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    DECEMBER 2016
Election 2016 recap

The country has a new president-elect, and big changes are in store for Washington. Here in Massachusetts, 12 new state representatives and three new state senators will take office in January. What does this all mean for young children and families? Read our initial recap of news headlines from around the web, and our look at how early education fared in city and state elections nationwide.

What can you do moving forward? A lot! Check out our electoral advocacy webpage, and contact research and field associate Laura Healy for tips on how to advocate at the local, state, and national levels.
 
New study points to long-lasting benefits of pre-K

A new study from the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy has found that “North Carolina’s investment in early child care and education programs resulted in higher test scores, less grade retention and fewer special education placements through fifth grade,” according to a Duke University news release.

The study looked at the children who attended the state’s two flagship early childhood programs, Smart Start and More at Four, between 1988 and 2000. Researchers also examined the entire population of children “more than 1 million North Carolina public school students born between 1988 and 2000,” which allowed them to estimate “spillover effects” of the early childhood programs onto the child population at-large. Read more.

 

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

Four Key Facts About Pre-K Expulsions, November 29

How States are Weaving Early Education into the Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, November 22

Voices from the Field: Jennie Fitzkee, November 4

Full STEAM Ahead for Worcester’s Head Start Program, November 3

The Joy of Teaching Math to 3-Year-Olds, November 1

NAEYC Election Season, October 18
 

Charlie Baker  @MassGovernor Dec 2  
Enjoyed being with @UnitedWayMABay this morning to talk about the great work they & their partners are doing in MA on #earlyed & much more.

Kristen Poisson ‏@mrspoisson1 Dec 1  
MA ranks 29th in preschool spending #notgoodenough "Kids come to K with extremely different language experiences." @EarlyEd4All #2016CACE

Taye Diggs @tayediggs Nov 18
Join me and raise your voice for our kids! Sign this letter to Congress so they know how important Head Start is. http://bit.ly/1SmlXCN 

Sara Mead @saramead Nov 17
Improving early educators' pay requires confronting sexism's influence on how society values their work

Read by 4th Grade @readby4thgrade Nov 16
It's an important intersection of systems. It's happening before our very eyes. #health4ed #RalphSmith @readingby3rd   CxqwUNYWgAIHY7M.jpg:large

Joan Wasser Gish @wassergish Nov 2
New Guidance on Using ESSA to Support Early Learning https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/new-guidance-using-essa-support-early-learning/ … @MassEarlyEdCare #earlyed #mapoli

Annie E. Casey Fdn @AECFNews Oct 20
Need data? Visit our Data Center to create charts, map information & get datasets: http://bit.ly/2dIOdpO 

Sal DiDomenico @SalDiDomenico Oct 18
Happy to speak at today's Citizen Legislative Seminar to discuss the future of the @MA_Senate & to talk #Kids1stMA ! #mapoli   CvEkD2UUAAAYdGx.jpg:large

 

 

notes from Amy

As we reflect on the past year, we have seen many changes, and more changes are sure to come. While we know that change in life is inevitable, our commitment to young children, families, and high-quality early education remains constant.

We are encouraged by the steady progress being made for high-quality early education here in Massachusetts.

The federal government just awarded our state its third year of Preschool Expansion Grant funding. Thanks to this important federal initiative, five communities in Massachusetts are on the cutting edge of implementing high-quality pre-k. As MA Secretary of Education Jim Peyser notes, “Over the past year, these Pre-School Expansion Programs have begun to show that they are model programs which can help us continue to build high-quality early education programs across the Commonwealth.” We agree.

We are eager to share the stories of these programs and the 13-plus communities across Massachusetts that are planning and advocating for preschool expansion.

So, take some time to recharge, refresh and recommit to using your voice.

We will need to work together to send a clear message to our elected officials, to preserve the progress we have made together and to advocate for meaningful investments in young children, families, and the early education workforce.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and new year.

 

 
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.