Essential education reporting across America

Early Childhood Education

A boy plays in a classroom, just behind a large globe. There are two adults speaking and other kids playing in the classroom.
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Early Childhood Education
Philadelphia’s early childhood education workers ‘on the brink of a breakdown’ advocates say
In Philadelphia, 83% of early childhood programs are currently facing a staffing shortage and nearly 3,000 children are on a waitlist.
By Carly Sitrin
 
A preschool teacher at a table surrounded by children uses Play-Doh to shape letters of the alphabet.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Early Childhood Education
Despite a few bumps, Promising Futures child care scholarship bill advances in Tennessee Senate
Critics say it’s not the state’s role to pay for child care
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A man wearing a suit and blue necktie speaks into a microphone in a legislative chamber with the Tennessee state flag in the background.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Bill to ease Tennessee’s third-grade reading and retention law clears first legislative hurdle
The measure would widen reading test criteria for retention but keep the state in control of those decisions.
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
Man in a suit and tie gestures while speaking into a mic.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Early Childhood Education
Tennessee legislative leader wants to widen reading test criteria for determining third-grade retention
House Education Committee Chairman Mark White wants the state to consider more than TCAP test results
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
Children play on a yellow slide set on the side of a school building.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Early Childhood Education
Michigan preschool expansion hits snag as providers face funding cuts
A return to pre-pandemic funding policy led some providers to shutter newly opened GSRP classrooms, complicating Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plans.
By Koby Levin
 
A boy and a girl share a picture book while sitting on a concrete bench in front of a concrete wall and a sculpture of a large yellow fish with a tangle of dark seaweed growing up from its back with blue, magenta and white flowers interspersed.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Assessment and testing
Tennessee looks to ‘Mississippi miracle’ as it grapples with stagnant reading scores
Holding back third graders who aren’t deemed proficient remains a sticking point
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
Children’s books fill clear plastic reading bins in an elementary school classroom.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Teaching & Classroom
Bill to clarify Tennessee school library law would exempt classroom book collections from scrutiny
Teachers’ personal libraries were not the law’s intent, says lawmaker
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A young student kneels on a mat playing with multicolored toys
From Chalkbeat New York Early Childhood Education
58% of NYC’s youngest children don’t receive all of their Early Intervention services
The gap in services is particularly acute in the Bronx, where more than two-thirds of children did not receive all of the therapies they could have.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A close-up of children’s hands as they work on word puzzles.
From Chalkbeat Newark Early Childhood Education
Despite best efforts, NJ needs to do more for low-income kids, report says
Insufficient federal funding means significant number of needy children remain unreached by Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
By Michael Pappano, NJ Spotlight News
 
Two men in suits embrace next to a podium surrounded by people.
From Chalkbeat New York Eric Adams
NYC’s DC 37 union reaches tentative agreement to boost pay for 90,000 municipal workers
For some DC 37 workers, the pay bump represents at least a partial acknowledgment of their crucial work helping keep the city’s school system running during the pandemic, often at far lower wages than other school staffers, union officials said.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
Aerial-style view of the top of four young children’s heads as they practice writing the letters of the alphabet using colored pencils from a shared container in the middle of the four.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Early Childhood Education
Illinois governor plans to boost child care and early childhood education with $250 million proposal
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces a plan that will give $250 million more toward the state’s early childhood education and child care programs.
By Samantha Smylie
 
A preschool teacher in a floral dress makes a funny face during a a circle activity with several students.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Universal preschool
Colorado’s free preschool application is out. Here’s what you need to know.
The first application window for Colorado’s new free preschool program runs from Jan. 17 to Feb. 14.
By Ann Schimke
 
A young woman in a flowered dress dances with two young girls in a preschool classroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Ya comenzó el periodo de solicitud para el preescolar gratis de Colorado. Esto es lo que necesitas saber.
El programa de preescolar gratis de Colorado pagará por 10-30 horas semanales de preescolar el año antes de entrar al Kinder. Aquí está todo lo que necesitas saber.
By Ann Schimke
 
A large ornate white building seen from a distance
From Chalkbeat New York Early Childhood Education
Adams creates new City Hall office for NYC child care, early childhood education
The office’s creation comes as the education department’s own early childhood office has faced intense scrutiny over the past several months under Adams’ leadership.
By Reema Amin
 
Seven of the eight mayoral candidates in Chicago sat on stage at table covered in Black with green plants in front. In the foreground of the photo people sit in red chairs.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Early Childhood Education
Chicago mayoral candidates propose ways to increase funding for early childhood education at forum
Early childhood education needs more funding, say Chicago’s mayoral candidates. However, each candidate’s proposal differs in how to do it.
By Samantha Smylie
 
