Policymakers should focus on parental engagement, not universal pre-K

In a recent podcast conversation, Bill Gates and Rashida Jones interviewed economist Raj Chetty on the main drivers of income inequality in the United States. Chetty identifies declining levels of income mobility in the U.S. over recent decades (a finding contested by others, who find more stagnation than decline).

Interestingly, at the beginning of their conversation, Gates, Jones, and Chetty thanked their parents for positively influencing their lives. Jones highlighted how her father, Quincy Jones, a black man born in the 1930s, pushed against the grain and overcame countless obstacles on his way to success. The same went for Chetty, who noted the impact of his Ph.D.-holding parents.

Yet, after their initial remarks, the role of parental engagement didn’t make the cut in terms of the most important issues to address when reducing inequality or increasing mobility. This despite Chetty’s research conclusively showing that neighborhoods with a higher percentage of two-parent households are the best predictor for higher levels of upward mobility across neighborhoods. Parenting matters immensely, yet its absence from such discussions is an issue in and of itself.

Why is it that two-parent households statistically predict future success? Other research suggests one compelling explanation is the importance of early childhood education, not to be confused with schooling, in explaining children’s future success.

Continue reading at The Washington Examiner.