Voters believe COVID-19 is biggest problem facing Tennessee’s Pre-K – third grade classrooms; Vast majority worried children have fallen behindNew poll results show overwhelming support for increased investments in early education Tennessee voters believe the COVID-19 pandemic is the most important problem facing Tennessee’s Pre-K through third grade classrooms, and 79 percent are…
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TQEE Appoints Nicole Smith Vice President of Communications
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) has announced the appointment of Nicole Smith as vice president of communications. In this role, Smith will oversee strategic development and implementation of TQEE’s communications, public relations and marketing programs, as well as manage the organization’s brand as Tennessee’s leader in early education policy and advocacy. …
» Read More2021 Legislative Wrap Up
Big successes for early education, children and families this year! We had a very successful 2021 legislative session. Three legislative proposals were introduced on TQEE’s behalf, and we endorsed another six. Additionally, TQEE endorsed and advocated in support of the Governor’s legislative package presented in a special legislative session on education called by Governor Lee in January. A Strategic…
» Read MoreNew Report: TN PreK Quality Among Top 12 in Nation; But Access Still Lags
TDOE announced today that Tennessee’s Voluntary PreK Program (TN-VPK) now meets 9 out of 10 quality standards benchmarks that evaluate the effectiveness of preschool education programs, according to The State of Preschool 2020 report issued by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Tennessee is among only 12 states in the nation with this distinction, which comes…
» Read MoreAgreed: $732+ million is WAY too much! Getting the TANF Reserve Amount Right
Half of all children ages 0 – 8 in Tennessee live in households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level — that’s $51,853 annually for a family of two adults and two children. The United Ways of Tennessee ALICE report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) says a survival budget is $65,040 for that family of…
» Read MoreSpecial Legislative Session Called at a Crucial Time for Getting Early Education Right in Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee has called a special legislative session, beginning Tuesday, January 19th, to prioritize passing a suite of education bills related to sagging literacy, learning loss, assessment and accountability and salary increases for teachers and other educational staff. With two-thirds of Tennessee’s third graders not proficient in reading and math – a number that…
» Read MoreTQEE Appoints Lee Harrell as VP, Advocacy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) announces the appointment of Lee Harrell as Vice President of Advocacy. In this role, Harrell will direct TQEE’s state advocacy program, advancing state policies that ensure all Tennessee children birth through 3rd grade get the high-quality early education they need to power our state’s future. “We…
» Read MoreNew investment of TANF in evidence-based home visiting is a step in the right direction
TQEE has been among the state’s strongest advocates for expanding Evidence-Based Home Visiting (EBHV), a best practice in early childhood development which has repeatedly proven to strengthen parenting skills, reduce abuse and neglect, and get children ready for school. In addition to the well-documented positive impact on lives, the program generates savings for taxpayers up to…
» Read MoreU.S. Chamber Makes the Business Case for High-Quality Child Care
In its publication, Workforce of Today, Workforce of Tomorrow: The Business Case for High-Quality Child Care, the U..S Chamber of Commerce Foundation does one of the best jobs we’ve seen of articulating the case for state investment in affordable, high quality child care across the nation and right here in Tennessee. Here are excerpts from…
» Read MoreNew Report: TN PreK Quality Improves Again
Tennessee now meets 8 out of 10 quality standards benchmarks that evaluate the effectiveness of preschool education programs, according to The State of Preschool 2019 report issued by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). This ranking comes as a result of successful policy changes that enabled Tennessee to meet the Continuous Quality Improvement…
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