Boise School District’s Post

Last year, I began a dialogue with Ohio legislators about the importance of providing every student in the state with free breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of their parents’ or guardians’ income. This initiative aims to eliminate the stigma associated with receiving free meals and ensure that all students have access to the nutrition they need to perform well academically and function effectively throughout the school day. While some may oppose the idea of universal free meals for all students, it is crucial to consider the broader benefits of such a program. Ensuring that every student has access to nutritious meals can lead to: Improved Academic Performance: Proper nutrition is linked to better concentration, memory, and overall cognitive function, which can result in improved academic outcomes. Enhanced Student Well-being: Access to consistent, healthy meals supports students' physical and emotional well-being, reducing anxiety and stress related to food insecurity. Equity and Inclusion: Providing free meals for all students promotes equity and inclusion, fostering a positive and supportive school environment. To achieve this goal, continued advocacy and collaboration with lawmakers, educators, and community stakeholders are essential. By highlighting the positive impacts on student health, academic achievement, and school culture, we can build a strong case for implementing universal free meal programs in Ohio schools. #education #ohioschools

Evidence shows "Universal Free Meals" (UFM), a program providing free lunch and breakfast for all students, regardless of income, is an inexpensive and effective way to improve academic performance among urban schoolchildren. District and school leaders nationwide should consider adopting this program. Read more: #NationalNutritionMonth

In 2021, California made historic investments in early learning to expand transitional kindergarten (TK) to serve all of California’s 4-year-olds. Transitional kindergarten began in California in 2012 as a free public school program for 4-year-olds who were not yet eligible for kindergarten (a non-compulsory grade). Yet by 2019, just 28 percent of Black and 31 percent of Latinx 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in high-quality early learning programs in California. Read our seven recommendations for state leaders, local education agencies (LEAs), and community members and advocates to ensure that the implementation of universal TK leads to equitable outcomes: bit.ly/3pZjacv

TIME TO RENEW YOUR CDA? https://zurl.co/BBFD Keeping your Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ current is an important step in continuing your professional development in your work with young children and their families. The early care and education profession encourages early educators to stay up to date with the theories, research/studies, appropriate practices and trends in the early childhood education field. The continuous professional development of CDA® Credential holders helps ensure the quality of care and education provided to our youngest children. The Council also requires CDA holders to renew their credential every three (3) years.

TIME TO RENEW YOUR CDA? https://zurl.co/BBFD Keeping your Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ current is an important step in continuing your professional development in your work with young children and their families. The early care and education profession encourages early educators to stay up to date with the theories, research/studies, appropriate practices and trends in the early childhood education field. The continuous professional development of CDA® Credential holders helps ensure the quality of care and education provided to our youngest children. The Council also requires CDA holders to renew their credential every three (3) years.

As we reflect on School Choice Week, this is a good thought: children should not be in poor-performing schools just because of where they live. Thanks to our GOP-led legislature for great policies that give families a choice for their children's education. https://bit.ly/4b2U3uX #nced #schoolchoice #ncga #ncpol

DAY 18 BLOG CHARTER SCHOOLS #TalentServe Charter school, a publicly funded tuition-free school of choice has greater autonomy than a traditional public school. A primary reason for founding charter schools was to seek an alternative vision of schooling that could not be realized in the traditional public schools. In exchange for increased autonomy, charter schools are held accountable for improving student achievement and meeting other provisions of their charters. Charter schools are most often new schools that were not in existence before the charter was granted; a traditional public or private school may also convert to charter school status. The term charter school is used almost exclusively to describe government-funded and largely autonomous schools. The reasons that parents choose charter schools for their children are just as unique as the students themselves. They choose charter schools because of the strong, dedicated teachers, because the school's focus matches their child’s needs, or simply because their child was struggling in their assigned public school and needed to try something new. Charter schools provide families with options in public education, allowing parents to take a more active role in their child’s education.

We know early childhood education can be demanding—we’re here to help.    We know the ongoing shortage of early childhood teachers is tough on early education services. We continually innovate our educator platform to further streamline administration and help educators save time.    Learn more about the innovative ways we support educators:  https://bit.ly/4de4KLq

Virginia Board of Education Reviews Summary from Fifteen Accountability Listening Sessions   The Virginia Board of Education recently concluded a series of fifteen in-person and virtual Listening Sessions providing over 800 parents, educators, and community members an opportunity to comment on the development of Virginia’s school performance and support framework. The new framework is designed to provide greater transparency and awareness of school performance and student outcomes. The eight in-person sessions brought together over 200 attendees including parents, teachers, principals, school board members, division superintendents, division directors of testing, and members of the Virginia General Assembly. The virtual sessions held by the Board had over 600 participants from organizations including the Virginia Middle School Association, the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and the Virginia PTA. Additionally, over 170 comments were submitted outside of the Listening Sessions for the Board’s consideration on the proposed regulatory decisions and next steps. “The response and feedback we have received from the public throughout the Commonwealth clearly demonstrates the importance of this work,” said Board of Education Member Dr. Amber Northern. “I am encouraged by the level of participation and grateful for the insightful comments and meaningful discussions we’ve received as we continue to shape Virginia’s school performance and support framework. These sessions have been extremely valuable as we move forward in identifying our schools that need help and ensuring they receive the support their students need.” Read full article to know the comments and feedback received during the in-person and virtual sessions indicated a number of key takeaways: https://lnkd.in/dWhtaH66 #Accreditation #americanaccreditation #education #standards #quality #virginiaeducationboard

Investing in quality early childhood education has significant long-term benefits for children, families, and communities. This is imperative because it sets a strong foundation for lifelong learning and helps children develop essential skills. By fully funding early ed, we can ensure equitable access to high-quality education for all children, giving them a fair start in life. It should not be controversial to prioritize our children's future and support their early educational journey. #EarlyEd #QualityEducation #InvestInOurChildren