In a groundbreaking move, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board (IDB) has leveraged innovative economic tools to address a critical workforce need: childcare. This initiative not only supports local businesses but also sets a precedent for how communities can tackle the intertwined challenges of economic development and early childhood education. The Industrial Park Childcare Solution…
» Read MoreCategory Archives: On the Hill
Turn on the Subtitles!
The Subtitle Solution: How a Simple Switch Can Supercharge Childhood Literacy In a world where screens reign supreme, an unexpected hero has emerged in the quest to boost childhood literacy: subtitles. Yes, those often-overlooked lines of text at the bottom of the screen may just hold the key to unlocking a world of words for…
» Read More2024 TCAP Scores are IN!
There’s progress on 3rd grade reading and math proficiency, but still a long way to go. TQEE’s north star is 3rd grade reading and math proficiency. That’s because it’s a well-documented and crucial benchmark for future academic and life success. Children who are not proficient in reading and math by the end of third grade…
» Read More2024 Legislative Wrap Up
2024 Legislative Wrap Up Each year from January through April or May when the Tennessee General Assembly holds its legislative session TQEE advocates for a set of legislative and budget proposals that would have a meaningful impact on one or more of the priorities outlined in our Policy Blueprint. This year, we supported a number of…
» Read MoreTeachers, Families and Businesses Win with New Paid Family Leave Policies
Celebrating New Paid Family Leave Policies in Tennessee: A Win for Families, Teachers, and Businesses Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) is thrilled to celebrate the passage of groundbreaking legislation providing six weeks of paid family leave to state employees, including public educators, and introducing a new state tax credit to help businesses offer paid…
» Read More2023 Legislative Wrap Up
Momentum builds for early care and education in Tennessee During the first year of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly, a large number of policy initiatives that align with Tennesseans for Quality Early Education’s Policy Blueprint 2.0 gained momentum. Below, we outline important legislative and budget items related to our priorities of high-quality birth-through-age-eight learning environments,…
» Read More2022 Legislative Wrap Up
Momentum continues for early care and education Tennessee saw some great wins for early education in the 2022 legislative session. The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) In the biggest win for Tennessee children this session, the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (SB2396/HB2143) passed, updating the K – 12 public education funding model…
» Read MoreImportant update on Pre-K in TN
Friends, These past couple of months have been inspiring. Together, we’ve made it clear we won’t sit on the sidelines while thousands of Tennessee families are relegated to Pre-K waitlists that never pan out. THANK YOU for taking action in support of SB 2179/HB 2201, which would have expanded Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K program for the…
» Read MoreLegislative Update: March 31, 2022
Read more about several bills we support and are keeping a close eye on. These are updates as of March 31, 2022. SB2179/HB2201 – Under this legislation, as amended, 40% of the revenues generated through sports gambling would be dedicated for additional grants to LEAs for pre-k classrooms. According to the bill’s fiscal note, more…
» Read MoreSupport for SB 2179 / HB 2201
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education supports SB 2179 / HB2201 Tennesseans for Quality Early Education today announced support for SB 2179 / HB 2201. Sponsored by Sen. Ferrell Haile and Rep. Rebecca Alexander, the legislation would redirect sports gambling revenues to enable the Tennessee Department of Education to fund additional Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) classrooms. Under…
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