Author: admin

New America
By Lydia Mackie
Oct. 27, 2022
Tiny monarch caterpillars arrived at the school, not floating through the air, but with the thud of a package on concrete.
Our postal carrier had no idea how many lessons were going to emerge from that box for the prekindergartners at our public school in Washington, DC. First, we created a mesh net habitat and placed it in the tiny side yard of our concrete school building, which is just a few feet from a busy...

The Reform Alliance
Oct. 18, 2022
The Reform Alliance says Focusing on education dialogue with students and families, not buildings, is step in right direction.
Little Rock, AR – The Reform Alliance is encouraged to see the unveiling of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education agenda. Her plan, Arkansas LEARNS, is a step in the right direction – focusing the education dialogue on students and families, not buildings.
“With third-grade reading levels at an abysmal 35 percent statewide, it is comforting to know that if she is...

The Washington Post
By The Editorial Board
October 11, 2022
Many sectors are reeling from massive labor shortages — but few affect families more intimately than what is happening with child care. With lengthy waiting lists and soaring costs, the scale of the crisis is obvious. Less clear is how the country can quickly fix it. First, the problem: Like other caregiver industries, child care was hit hard by covid-19. There are nearly 90,000 fewer child-care workers today than in February 2020 — an...

Fortune
By Ellen McGirt
October 11, 2022
If you have been paying attention to the shocking lack of childcare options for working families in the U.S.—some 126,000 already underpaid caregivers have left the industry since the pandemic began in 2020—you may (or may not) be shocked by how we really got here....

K-12 Dive
By Naaz Modan
October 10, 2022
Almost half of early childhood educators are experiencing high levels of burnout and stress, according to a nationwide survey of 2,300 educators. The survey, published by early childhood education resource provider Teaching Strategies, shows 45% of early child educators are battling mental health challenges and burnout. Almost the same percentage, 43%, say staffing shortages are affecting their stress level. Mental health challenges are also partly why early childhood educators are considering a career change, according...

EdSource
By Karen D'Souza
September 30, 2022
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday that will streamline access to the state’s subsidized early childhood education system. Introduced by Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, Senate Bill 1047, formerly SB 50, makes it easier for low-income families to access the state-funded California State Preschool Program and subsidized child care system by automatically granting eligibility to families who are already enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, WIC or Head Start, cutting a layer of red tape....

The Hechinger Report
By Ariel Gilreath
September 29, 2022
Many people might think the main benefit of a high-quality preschool program is the academic boost it gives young children when they enter elementary school. But the strongest positive effects may show up years, and even decades, later and have little to do with test scores and grades. Researchers at Georgetown University have been studying the impact of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s program for two decades. In a new set of working papers, the researchers found long-term...

The Atlantic
By Stephanie H. Murray
September 28, 2022
A child’s ability to succeed in the classroom is powerfully influenced by their home environment. Giving parents the support they need could be key to fixing American education. Many American schools are failing to provide all students with a quality education, and policy makers don’t seem to know what to do about it. Even before schools closed during the pandemic, 30 percent of graduating seniors failed to reach a basic level of competency in reading,...

CNBC
By Dana Suskind
September 24, 2022
Resilience is the ability to face a challenge and come out the other side with some measure of growth and success, and there has never been a more important time for parents to help their kids build it. As a physician who studies early brain development, I’ve found one surprising factor that contributes to increased resilience at a young age: creating “nurturing routines.” Studies show that having structure and familiar rituals teaches kids how to constructively manage themselves...

Diply
By Ashley Hunte
September 12, 2022
Snoop Dogg's rap persona may be far from family friendly, but that doesn't mean he can't make time for the kids, apparently. The Grammy-nominated artist has decided to take on a new business venture. That's right, Snoop Dogg has co-founded and launched a YouTube channel. But you won't see any references to drugs or adult themes there. Instead, you'll see hip-hop-infused nursery rhymes....

