Partnerships and Advisories
SFC serves as a member of several statewide coalitions, partnerships, working groups and advisories. Doing so allows us to stay connected to and influence the latest policy developments and build/maintain relationships with key individuals, networks, and organizations.

To find out more about our partnerships, please contact EEA Campaign Director, Amy O'Leary.

 
Advocacy coalitions
SFC partners with statewide early education associations and member organizations, including Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care (MADCA), Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs, Massachusetts Head Start Association and others, to promote high-quality early education and out-of-school time programs. We collaborate on legislative and state budget strategy, and co-sponsor the annual early education Advocacy Day at the State House. We have come together with these and other groups for daily COVID-19 check-ins, information sharing, and advocacy.
SFC is a member of the Common Start Coalition, a cross-sector campaign for affordable, high-quality child care in Massachusetts. Common Start filed legislation in 2019. Read the bill fact sheet and coalition sign-on letter to the Legislature.

To address racial, economic, and geographic inequities in our state's education systems, SFC is a member of the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership, and endorses the findings of its "#1 for Some" report.

The Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP) is a collective effort of civil rights, social justice, and education advocates from across the Commonwealth working together to promote educational equity for historically underserved students in our state’s schools. MEEP mobilizes a diverse group of leaders across sectors to strategically enhance opportunities for all Massachusetts families.MEEP is advocating for successful implementation of the historic Student Opportunity Act, and in the COVID-19 era, for equitable school reopening that works for all students and families. Learn more at masseduequity.org.

SFC serves on the steering committee and data working group of the Boston Opportunity Agenda's Birth to Eight Collaborative.

 
State working groups and commissions

SFC serves on several advisories at the Department of Early Education and Care, including the EEC Board Advisory Committee, Early Education and Care Workforce Council, Preschool Expansion Grant advisory, and Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) state plan advisory. Visit EEC's website for more info.

SFC served as a member of the inter-agency Birth-Grade Three State Team, whose membership represents all three state education agencies and the Executive Office of Education. The Team formed in 2013 with grant support from the National Governor’s Association, and in 2014 published the guiding document: Building the Foundation of Future Success for Children from Birth through Grade 3.

Early Literacy Expert Panel – Established in state law by passage of An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency (2012), this advisory panel was co-chaired by Secretary of Education James Peyser and Dr. Nonie Lesaux. SFC was one of nine members who served on the panel. Visit the Panel webpage for details and annual reports.

Amy O'Leary serves on the Legislature's Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission, established in the FY21 state budget.

SFC President and CEO Chris Martes served on the Foundation Budget Review Commission, a legislatively mandated advisory commission on K-12 education finance, which met from October 2014 to October 2015. SFC was named to the Commission as a non-voting advisory member. Foundation Budget Review Commission—Final Report

 
Research and policy partnerships

Rennie Center: Condition of Education in the Commonwealth. SFC participates in the Rennie Center’s advisory committee for its annual education data and policy report which seeks to inform decision-making among Massachusetts education leaders. renniecenter.org

MassBudget is home to KIDS COUNT in Massachusetts, a national and state-by-state effort funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track and improve the well-being of children across the United States. SFC participates in the statewide Kids Count Advisory Council. massbudget.org

 
National and multi-state initiatives

The Alliance for Early Success provides philanthropic support to strategic B-8 work in all 50 states, including Massachusetts. SFC is a member of the Alliance Pre-K Advocates Learning Community and COVID-19 working groups Open Strong and Build Strongerearlysuccess.org

SFC is the Massachusetts state lead for the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, whose more than 160 network communities include Boston, Holyoke, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester.

The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship.gradelevelreading.net

SFC supports initiatives of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) including Power to the Profession, a national collaboration to define the early childhood profession by establishing a unifying framework for career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards and compensation. naeyc.org

SFC maintains connection to the National Women’s Law Center—early education advocates network, a critical resource for staying informed about the latest federal policy and budget developments. nwlc.org


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