Align 2023

• “It was a beautiful thing to see the breadth of sector leaders from across Tennessee come together to not only celebrate the hard work they’ve put into their local early care and education plans (like www.chatt2.org/brightstart), but also specifically put their minds towards solutions for the child care talent pipeline.” – Jennifer Andrews, Director of Early Childhood Strategies at Chattanooga 2.0 
• “Today was a really great day at the Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) inaugural Statewide Summit. …It was so encouraging to be in a room with hundreds of others who have poured blood, sweat, and tears into young children. And it was cathartic to hear their pleas in unison for Tennesse leadership to take action for our kids.  And I am so thankful for all the rural West TN leaders showing up to be a voice for our community! “- Olivia Abernathy, Senior Director of the Office of Childhood Success at United Way of West Tennessee
• “The Upper Cumberland is very excited to be a part of Bright Start TN!  The summit was an amazing experience that will lay the foundation for our work moving forward.  As a region we must provide quality early education for our youngest citizens.” – Mark Farley, Executive Director of the Upper Cumberland Development District & Human Resource Agency
• The Bright Start Summit was an important culmination of more than two years of statewide collaborative work to strengthen early childhood systems and outcomes. It was wonderful to come together with all Bright Start TN communities and think together about major challenges and needs in early care and education. Kandace Thomas, Executive Director of First 8 Memphis

We spent super productive time digging into challenges, strategies and resources for supporting Tennessee’s early educator workforce.  Here are some of the materials we created to aid our Bright Start teams in creating your local action plans.

• Tennessee ECE Education and Training Resources
  ECE education and training resources available throughout Tennessee (e.g., High School CCTE, TECTA, Educator Prep Programs) along with a Career Lattice that details steps individuals can take as they chart their ECE career
• ECE Financial Supports and Systems
  Financial supports and systems available to support ECE degree completion (e.g. TN Promise, WAGE$)
• TQEE Workforce Development Framework and Strategies
  Our vision, and core pillars and levers that can support that vision; List of strategies local communities can consider for their action plans 
• Careers in Early Care and Education, A National Directory
  National directory by T.E.A.C.H. / CCSA highlighting range of ECE careers
• Early Educator Pathway Stories
  Three archetypes of individuals who are on their ECE career journey and resources they might access
• ALIGN Slide Deck
• Tennessee Board of Regents Source Document on Community College and TCAT data
• Tennnessee Department of Education Source Document on LEA Vacancy Rates 

We’re kicking off a community of practice on building and strengthening the early educator workforce pipeline.  For those of you that registered for Align your Bright Start TN Fellow will be reaching out with next steps in the coming months.  To ensure that you are connected to the work moving forward, please don’t hesitate to contact your BSTN Fellow for more information on how to be involved.

• Corey Strong – Memphis / Shelby – corey@first8memphis.org
• Olivia Abernathy – West TN – oabernathy@unitedway.tn.org
• Lisa Wiltshire – Nashville / Davidson – lisa.wiltshire@vanderbilt.edu
• Jennifer Andrews – Chattanooga / Hamilton County – jennifer@chatt2.org
• Ellie Kittrell – United Way of Greater Knox – kittrelle@unitedwayknox.org
• Beth Huber – STRONG ACC – beth.huber@strongacc.org
• Rosa Smith – Upper Cumberland – rosa.smith@ucdd.org
• Kristin Swann & Katie Scott – South Central TN – kristen.swann@yourlocaluw.org & katie.scott@yourlocaluw.org

We wrapped up the day with an outstanding, and first of its kind, panel of commissioners who discussed the resources of their departments that can support the Bright Start TN communities in implementing their early care and education plans.