Advocates for early childhood education are understandably
excited about their prospects under President-elect Barack
Obama's administration. During the campaign, Mr. Obama pledged
to increase federal early education spending by $10 billion
annually. Currently, the two largest federal early childhood
programs, Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block
Grant, spend about $12 billion annually combined. A $10 billion
increase would almost double that investment. Just as
remarkably, Mr. Obama deliberately singled out early education
as an important investment he would prioritize even in tight
economic times. Add in a potentially $1 trillion economic
stimulus package that's raising the prospects for even
previously inconceivable public investments, and advocates are
downright giddy. It seems terribly Grinch-like to throw cold
water on these hopes. But in fact this is a dangerous moment for
both Mr. Obama and the early education movement. If new early
education investments are made too quickly - if fundin