Every committee that deals with education in the Missouri Legislature should invite the families who filed what became known as "the Liddell case" to speak about the future of urban schools.
Minnie Liddell was the St. Louis woman who, on behalf of her son, Craton, was the lead plaintiff in the historic lawsuit in 1972 that led to the desegregation of St. Louis Public Schools. That case was settled in 1999, with the state of Missouri ordered to pay the school district $180 million, most of which was supposed to go to build new schools.
For years, that money has been tied up as the school district lost population, shuttered schools and had no way to properly fulfill the requirements of the legal settlement.
Craton Liddell died in 2002; his mother died two years later. This week, their family, the remaining plaintiffs, the NAACP, St. Louis Public Schools, the state of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a historic agreement that someday could turn the tide in favor of St. Louis children who want a chance to succeed.
The agreement calls for using the bulk of $96 million in the desegregation escrow fund to put the school district on solid financial footing. That move alone will help St. Louis Public Schools' pursuit to regain state accreditation, a necessary step to future success.
But the best part of the agreement is the decision to spend $23 million to expand early childhood education programs.
"We looked at the urban school districts that have been most successful," said Bill Douthit, the plaintiffs' attorney. He added, "This has all been data-driven decision-making. Data show early childhood intervention works."
Data-driven. How refreshing. As state lawmakers have been chipping around the edges, talking about charter schools and teacher pay, the Liddell plaintiffs got to the heart of the matter. Children in St. Louis will improve their test scores when they arrive at public schools ready to learn. They will develop the skills needed for future success if offered the opportunity to learn at a younger age, just like many of their better-off counterparts in the suburbs.
It's interesting that the agreement was announced the same day that new graduation rates were released in Missouri, showing some area districts doing worse than previously reported. One big key to a student graduating at age 18 is the kind of preparation he gets at ages 3 and 4.
Study after study has shown that early childhood education reduces crime, reduces dropout rates, increases graduation rates and returns a significantly higher return on investment than almost any other economic development plan. Business leaders all over the country have urged cities and school districts to invest in early childhood education instead of throwing money at the problems at the end of the education cycle, including prisons.
The RAND Corporation has estimated a $2.62 return for every $1 spent in early childhood education. The evidence was overwhelming enough to cause a conservative state like Oklahoma to adopt a statewide pre-kindergarten program.
As Mr. Douthit said, the data are clear. Early childhood education works. Lacking so far are the political will and the funding to implement it. Thanks to the foresight of the Liddell family and the other plaintiffs, thousands of St. Louis children will get a head start on learning. What a tremendous legacy.
