Category: Education K-12

Bakersfield
News Observer

The Daycare Myth

The inaccuracy of the term “daycare” is at the heart of a book by Dan Wuori, an early childhood expert who you may know from his viral social media posts or his previous work as senior director of early learning at the Hunt Institute. In “The Daycare Myth,” Wuori argues that what we think of as “daycare” doesn’t exist.

Bakersfield
News Observer

The Courage to be Curious: A Head Start Success Story

Dr. Eric Motley worked as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. He was director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office. He served as executive vice president at the Aspen Institute. In 2017, Dr. Motley published Madison Park, A Place of Hope, adding the author to his resume. Most recently, he joined the National Gallery of Art as deputy director. In an interview with the National Head Start Association (NHSA), Dr. Motley attributed the courage to be curious about his experience at Head Start.

Bakersfield
News Observer

HillmanTok University: The Digital HBCU Revolutionizing Online Education

A snow day in Georgia and a viral TikTok video unexpectedly set the foundation for what is now HillmanTok University, a virtual learning institution that has captured the attention of millions. It all started when Dr. Leah Barlow, a professor at North Carolina A&T, posted a welcome video for her African American Studies class. What she intended for just 36 students reached nearly 4 million viewers, sparking a movement that sixth-grade teacher Cierra Hinton helped shape into something much bigger.

African Americans
News Observer

HBCUs In Jeopardy of Losing Funding for Black Cultural Studies

“This is only the beginning of a long fight,” according to Democratic North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams. She is addressing the Executive Order to pause federal loans and grants. There is an overwhelming concern in the Historically Black College and University community that many key programs focused on race and equity will be impacted. Adams, a ranking member of a House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Founder and Co-Chair of the Bicameral HBCU Caucus, issued a statement to Black Press USA once a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s funding freeze. Adams, whose state houses 11 HBCUs, the largest number in any given state, believes, “President Trump is dismantling equity in education with the stroke of a pen by rescinding federal initiatives for MSIs.”

Bakersfield
News Observer

An Early Childhood Educator’s Journey Inspires Others

Darrell Brown, Director of Teaching Learning & Quality Practice at It Takes A Village Family of Schools (ITAVA) in Chicago, was recently selected from hundreds of applicants to receive a scholarship from the Council for Professional Recognition to attend the Early Educators Leadership Conference (EELC) in Washington D.C. Darrell, a Chicago native passionate about acting, singing, and dancing, shared the inspiring journey that brought him to early childhood education (ECE) and his vision for bringing more educators into ECE.

Bakersfield
News Observer

How Head Start Installs Confidence for Two Generations

The founders of Head Start have always viewed parents as critical partners in their work to educate young children. They also understood that this partnership meant parents should help decide which services would most benefit their families and those in the community. As a result, Head Start created a formal leadership and policymaking role for parents and community members called the Policy Council.

Bakersfield
News Observer

Cold Weather Safety for Children

Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of cold weather. The Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center developed these tips to help families and staff keep children safe, healthy, and warm in the winter.

Bakersfield
News Observer

How One Community is Trying to Break the ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Child Care and Housing Crises

“If you don’t have the child care in order for people to go to work, they don’t have the income to pay for housing; it’s this vicious cycle,” said Melanie Shaver, superintendent of Hyde County Schools in North Carolina. “So how can we break that cycle at the root cause?” Shaver is leading her district’s attempt to answer that question. Hyde County Schools is now offering universal pre-k to both 3- and 4-year-olds districtwide, at the Ocracoke School on the island and the Mattamuskeet School on the mainland, with the goal of expanding to include early care and learning for children from birth to age 2 in years to come. And the revived Hyde County Education Foundation — chaired by Shaver — is buying two sites to build workforce housing for teachers and other essential workers.

Bakersfield
News Observer

How One Community is Trying to Break the ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Child Care and Housing Crises

“If you don’t have the child care in order for people to go to work, they don’t have the income to pay for housing; it’s this vicious cycle,” said Melanie Shaver, superintendent of Hyde County Schools in North Carolina. “So how can we break that cycle at the root cause?” Shaver is leading her district’s attempt to answer that question.

Bakersfield
News Observer

Move, Play and Learn at Home

SHAPE America (the Society of Health and Physical Educators) serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States and recognizes the importance of early childhood education. It suggests these activities to help teach families the importance of physical activity for young children. SHAPE America offers a variety of ideas, strategies, information, and resources for parents to use the space within their homes, the materials they have, and their limited time to model and encourage physical activity.

Bakersfield
News Observer

How Research Can Help Us Better Understand and Support Early Childhood Educators

Experts have highlighted research for many years that stresses how the most important part of education success relates to the quality of the teaching in the classroom. RAND reports that “When it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, teachers are estimated to have two to three times the effect of any other school factor, including services, facilities, and even leadership.” Quality teaching matters as much in early childhood education as it does in K-12 classrooms. In fact, the effort to better understand and support early childhood educators is growing.

Bakersfield
News Observer

How Head Start Shaped My Life

I’m incredibly proud to lead Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). I’m energized by expanding the circle of people who depend on our news, information, and music programming. Our ‘going deeper’ approach helps the public to bridge gaps and form connections through meaningful community engagement and listening experiences. My professional and learning journeys started with Head Start.

Bakersfield
News Observer

Is Your Child Going to Kindergarten a Year From Now?: Make the Move Together

Congratulations, your child is going to kindergarten a year from now! Making the transition to kindergarten is a big event for every child and family. You and your child may feel excited and proud about the next big step. You both may also experience some worry about the unknown and wonder how it will be at a new school.