SZCF's President Elliot Steinberg attended and spoke at The Hunt Institute's bipartisan Early Childhood Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ., along with Dr. Dana Suskind, author of Parent Nation, who was introduced by Steinberg as the event's keynote speaker. The event brought together 52 state teams, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC, comprised of senior elected officials, gubernatorial staff, and key early childhood system leaders....

By Alyssa Haywoode | Eye on Early Education
August 9, 2022
The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood — and How to Explain this to More Adults
Play is important for children.
However, what’s missing from this important idea, a new report says, is a clear understanding of how play can be an effective learning strategy in early childhood settings – and how best to share this concept with the public.
The report – “The Role of Play in Designing Effective Early Learning Environments and...

By Catherine Lucey and Natalie Andrews
Aug. 17, 2022
WASHINGTON—Democrats made programs such as universal prekindergarten and paid family leave a central part of their agenda, and yet none of those policies were included in the legislative package signed into law Tuesday by President Biden.
The $700 billion bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, doesn’t include child-care subsidies, prekindergarten, paid leave or the child tax credit. All were part of the president’s early proposals and were included in the original $3.5 trillion...

Press Release | The Education Trust
August 17, 2022
A new report from The Education Trust and Generation Hope finds that there is no state in which a student parent can work 10 hours per week at the minimum wage and afford both tuition and child care at a public college or university
WASHINGTON – As student loan debt is now $1.7 trillion, cries to make college affordable are reaching a fever pitch. The Biden-Harris administration is currently deciding whether to cancel...

By Emily Tate Sullivan | Ed Surge
August 12, 2022
This week, the Aspen Institute announced its 2022 Ascend fellows, a cohort of 22 individuals hailing from a range of disciplines including medicine, research, entrepreneurship, government and policy, and nonprofit leadership and advocacy.
Their respective fields may vary widely, but what unites this particular group—on the 10-year anniversary since the fellowship was first launched—is their commitment to transforming early childhood education. The fellowship has always been about investing in leaders from various...

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado
August 12, 2022
Universal Preschool: Inside Colorado's Free Preschool Initiative
Child care providers, school district staff, and a pediatrician are among 15 people appointed to a new group that will advise Colorado’s early childhood chief on rules ranging from preschool funding rates to preschool teacher credentials.
Lisa Roy, executive director of the state’s new Department of Early Childhood, will have the final say over new rules, but state law requires her to consult with the newly formed Rules...

By Eden Stiffman | The Chronicle of Philanthropy
August 9, 2022
After spending her day in an Albuquerque classroom with 3-year-olds, teaching them how to hold a pencil and other skills to prepare them for kindergarten, Ivydel Natachu puts on her organizing hat. During the Covid-19 pandemic — as the lives of teachers and families changed exponentially — the 17-year veteran day care teacher got involved with Organizers in the Land of Enchantment, or OLÉ. The nonprofit advocacy group made up of working...

By Blake Jones | Politico
August 2, 2022
BRACING FOR A RAID: California’s long-awaited, longer-pursued rollout of universal pre-k finally began Monday as a handful of school districts kicked off the academic year. For the child care industry,the timing couldn’t have been worse. Like other states, California is spending part of a record budget surplus to offer free pre-K to tens of thousands more children. Families will be spared costly child care tuition. Up to 35,300 public school jobs will be created over four...

By Peter Bart | Deadline
July 14, 2022
Where do great movies come from? When Netflix started creating its own shows a decade ago, Ted Sarandos and his colleagues put that question to select creatives around town. It was a smart exercise – but most respondents insisted there was no answer. Coincidentally I’d been putting out that question at various times over the years with equally ambiguous results. Saul Zaentz, the feisty film and music producer, once offered this response: “Great movies come...

By Mark Swartz | Early Learning Nation
July 15, 2022
The Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) emphasizes research that drives policy and practice, as well as collective action that sparks systemic change. Since 2016, 43 fellows have taken part in the initiative, going on to leadership roles throughout the country while remaining in touch with the burgeoning Zaentz community. I spoke to three of the nine most recent fellows about their experience and their plans....