| Local momentum grows for preschool expansion |
Local communities, led by community-based organizations, school districts, mayors, and business leaders, have solid plans for preschool expansion and are demanding new public dollars to begin implementation. “Long acknowledged as a valuable learning opportunity with proven success, many families simply can’t afford preschool or are on waiting lists for affordable spots to open,” writes Kathleen Treglia of YMCA Southcoast . “Pittsfield Preschool Expansion Program is ready to go,” write John L. Bissell of Greylock Federal Credit Union and Caitlin Pemble of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. “Preschool is a worthy but expensive investment for all families, which is why we believe universal access is critical for our community.” These are just two examples of local leaders taking action to demand public investment in early learning. Please join their efforts. Click here to tell your state legislators to expand preschool in Massachusetts by passing An Act Ensuring High Quality Pre-Kindergarten Education (H.2874, S.240) . Email info@strategiesforchildren.org if you would like help writing a letter to your local paper or elected officials. Let’s level the playing field for all young children and expand preschool opportunity in Massachusetts. |
| New research on the value of early education |
What’s the cost of not having universal pre-K? The Center for American Progress has an $83 billion answer. “Based on research that quantifies long-term economic outcomes in states that have high-quality preschool, this analysis concludes the United States would expect to see a net benefit of more than $83.3 billion for each one-year cohort of 4-year-olds,” the center says in its article, “The Cost of Inaction on Universal Preschool.” Read more. Another recent study, by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), shows that early education provides clear benefits that last through high school. The results come from researchers’ meta-study of 22 early education studies conducted between 1960 and 2016. Read more. |
| Add SFC to your giving list |
It’s the end of the year and we are reaching out to our loyal base of blog readers, advocates, and collaborators to ask for your support. Your tax-deductible donation supports all of the advocacy, research, communications, and information that Strategies for Children brings to advance the early education and care sector. Help us achieve our mission, ensuring that Massachusetts invests the resources needed for all young children to access high-quality early education programs that prepare them for success in school and life. Donate today, and thank you for your contribution. |
 Check out our Eye on Early Education blog for recent stories you may have missed. |
Online College Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for Early Educators, December 12 Ready to Go: Pittsfield, December 7 Early Educators Around Town, December 5 Early Education for Homeless Children, November 22 Universal Preschool: It’s Good Public Health Policy, November 16 The Power of Early Math Games, November 7 |
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Jumpstart @Jumpstartkids Dec 8 Kyle DeMeo Cook @kdemeocook Dec 4 Alice Peisch @RepAlicePeisch Dec 5 Zaentz Early Ed @ZaentzHarvardEd Nov 29 Jessica Sager @JessicaSagerAOK Nov 29 EarlyEducationForAll @EarlyEd4All Nov 18 MA Association for the Education of Young Children @MAAEYC Nov 17 Boston Foundation @bostonfdn Nov 15 |
notes from Amy
We continue to be impressed and inspired by the commitment and dedication of early educators Lisa Crowley, Shanika Edouard and all the Voices from the Field as they seek to improve practice and advance their own education. We are also thrilled by the collaboration and enthusiasm of local leaders across the state organizing community teams to build new support systems for young children. Whether it’s ESSA, next-generation MCAS, or preschool expansion planning, our young children and families have much to gain from collaboration between early educators, home visitors, teachers, directors, principals, superintendents, school committee members, mayors and others. We have also seen a renewed interested and attention to the importance of advocacy and accurate information. Make sure you are signed up to received our advocacy alerts and help spread the word to others who can help advocate! Click here to see a summary of Early Education in the News for 2017. You can find infographics, research briefs, Fast Facts for Children and Families, and more on our website. We are grateful for our partners and funders who help to support our work and the hundreds of people who took action this year to advocate for increased investments. We must continue to work together to make 2018 an even better year for children, families, and communities here in the Commonwealth.
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As 2017 comes to a close, let’s look beyond the headlines of the daily news cycle to recall some good news from the past year: 
