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TQEE Statement on Voluntary Pre-k Funding Awards
“High quality pre-k works – students who are enrolled in quality programs have a measurable advantage over their peers who do not attend pre-k. The 2016 reforms approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, including the introduction of competitive grants for
TN Voluntary Pre-k Makes Quality Strides
With recent news that the State of Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE) has granted funding for Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) classrooms in 138 school districts, it’s important to underscore that investment in high quality Pre-K is vital if Tennessee is going
Legislative Support Signals Commitment to Improve Tennessee early education
Media Release: Early education advocates across Tennessee are cheering results of the 2019 Tennessee legislative session that include a slate of approved policy proposals aimed at boosting learning prior to third grade as a strategy to improve Tennessee’s public education system. Highlights
Early Home Visiting Programs: Compassionate and Cost-Effective Policy
Backed by compelling data and amazing personal success stories, Tennessee Senator Steve Dickerson and Speaker Pro Tempore Bill Dunn are advancing an important solution to help parents develop the skills they need to give their young children a great start
More about Home Visiting
You have probably noticed we talk a lot about home visiting. That's because it works! Unfortunately, even though the evidence continues to show the benefits of evidence-based home visiting, less than 2% of eligible Tennessee children have access. Put another
Food for Thought
TQEE Policy Director, Lisa Wiltshire, is our expert on early education. She's a former kindergarten teacher, previous director of the Office of Early Learning at the Tennessee Department of Education, and a graduate of the prestigious Bank Street College of
Unsung Heroes Make All the Difference In Children’s Lives
Each year, as part of its mission to help foster good child development in at-risk situations, Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee (PCAT) honors three caregivers -- one in each of the state’s grand divisions. This year, the "Unsung Hero" awards went to
Literacy Coaching for Child Care Teachers Drives Big Wins for Kids
Of all the education investments where Tennessee has seen a positive impact made with public funding, one with the most promise may be early literacy coaching in child care. The state’s child care landscape is a hodgepodge of mixed providers with
Statewide Buzz about the Early Education Caucus
The founding of an Early Education Caucus in the Tennessee General Assembly has created a lot of "buzz" around the state. Both caucus founders and community leaders have expressed their support for the caucus and their hope that sound early
TN Legislators Get Back to Basics on Early Education
When a child shows up on the doorstep of a Tennessee school for the first time, there are many factors already at play that will influence how that child will perform. In Chattanooga, a diverse group of about 40 civic
