David Kirp, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, has long been a passionate advocate for children, and early education, in particular. In his fifteen books, including Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming the Lives of Children (2011), he has tackled some of America's most pressing social issues. He served on President Obama's Transition Team, was the founding director of the Harvard Center on Law and Education, where he helped shape landmark litigation expanding the rights of poor and minority students, ELLs and children with special needs, and he serves on the national board of Friends of the Children, which mentors children who are at greatest risk.