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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 Education. While expert, Lisa is always learning, and we along with her. Here are a few news pieces and a book
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 three outstanding women who have gone "above and beyond", and we're excited to tell you about them. Wanda Newman, Mountain City. During her
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 frontline personnel having varying degrees of experience and ability. Teaching jobs often pay less than positions in the service industry, so
Athletes Aren’t the Only Ones Who Need Coaches
March Madness is behind us for this year but boy what a season! Hats off to Virginia for staying the course and finishing strong. The season finish was a testament to hard work, perseverance, and teamwork. It was also a testament to good coaching and unrelenting practice, which offers a parallel to excellent teaching. Tennessee has staked a claim to significantly increase
Waging the Battle for Literacy and Math Proficiency
Early literacy and math are among the greatest predictors of future academic success. That fact can be troubling when one considers that only 34% of Tennessee 3rd graders are proficient in literacy and only 40% in math. But here are a few Tennessee-based examples of people and communities making a difference in early learning. Enjoy and have your heart warmed! Darlene
Great Teaching is Magic – 8
In education, teachers are where the rubber meets the road. Simply put, teaching is the number one contributor to student achievement. The work of early grade teachers is especially critical to help kids establish a strong learning foundation that enables them to continue strong learning and achievement into third grade. Student proficiency in third grade is a vital determinant for every student
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 the genuine interest in this initiative:
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 organizations have banded together in a community-wide campaign to raise awareness on early childhood development and make get children be school-ready
We Took Our Case For Kids to the Hill!
We took our case for kids to the Hill. Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) conducted our first “Day on the Hill” in Nashville on Feb. 6. More than 100 TQEE advocates from across the state — teachers, early education program directors, parents, mayors, business people — directly engaged with Tennessee General Assembly members to advocate for: • Excellent Pre-K • Better support for
Oak Ridge Parents Say PreK Has Huge Impact, Should Be Available to All
Let’s face it, parenting can be difficult and getting a child prepared to attend school can be a challenge, even under perfect circumstances. For these Oak Ridge families, pre-K was a valuable advantage in getting their kids ready to be learners. Within this group, impediments to speech and hearing compounded the usual challenges of early-years education. For Jerry and Jerri Amonette’s daughter, it
