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 frontline personnel having varying degrees of experience and ability. Teaching jobs often pay less…
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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 education policies are the product of the members’ work. Here is just a sampling of…
» Read MoreTN 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 organizations have banded together in a community-wide campaign to raise awareness on early childhood development…
» Read MoreNashville-Area Foundation Leader Joins the Call for New Focus on Early Education
Tara Scarlett, President and CEO of the Scarlett Family Foundation, 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 Tennessean, as well as in the Williamson Herald, Scarlett noted, “Low proficiency in third grade is…
» Read MorePop Quiz for Gubernatorial Candidates
The candidates for governor debated this past Tuesday in Kingsport, and the Tri-Cities community sent a message they want Early Education at the top of the agenda. The Kingsport Times News ran a front page article on the day of the debate citing local leaders urging the candidates to make early education a priority. Beth…
» 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…
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