There is not a childcare professional on this planet who would call the existing state ratios ideal. Alas we are bound by material limitations. To increase ratios is not only to run the risk of worsening care quality for the inheritors of the future, children—and this would be bad enough—but to guarantee worsened quality, less attentive and individualized care, and contribute ultimately to the slow death of this field altogether via higher workloads and stress rates atop an already absurd rate of turnover. If that is not indeed the Board’s aim, it would seem an explanation is in order.

Another question came to mind when reviewing some proposed changes: how many cumulative years of in-person early childhood care experience does the board have? How many of these years occurred in the 21st century?

I must reiterate the flagrant shortsightedness of this change will not reflect well on the ultimately replaceable Board.