the role the government should play in making that happen. The administration is proposing a series of marriage education efforts designed to change attitudes on divorce and marriage. But if we are really serious about supporting healthy marriages and improving children's lives, we should also include policies that reduce the economic stress on parents so they can nurture each other as well as their children.

Paid sick leave: All parents need a break when their children are sick, and working moms are no exception. Yet nearly 47 percent of all workers don't have any paid sick leave to look after their own health or the health of their children. The recently introduced Healthy Families Act would guarantee moms (and dads) at least seven days of paid sick leave each year and offer a promising prescription for healthier families and saner mothers.

Paid parental leave: A study just released by the National Partnership for Women and Families, Expecting Better, reports that pregnant women are working longer hours with fewer benefits, working later into their pregnancies and returning to work faster after the birth of their children. With only 12 percent of American companies offering paid maternity leave, federal laws such as the Family and Medical Leave Act should be expanded to give all American working mothers and fathers the economic supports they need to spend time with their children.

Good schools and after-school programs: Getting a quality education too often depends on the size of a parent's pocketbook. The federal government needs to go beyond a myopic focus on test results to fix school financing and address the inequalities in the nation's public schools. Moms also need access to comprehensive after-school programs that meet the demands and schedules of today's working parents and provide quality, safe environments for their children long after the last bell rings.

Equal pay: Let's face it: Moms need a pay raise. Today, working mothers earn only 73 percent of men's salaries, all else being equal. Passing pay equity laws would help to address the pay differential and ensure that moms have the resources they need to care for their families and themselves.

Support for second-time-around mothers: More than 2.4 million grandparents -- the majority of them women -- have stepped up to raise six million children whose parents are struggling with substance abuse, incarceration, abuse and neglect, domestic violence and unemployment. Because many of these grandmothers lack legal authority over the children they are raising, tasks as simple as enrolling children in school, authorizing basic medical care and staying in public housing can become insurmountable barriers. Government policies are needed to provide financial, legal and other supports to these grandparents and the other relatives who provide a vital safety net for children -- and save the government billions of dollars in the process.

Flexibility at work: Working moms are run ragged by work and family demands -- so much so that they lose the equivalent of one night's sleep every week. Helping mothers gain flexibility at work would go a long way toward providing them with what they really want: time with their families without paying a huge penalty on the job. Government should support prorated pay and benefits for part-time work, flexible start and end times, compressed work weeks and telecommuting for working parents.

Health insurance coverage: Right now, there are more than 45 million uninsured Americans. To guarantee the well-being of mothers and families, we need to focus on universal access to appropriate health care and prescription drug coverage. Without quality health insurance coverage for themselves or for their children, mothers not only risk their family's physical well-being, but their economic security, too, as missed work days bring missed paychecks and, in some cases, lost jobs.

A better budget: When it comes to children and families, Congress just passed one of the most irresponsible budget resolutions in modern memory. With a narrow passage in both the House and the Senate, the budget slashes $35 billion from a range of children and family programs, including $10 billion from the Medicaid program, a health insurance program for lower-income children and families. Because the budget caps domestic discretionary spending, an additional $24 million will have to be cut from the already restricted budgets for nutrition programs, Head Start, education and housing programs. Tight fiscal times require tough decisions, but mothers and children shouldn't be the ones to pay the price.

Beyond Latchkey Kids

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0500

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 1970 and 2001, the percentage of mothers in the workforce rose from 38 to 67 percent. Compared to 30 years ago, today's dual-income parents put in one additional month of full-time work each year. So what are the realities that parents and their children face when it comes to balancing work and family?

Well, one in five employees work most of their hours in the evenings, during nights or weekends or on a rotating or highly variable schedule. Nearly 60 percent of wage and salaried employees lack the flexibility they need in their jobs to meet both work and family responsibilities. Being able to control work start and end times, working from home or working part-time with benefits are simply not options for most.

When it comes to a family illness, a school meeting or a snow day at school, many parents wind up paying a financial and personal price to meet their family obligations. Too many parents lack paid time off -- including sick leave, vacation time or personal days. A recent study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research confirms that 49 percent of workers lack basic paid sick leave for themselves. Even fewer workers can get time off to care for sick children. Our pro-family Family and Medical Leave Act has its limitations -- only 45 percent of parents working in the private sector are eligible to take this unpaid leave, and as few as 5 percent of parents have access to a job that offers paid parental leave.

These trends and the way work is done in America have exacted a steep toll on families and children. What are the costs? Maternal depression -- found to significantly harm children's development -- has been linked to the lack of flexibility in the workplace. Studies suggest that children of mothers who were unable to take an extended maternity leave have lower cognitive scores than children whose mothers spent a longer time on leave. Long hours at work have been linked to children's behavior problems and are tied to poor parenting behavior. For example, a study found that fathers who worked long hours and felt overloaded were less accepting and had less positive relationships with their children.

Children whose parents work nonstandard schedules are worse off than children whose parents work regular hours. For example, studies confirm that children with parents who work nights or evenings have lower reading and math test scores, and adolescents with parents who work nonstandard hours experience more behavioral problems.

Work during nonstandard hours has serious repercussions on another key factor affecting children's development: marriage. When fathers work nights, separation or divorce is about six times higher than for fathers who work standard hours. When mothers work nights, separation or divorce is three times higher.

