Framing the Out of School Time Agenda

Stephen M. Pratt, President

Dear Friends:

If you were sitting down with Governor-elect Deval Patrick, how would you advise him on his agenda for Out-of-School Time? In the wake of this week's line-item vetoes by outgoing Governor Romney, many of you might, understandably, ask him to restore the funding, including $7 million for vouchers alone.

While public funding is fundamental to anything we hope to accomplish as a sector, the fact is that funding is the least of our problems. In this past election cycle, OST was not a central issue for the candidates, regardless of party. Even the candidate who made his mark in the public arena championing after-school programs focused primarily on the related but discrete notion of "extended learning time."

I was struck by how clearly the tide has turned for OST in the public policy arena on a trip to California last week. That's the state with the Governor who came to public prominence largely by winning passage of Proposition 49, which beginning in 2007, will funnel more than a half billion (yes, billion) dollars to after-school programs. Four years later, in an election cycle that was successful for more candidates friendly to our concerns, no candidate of any significance got elected with after-school programming as a central plank of his or her platform. This is not a critique of the candidates' positions on youth development or education policy, but rather a critique of our sector in its efforts to keep OST before the public as a critical issue in its own right.

Clearly, the OST field needs to make a fresh and vigorous case for itself in the public arena, one that sells what we can do and does not overpromise. After-school programs are a powerful, and I would argue, indispensable, component of a successful youth development strategy. They are not intrinsically valuable to students. They are specifically valuable to specific students. If our field is to grow and prosper in the new political era that approaches, we must prepare to make this case in a hurry.

Thanks for reading,

Steve

Guest Column

"The children and youth who we advocate for need us to engage in these collective conversations, bring our expertise to the table, and forge alliances for our field. No matter on what particular issue we may differ, our shared cause is to highlight what young people need..."

By Gwynn Hughes, Executive Director, Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership 

New Additions on this Topic to our Online Research Library

Making Smart Investments In Afterschool Policy Primer For State & Local Leaders

This report offers ideas for state and local policy makers on how to approach challenges to the after school sector such as system building, program acessibility, and improving quality. It acts as a reference for shaping state and local policies on after school through the use of successful practices.

The Afterschool Hours: A New Focus for America’s Cities

The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) provided a 30-month technical assistance program to assist municipal leaders in their efforts to enhance and increase the availability of after-school programs. Eight cities participated and their stories are presented in this report. Lessons learned about what did and did not work in terms of involving municipal leaders in after-school efforts are also highlighted.

Inside the State House: The People and Ideas That Shaped After-School Legislation

This brief provides an overview of the background work involved in supporting six pieces of legislation which supports the after-school programs. A description of out-of-school time is provided, followed by an explanation of the role of legislators in shaping after school policy and programs.