Over the last 30 years, America has “squandered” the educational lead it previously held over the rest of the world, according to New York Times columnist David Brooks.

Speaking February 8th at the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, the conservative columnist said regaining that edge will require an increasing emphasis on “human capital,”  including expanded investment in early childhood programs. 

"The investment return on early childhood is higher than on any other human capital investment we make," Brooks said. “We have a public culture that is biased in favor of things you can count.” 

Despite that, Brooks said he’s seen signs of a “cognitive revolution” across the nation over the past five years, based on a dawning awareness that K-12 school reforms by themselves have yielded “disappointing results” and that vital learning takes place in the years from birth to age five.

Brooks said researchers are increasingly recognizing the important contributions made to learning by “unconscious” traits, including self control, the ability to attach to others, and the development of a work ethic.

Many children, he said, fail to develop those skills early on owing to family difficulties or poor parenting and thus do poorly in school.  Programs like home nurse visits, preschool and others can help fill the gaps.

“If you’re going to teach the mind, early is better,” he said.

The problem, he added, is that expanding early childhood programs will require a sincere buy-in by politicians, who tend to pay lip service to anything they perceive as only producing benefits “20 years out.”

The solution, he said, is simple.

“Bug them.”

In a question and answer session following his talk, Brooks added that some conservatives worry that early childhood programs are “paternalistic” government intrusions.

“That’s not our culture. And yet many of the things that work are incredibly paternalistic,” he said.

To read the Grand Rapids Press story on the Brooks’ speech, click here.

-- Andy Heller