After three years, Cassandra Ruffin knows the first rule of visiting the Dennard family. ”You cannot come into this home with only one book,” Ruffin said. So although she’s there specifically to check in on 3-year-old Ja’Mykal, she arrives at the Oakhaven town home with a bag of children’s books for the boy and his two older…
» Read MoreYearly Archives: 2018
Witness the transformation of a child
Explaining what the Voluntary Pre-K program in Kingsport City Schools means to my son Samuel and I is a “where do I begin” task. My son Samuel has many health issues that have the potential to interfere with his education. He requires extra attention to the health issues, yet needs to be encouraged to be more independent.
» Read MoreFirst Gubernatorial Debate: The Early Ed Moment
The debate’s one question about early education was a good one: “Why does Tennessee have so many children not reading at grade level by 3rd grade, and what would you do to fix it? Karl Dean voiced support for “universal Pre-k” and making it an option for all Tennessee 4 year olds. TQEE’s recent poll…
» Read MoreJackson Chamber CEO Joins Call for New Focus on Early Education
Kyle Spurgeon, CEO of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, this week joined a large and growing number of Tennessee leaders calling for greater focus on improving early education, birth through 3rd grade . In a guest column in the Jackson Sun, Spurgeon noted, “Low proficiency in third grade is a clear indication that the quality…
» Read MoreNext Governor, Legislature Must Go Back To Third Grade
Representative Mark White (R), Shelby County, last week called for a bipartisan early education caucus of the House and Senate to work collaboratively with the new Governor’s administration. White said, “Our guiding focus should be to advance evidence-based, high quality policies that are succeeding in some Tennessee communities and in other states”. In a guest column…
» Read MoreTennessee Voters Overwhelmingly Favor B-3 Early Ed as Solution to Improved Education Outcomes
We’re excited to share with you the compelling findings from our 2nd annual statewide poll of registered voters. The big headline from the survey is that Tennesseans overwhelmingly and enthusiastically believe that investing in expanded quality early education birth through third grade is a solution to address current deficiencies in our public schools and put…
» Read MoreServe & Return: The Haslams and Building Strong Brains
In tennis, a strong serve and return game is fundamental for success on the court.“Serve and return” is also the term scientists use to describe the positive adult-child interaction vital for optimal human brain development. In the first few years of life, a child’s brain is the most impressionable, forming one million new neural connections…
» Read MoreA Young Mother Learns to Help Her Baby Girl Thrive
Itzel is protective of her mother today, forgiving her with words even though she didn’t have the easiest childhood. “My mom didn’t know any better and she definitely didn’t have anyone to turn to,” she says. Itzel’s mother called her names and made her daughter feel unwanted and unloved. It’s tough to grow up strong…
» Read MoreTackling Tennessee’s Opioid Crisis Through Quality Early Learning Programs
Last week a group of Chattanooga leaders, including Mayor Andy Berke and U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, along with TQEE coalition partners from business, law enforcement, military, nonprofit and faith communities, held a summit at the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce titled “Caring for Young Victims of the Opioid Crisis”. The purpose was to highlight the epidemic’s…
» Read MoreLegislative Wins Build Momentum for Quality Early Education
This year’s legislative session has concluded, and with the help of our many coalition partners and friends TQEE had great success advancing our legislative priorities. Below is a short wrap up. Please share with your colleagues and friends who may be interested, and be sure to sign up to join TQEE if you haven’t already, to ensure…
» Read More