Maryland Governor's Office for Children’s Post

Early care and education professionals have always been on the leading edge of research and practice in education, and 2024 is no different. As we navigate the complex challenges in our work today, we have a unique opportunity to uplift each other, reinforce our shared values in educating and caring for children, and resist forces that seek to diminish our progress. We invite you to join The CAYL Institute and our partner, Exchange Press, as we document this historic moment with actionable steps to speak up and take charge of the narrative of early care and education. Take a moment to share your lived experience and strategies for courageous and collaborative action with February's focus questions: https://lnkd.in/eNB2dWGg

Did you know there are 86 Judy Center Early Learning Hubs in Maryland? Pillar 1 of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future emphasizes equitable early education opportunities that prepare all children for school & for success! Learn more about Judy Centers: https://lnkd.in/dWJuscJH

It’s not about the needle, it’s about the haystack A recent piece in the New York Times by Rachel Louise Snyder about her path back from being one of America’s over 2 million high school dropouts was both inspiring and a reminder of the work ahead for our public school system. (See link to the NYT article below.) Ms. Snyder’s story (and especially the work of the educators who believed in her all through her turbulent time in school) is an illustration of what’s possible when we stick with struggling kids even when they make it very tough to do so. But Ms. Snyder is the needle in a haystack; the vast majority of children who have failed or are failing out of high school have no good choices. Despite her success, she ends her piece on an uncertain note, fearing that we still haven’t built an educational ecosystem where our children’s futures are not irrevocably damaged by their earliest stumbles. For the charter movement, this is an opportunity: how are we, with our long-standing commitment to high-quality choices for all communities and high standards for all students, going to make sure that we are opening doors for the most challenged children? For one answer, see here: (https://lnkd.in/eYnmsqxR). The time is now for the charter sector to build on its commitment to excellence by scaling the nation’s best alternative school models to serve the students who need effective schools the most. And if you are working to improve the alternative school space (or want to learn more), please reach out and join Groundswell (https://lnkd.in/e3QwQTBJ) and its national network of leading educators and advocates in our efforts to identify, strengthen and scale the best alternative schools nationwide. Link to the article in the NYT: https://lnkd.in/eesadTr8

More families are going to be able to choose their child's school and it's important to learn more about the schools they may be choosing. This point was made by director of national research at EdChoice, Mike McShane. In his new Forbes article, he briefly highlights two studies conducted, one about microschooling and the other about private schooling and civic education; both contradict stereotypes and assumptions. https://lnkd.in/dJD4PREk

You don’t want to miss this learning series! Share with your network of principals.

Today is 5-29, making it National 529 Day! To help us celebrate, here is John's daughter, Mia, reminding you to save for education costs. Start planning for a brighter future today! #529Day #EducationSavings #CollegeSavings

If you're someone who is talking about, planning for, trying to provide, or demanding "quality early care and education," I urge you to spend some time with Defending the Early Years' free, virtual summer institute "Advancing Quality in Defense of Early Childhood Education and Care" from June 24-26. "Quality has always been an important component in ensuring that all young children have access to early care and education. Nonetheless, defining, measuring, and guaranteeing high quality demonstrates the complexities and difficulty in making high quality for all a reality. What does quality mean to you? How do you demonstrate quality in your program or classroom? How can the systems used to measure quality be improved? What does high quality mean in relation to justice and equity for disadvantaged and marginalized children? The 2024 Sixth Annual DEY Summer Institute will address these questions and many more." Click the for more information or to register!

Clarity all the way through with implementation here: 1. Why 2. What 3. When All are crucial!

It’s not about the needle, it’s about the haystack A recent piece in the New York Times by Rachel Louise Snyder about her path back from being one of America’s over 2 million high school dropouts was both inspiring and a reminder of the work ahead for our public school system. (See link to the NYT article below.) Ms. Snyder’s story (and especially the work of the educators who believed in her all through her turbulent time in school) is an illustration of what’s possible when we stick with struggling kids even when they make it very tough to do so. But Ms. Snyder is the needle in a haystack; the vast majority of children who have failed or are failing out of high school have no good choices. Despite her success, she ends her piece on an uncertain note, fearing that we still haven’t built an educational ecosystem where our children’s futures are not irrevocably damaged by their earliest stumbles. For the charter movement, this is an opportunity: how are we, with our long-standing commitment to high-quality choices for all communities and high standards for all students, going to make sure that we are opening doors for the most challenged children? For one answer, see here: (https://lnkd.in/e_Hh-ApX). The time is now for the charter sector to build on its commitment to excellence by scaling the nation’s best alternative school models to serve the students who need effective schools the most. And if you are working to improve the alternative school space (or want to learn more), please reach out and join Groundswell (https://lnkd.in/e5mfVfnD) and its national network of leading educators and advocates in our efforts to identify, strengthen and scale the best alternative schools nationwide. Link to the NYT article: https://lnkd.in/ezHaA-WH

I always look forward to the new #PDKPoll results, particularly for an update on how the public is feeling about their child/ren entering the teaching profession. In looking at this year's topline data, I find it very interesting (and amusing) to see how much more opinionated on this question the public has become since 1969, when 10% of respondents didn't have an opinion either way. This grew to 22% of respondents in 1983 before a sharp decline to get to single digits in 1993 - today, 1% of respondents replied "no opinion" I have to imagine that the impacts of the release of A Nation at Risk in April of 1983 and the subsequent shift in how we talk about K-12 education and its "failures" (including who to blame for them) is being shown here. In working with state leaders to address teacher recruitment and retention issues over the past several years, the need for a marketing campaign around the positives of being a teacher has been raised every time. This data is a stark reminder that the way we as a field talk about what it means to be an educator matters - not that we shouldn't advocate for higher pay and better working conditions and publicly share student achievement data, but that we probably need to be more considerate of how we do so and aware of the unintended consequences of our attempts to hold people accountable within the unwieldy system(s) of K-12 education in our country.