Finally, children often suffer from poor-quality child care. As most parents can attest, finding and paying for high-quality child care is a Herculean task. Unfortunately, more than half of all child care settings have been deemed to be of poor or mediocre quality. For another 3.3 million children between the ages of 6 and 12, there is no caregiver at all. They are left home alone while parents work.

Workplaces and public policy have not caught up to these new realities. The burden to adjust and adapt to an inflexible workplace has fallen squarely on the backs of working parents. And the true costs of our outdated employment system are borne by children. If, in fact, policymakers want to address the needs of families and improve outcomes for children, then a package of new policy approaches is critically needed. By promoting better policies on sick leave, parental leave, child care and workplace flexibility, policymakers will go a long way to help families realize a fundamental tenet of the American dream: to be both a good worker and a good parent.

The Way We Work

Workforce and Family — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

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 are headed by either two working parents or a single working parent. The notion of a breadwinner and a wife may have defined the intersection of family and work in the past. But today’s realities demonstrate that for most families, this is no longer true.

Similarly, the nature of work in America has changed, with a 9-to-5 workday quickly becoming a relic of the past. Families are now struggling to integrate into a global economy that operates on a 24/7 schedule. Today men and women in America are working more than most other workers in the industrialized world. Nevertheless, the concept of the "ideal worker" -- someone available at all times, without family responsibilities --dominates today’s workplace culture, pulling moms and dads further into the workforce.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version.

Why Dad Can't 'Have it All'

Workforce and Family — Sun, 20 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0400

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 good parents -- when they’d like to be both.

In 1960, Dads in 70 percent of all families with children could kiss the kids good-bye and leave for work knowing that Mom was home to answer any calls from the school nurse. Today, Dad’s work number is likely to be on the school emergency card -- as there’s no one home full-time in over 70 percent of all families. As working mothers have increased the number of hours they work -- by over 1/3, over the last two decades, according to the Economic Policy Institute -- Dad has been under ever more pressure to pick up the slack.

Dads have responded -- increasing the time they spend doing household chores by almost 45 minutes a day (while mothers have decreased their time by about the same amount), and spending twice as much time devoted to child care responsibilities as they did thirty years ago. The results tend to be positive. The more involved Dad is in family life, the better the kids. cognitive development, self control, self esteem, life skills and social competence -- and the less stereotyped attitudes they have about appropriate roles for men and women.

Michael Kimmel, a leading scholar of fatherhood, believes .the most dramatic shift in family life in the 21st century will surely be the changing roles of men, just as the demographic shift in the workplace in the 20th century was the dramatic entry of women..

But while dads seem willing to expand their role in family life, there’s a third party that has not been so quick to change: the workplace. Dad may want to spend more time with the kids, but his boss isn’t too eager to give him the flexibility he needs. Fathers are now working slightly more than they did in 1979. And the pressure on them to do all that is asked of them at work is on the rise. Offshoring is just one of the threats to a family’s economic security. Job tenure and benefit coverage are down. Wages have stagnated while fixed costs like housing and college are through the roof.

Dads can’t risk losing the family’s health care and pension benefits that are often tied to working a .full-time. schedule. Meanwhile, full-time jobs often lack access to parental leave or flexible work arrangements that would help them balance work and family. More than half of wage and salaried employees lack the ability to change their starting and quitting times, and a similar percentage lack the ability to work a compressed schedule. In fact,

Dads often face hostility by their employer for taking time off to meet the needs of children and family. In a study released this week by the Program on WorkLife Law at American University Washington College of Law, fathers were found to risk pay loss, disciplinary action, and even dismissal when they choose family responsibilities over work.

For dads, like moms, cash competes with care. Much has been written in the last few years about the financial sacrifice this often entails for Mom -- especially in the event of a divorce. But less has been said about the price that Dad and the kids pay when a demanding boss, or fear of a pink slip, trumps Dad’s ability to attend to a sick child or show up for a parent conference.

It is simply a myth that dads wouldn’t choose to .have it all. if given the option. A study by the Families and Work Institute shows that 70 percent of fathers reported feeling that they do not have enough time with their children. And when two federal agencies implemented flextime for their employees, half of the male employees with children changed their work hours in order to spend more time with their families.

Institutions need to change if men are to be allowed to succeed as fathers, both at work and at home. For a start, employers need to understand that their workforce has more family responsibilities than in the past and needs more flexibility. Family economic security -- in the form of health insurance and pension benefits -- can no longer be tied to working long hours. More supports -- like child care and after after school -- are required to help care for children while dads and moms are at work.

It’s not too late to return the tie.

This document is also available in PDF format.

Workplace Flexibility: A Policy Problem

Workforce and Family — Sat, 01 May 2004 00:00:00 -0400

The American family changed dramatically over
the last decades of the twentieth century. In
1960, 70 percent of families had a parent home
full-time. Today, this is reversed. Fully 70
percent of families with children are now headed
by two working parents or by an unmarried
working parent. The breadwinner and homemaker have been replaced by “juggler parents” with responsibility for both making
ends meet and caring for the family. And this
family can now include elderly relatives. More
than 21 percent of households have at least one
individual who has cared for a relative or friend
over age 50 in the past year. Of those caregivers,
59 percent have worked and managed caregiving
responsibilities at the same time.

For the complete document, please see the attached PDF version.