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Elliot’s Provocations

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a future where all children can flourish. Regarding the title, if you’re not steeped in early childhood education (ECE) lingo, a “provocation” is the field’s term—taken from the Reggio-Emilia philosophy of early education—for offering someone the opportunity to engage with an idea.

We hope this monthly column does that: provocations are certainly not answers, but we hope Elliot’s Provocations helps you pause and consider concepts in a different way.

Elliot’s Provocations: Child Care or Early Childhood Education?

Elliot Haspel·December 1, 2022·9 min read

For my last column of the year, I want to touch on a less-discussed but not-unimportant question: what in the heck should we call the care and education of children during the first five years of their life?

O Canada(’s Child Care Progress)

Elliot Haspel·October 1, 2021·4 min read

While the U.S. is busy debating whether or not to finally invest in our failing child care system, Canada is busy doing it.

Congress Takes Another Run at a Child Care Solution

Elliot Haspel·May 31, 2022·4 min read

The U.S. child care system falls deeper into crisis with every passing day. The sector is still missing 100,000 educators compared to before the pandemic, and amid a competitive labor market, the staffing recovery has slowed to a crawl.

Elliot’s Provocations: In Plain Dollars and Cents, a Child Care Policy Without Major Compensation Increases Is No Child Care Policy

Elliot Haspel·February 2, 2023·6 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

States, Time to Step Up on Child Care

Elliot Haspel·March 1, 2022·8 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

School Readiness and the Tyranny of Merit, Part 1

Elliot Haspel·August 2, 2022·11 min read

While we see the tyranny of merit most active in K-12 and higher education, school readiness is the Trojan horse through which it has breached the world of early childhood.

Build Back Better Helps, Not Hurts, Faith-Based Child Care

Critics are Overselling the Changes While Religious Programs Fight for Their Lives

Elliot Haspel·December 2, 2021·7 min read

While the investments in early care and education appear broadly safe, one unresolved design question concerns what should be required of child care programs operated by faith communities.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Early Learning Community

Elliot Haspel·January 4, 2022·7 min read

2021 was a momentous year for early childhood care & education. The field suffered blow after blow from COVID and then a knock-on staffing crisis; received nearly $50 billion in rescue funds to temporarily patch the gaping leaks; and is ending the year on the precipice of receiving enough public funds through the Build Back Better Act to finally become a stable and healthy sector.

Elliot’s Provocations: Five Early Learning Trends for 2023

Elliot Haspel·January 4, 2023·6 min read

Happy New Year! As 2023 kicks off, I wanted to highlight five early learning trends to be watching this year.

The Many Cases for Child Care

Elliot Haspel·July 5, 2022·5 min read

Back in May, I had the privilege to present the closing keynote address at the Child Care Services Association annual conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. One point that several attendees told me resonated was when I showed that you can make many different arguments for child care, although advocates tend to focus primarily on only a few.