education for all americans beginning back in the late 1800s, that decision alone to invest in our children and families was a major part of why we were able to lead the world for much of the 20th century. but somewhere along the way we stopped investing in ourselves, investing in our people. america is still the largest economy in the world. we still have the most productive workers and innovative mind in the world. but we risk losing our edge as a nation. our infrastructure used to be rated the best in the world. today according to the world economic forum we rank 13th in the world. we used to lead the world in educational achievement. now the organization for economic cooperation and development ranks america 35th out of the 37 major countries when it comes to investing in early childhood education and care. we know how our children start