A boy rides a tricycle on the playground of the preschool at Laradon in north Denver.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Universal preschool
Colorado to reopen all preschool applications to families because of errors
Families have until Feb. 14 to submit their revised application for free preschool.
By Ann Schimke
 
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stands in front of a podium while talking to reporters.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Politics & Policy
Whitmer taps surplus for 9% increase in Michigan school spending
It’s Whitmer’s fifth state budget but the first she presented to a Legislature controlled by her own party.
By Tracie Mauriello, Isabel Lohman, and 1 more
 
National_20230207_BidenSOTUS_GettyImages_001.JPG
Mental Health in Schools Mental Health in Schools
Biden calls for greater mental health care access in schools, limitations on social media companies
President Joe Biden called on lawmakers to enact new limitations on how tech industry giants can collect data from and advertise to kids, among other education measures.
By Julian Shen-Berro
 
A group of children in a preschool program take a walk outside.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Politics & Policy
Whitmer’s $306 million preschool expansion proposal includes more money to hire teachers and fund transportation
Early childhood advocates have said Michigan must address teacher shortages if the state’s preschool program is expanded to all 4-year-olds.
By Jonathan Oosting, Bridge Michigan
 
A shelf with four photos of children and a colorful classroom carpet.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Early Childhood Education
Fears flare that Colorado free preschool could shortchange kids with learning delays
Officials from several Colorado school districts are worried they’ll lose funding for preschoolers with disabilities next year.
By Ann Schimke
 
Two men wearing business suits speak with each other in a committee room.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Concern over Tennessee’s third grade reading and retention law prompts flurry of bills
Summer camps and tutoring are popular, but holding students back because of a test score is not
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A little boy jumps off of a plush set of steps. A little girl walks with a doll and a bucket of toys in the foreground as another boy stands near a window in the back of the classroom.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Early Childhood Education
Taking a cue from Tennessee Promise, lawmakers propose scholarships to address child care ‘crisis’
Promising Futures would tap sports betting tax revenues
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A preschool teacher leans over garden planter as four children look on.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Universal preschool
17,000 and counting: Families apply for free preschool in Colorado
The early burst of interest could mean enrollment in Colorado’s free preschool program will exceed the 30,000 children expected to participate during the first year.
By Ann Schimke
 
Preschoolers’ jackets and boots or shoes are lined up in their cubbies.
First Person First Person
Preschool suspensions are harmful — and surprisingly common
As a Black woman, a parent, and an educator, curbing early childhood suspensions and expulsions is personal.
By Tara Kirton
 
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis walks on a green carpet in the Colorado House chambers and surrounded by lawmakers while wearing a Colorado flag tie and black suit.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis promises to boost K-12 funding in State of the State speech
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivered the first State of the State of his second term and said he wants to eliminate state withholding of education money by the time he leaves office.
By Jason Gonzales and Erica Meltzer
 
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker smiling
From Chalkbeat Chicago Early Childhood Education
Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker promises preschool expansion, free college tuition for working families in second term
In his inauguration speech, the governor said he would make college tuition free for working-class families and expand preschool to all Illinois families.
By Becky Vevea
 
A young girl plays in the foreground as other students sit behind her on a multicolored alphabet rug.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Early Childhood Education
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker intends to expand child care funding
Pritzker said he wants to make Illinois the number one state for making child care accessible to families during his second term in office.
By Samantha Smylie
 
A teacher helps a student wearing a red top with a math problem.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Gov. Jared Polis revised budget would train more workers and help students learn math
Polis proposes in 2023-24 providing free training for jobs in education, health care, and construction trades.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Two little girls sit on a brick wall. One looks distracted and squirmy, while the other claps her hands. A large crowd of adults stands behind them. The adults hold signs that say “Free Universal Preschool.”
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
La temporada de solicitud para preescolar gratis empieza en enero
Los sistemas de inscripción para el preescolar y los estudiantes de K-12 son separados, y esto ha confundido a algunos padres.
By Ann Schimke
 
A teacher works with students behind bookcases in a classroom, as a young girl sits on the floor in the foreground.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Meeting the Moment
How MSCS is trying to get pre-K programs — and preschoolers — back on track after COVID
The bigger objective of improving pre-K: Containing the pandemic’s long-term impact on children and their education in Tennessee’s largest school district.
By Samantha West
 
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