DR. RUBY TAKANISHI

TAKANISHI--Dr. Ruby. Warrior for Children, dies at 74. Dr. Ruby Takanishi grew up on a small sugar plantation on Kekaha, Hawaii and became a warrior for children's issues. She died on August 8th at her home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her daughter at her side. She was 74. Growing up as a lover of science, particularly how the methods and resources of science could inform children's well-being, Ruby held that while talent is equally distributed in the population, opportunity is not. This fact drove Ruby to fight for every child's rights to a high-quality education. Her work focused on all stages of children's development, from early childhood to adolescence, and emphasized that children's positive transitions across ages and settings must be fostered. She insisted that policies and practices related to the development of all children should be based on rigorous science. Equity was a focus throughout her work and one that she explicitly encouraged in those with whom she worked. Ruby studied psychology at Stanford University where she received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees. A fellowship experience in 1969 in Chicago enabled Ruby to study the structure and functioning of schools and school systems which shaped her understanding of the importance of continuity in children's education, particularly the bridge between early childhood education and K-12. In 1980, Ruby left a tenured position at the University of California at Los Angeles to serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee as a Society for Research in Child Development and AAAS Congressional Science Fellow. As the Director of the Office of Scientific Affairs at the American Psychological Association, Ruby developed ethical standards of research with primates, standards for educational and psychological testing, and public and private support for research in the behavioral and social sciences. Ruby also served as the founding Executive Director of the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences and as Assistant Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education in the President's Office of Science and Technology Policy. As Executive Director of the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, in 1986 Ruby led the production of two influential reports that elevated the importance of this developmental period for children, Turning Points and A Matter of Time. As the President and CEO of the Foundation for Child Development from 1996-2012, she initiated the PreK-3rd movement and supported young scholars studying children living in immigrant families, thus launching two important fields of knowledge and practice throughout the United States. Throughout her career, Ruby was particularly focused on dual language learners. As such, she was selected to chair the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus committee which published the 2017 report, Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English. The report explores the research on dual language learners from birth through young adulthood and recommends evidence-based strategies to support better educational outcomes at the classroom, school, and district levels. As a senior research fellow at New America, Ruby authored First Things First: Creating the New American Primary School. In this book, Ruby reimagined public school education with a civil rights and equity lens by envisioning high-quality education for all children from pre-kinder- garten through fifth grade. Ruby's commitment to service, particularly in advancing equity for all children to thrive, was exemplified by her service on several boards and in advisory roles including, the Council on Foundations; Grantmakers for Children, Youth, and Families; Grantmakers for Education; the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation; the Advisory Panel on Public Issues of the Advertising Council; the National Advisory Committee for the National Children's Study; First Focus; and the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research. Dr. Takanishi's mentorship was expansive, and numerous scholars, professionals and organizations were the recipients of her intellectual generosity. Always eager to share her time and wisdom, Ruby provided abundant opportunities for mentees to gain invaluable professional experiences and exercise leadership roles. These opportunities frequently helped launch careers. Ruby often said, kodomo no tame ni (for the sake of the children). A belief exemplified in her final months as she expressed great concern about COVID-19's exacerbation of disparities in children's development and well-being. She leaves us with the charge to maintain a focus on equity and excellence for all children. Her legacy will continue through the research, policies, practices, and scholars that she supported.