Home - Dialogue - Concepts - Building - Questions

What is the Ready to Succeed Dialogue with Michigan?

P. A. 135 of 1999 established the Ready to Succeed Dialogue with Michigan to examine how Michigan can develop a system that assures that every child has a good opportunity to enter kindergarten ready to learn. The dialogue has four major components:

• Conducting at least one summit in 2000 that brings together leaders who attended the 1999 Ready to Learn Leadership Summit.
  
• Examining outstanding early childhood education and care practices implemented in Michigan and elsewhere for the purpose of presenting proposals for consideration by the governor and legislature.
  
• Holding community forums across the state to enable the dialogue to report to the legislature and governor the full range of community concerns about early childhood education and care.
  
• Consulting with parents as well as leaders in business, education, religion, health, labor, media, law enforcement, government, philanthropy, and other sectors to garner their support in helping all children enter school ready to succeed.

In 1999, 20 communities throughout the state held forums prior to a leadership summit on June 11. The purpose of the forums was to carry out a dialogue in Michigan communities on the essential components of a quality early childhood education and care system. An effort was made in each community to engage a cross-section of leaders from the different sectors. Results of the forums were considered at the June summit.

The most significant outcome of the June leadership summit has been the successful mobilization of Michigan opinion leaders to:

• Create widespread recognition of the importance of quality early childhood education and care for all children in the state, and
  
• Translate this knowledge into action to assure that all children have the opportunity to succeed.

Four priority action teams are now designing strategies to achieve the vision of all children, ready to succeed.

A goal of the 2000 dialogue is to support 20 new community forums as a way to extend the dialogue throughout Michigan. During the year 2000 forums, communities will be asked to consider four priority action areas:

• Parent education and support
  
• Professional development of other (nonparent) caregivers
  
• Public awareness
  
• State and local public/private partnerships

Results from the forums will be highlighted during a fall leadership summit and contribute to the recommendations presented to the governor, legislature and citizens of Michigan.

Go to Key Concepts of Brain Research