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    OCTOBER 2016
Why K-12 should be thinking ‘Birth-3rd’

“Policy is changing for K-12 schools,” notes Chris Martes, president and CEO of Strategies for Children.

“Here in Massachusetts, districts and schools are unpacking newly released MCAS and PARCC scores and deciphering what these scores mean for learning and accountability. At the same time, Massachusetts is developing a next-generation MCAS that will be administered in the spring.

“On the federal level, the “No Child Left Behind” law was reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); and state officials are working on our plan for this new law.

“All of this is activity is important, but K-12 can’t achieve the success we all want without integrating early learning.” Read Chris’s full statement.
 
Election 2016: Make young children a priority

Securing a bright future for young children secures a bright future for Massachusetts. Preparing young children to become productive, engaged adults is good for children, families and taxpayers.

Election day is getting closer. The Massachusetts state election and the presidential election take place on Tuesday, November 8. Visit our election webpage for important voting information, links, and advocacy messages to use with candidates this election year.

 

Check out our Eye on Early Education blog for recent stories you may have missed.

Yale Looks at Implicit Biases Among Preschool Teachers, October 12

A Report Points to a Broken Child Care System — and Calls for Badly Needed Repairs, October 4

How Three States are Building P-3 Systems, September 20

Podcasts Link Business and Early Childhood, September 15

New Bedford Welcomes Children and Families to Kindergarten – At the Zoo, September 13

New America Looks at the Use of Technology in Early Literacy, September 8
 

Jessica Geilfuss@jegeilfuss Oct 15
Our voices matter! We need to use our voices as early educators. If not us, then who? #EarlyEdCon

Massachusetts K-12 @MASchoolsK12 Oct 14 
ICYMI: We have a new web page dedicated to social and emotional learning: http:// ow.ly/10vU305cjGD   @caselorg #SEL #maedu

Kids Count @aefkidscount Oct 3 
1. Housing 2. Health 3. Education Measure how kids are doing with data that matters: http:// bit.ly/2dS4LLv  

Early Education for All @EarlyEd4All Sept 22
Excited to talk about the #earlyed workforce! #Bthru8 @4earlysuccess @NAEYC @CSCCEUCB @albert_wat @AmyEO https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cs-NQPXUAAAqMK9.jpg:large  

Massachusetts EEC @MassEarlyEdCare Sept 9
Massachusetts' Birth to 3rd Grade Systems work is featured nationally! http:// depts.washington.edu/pthru3/approac hes/summary/24   … @MassEducation @MASchoolsK12 @MassDHE @AmyEO

Grade-Level Reading @readingby3rd Sept 6
Check out this new #AttendanceAwarenessMonth report! It's important that students go to #schooleveryday.

 

 

notes from Amy

Are you ready for Election Day on November 8? Do you have a plan to vote? Do you know where to go?

By now, most of you are probably done with the sound-bites, talking heads, and attack ads surrounding the presidential election.

But please – PLEASE – don’t let this turn you off from political and civic engagement, particularly in your own community.

As advocates for young children and families, we know the importance of engaging elected officials at the state and local levels. All politics is local --so it is important for young children and their needs to be high on the priority list of school committee members, city councilors, mayors, and state legislators.

Recent polls show that voters of all political stripes strongly support public investments in high-quality early education, both here in Massachusetts and nationally.

But support does not always translate into action.

Leveling the playing field for all young children will not happen without increased attention to early learning from our elected officials at every level of government.

So please vote this year. And, pay attention to local and state races as well as the presidential race. There are many ways to engage candidates on the issue of early education and care, visit our election webpage for more information.

Join us in our effort, and thank you for your continued advocacy.

 

 
617.330.7380           400 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02110           info@earlyeducationforall.org
Strategies for Children works to ensure that Massachusetts invests the resources needed for all children, from birth to age five, to access high-quality early education programs that prepare them for success in school and life.