The state will introduce its new “universal preschool” program this fall, providing a minimum of 15 hours of preschool for all kids the year before they start kindergarten. Working families say they need more.
Clayton Early Learning
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Culture, Education, Food and Restaurants, News
As families grapple with food insecurity amid the pandemic, one Denver preschool has stood up its own fresh market
Just about every week, Trenna Richardson’s family gathers for what she calls “soul food Sunday,” a full spread that often consists of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, greens, corn and cornbread. “We just go all-out on Sundays,” said Richardson, who teaches toddlers at Clayton Early Learning in northeast Denver. But feeding a household of […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
What should Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood look like? Leaders want parent, teacher say.
State officials want the input of parents, teachers and child care providers before launching what the governor’s office calls a bold new initiative: reinventing how Colorado provides services to preschoolers. Starting in 2023, the state will provide at least 10 hours a week of free preschool to every kid in the year before kindergarten. But […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, News
A romp in the mud after a messy school year can be just what Colorado preschoolers need for their mental health
Five-year-old Mirror sat in a giant tub of mud on Tuesday morning, legs buried, arms and hands coated in the same clay-like sludge that dotted her cheeks, nose and forehead. A classmate stood right beside her, ankle deep in the mire at Clayton Early Learning, as their teacher painted her face to match Mirror’s. It […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
“Finding out that we are all human”: COVID-19 brought Colorado teachers back to the basics of connecting with kids
Teachers across Colorado are winding down a school year that revved up their stress levels in ways most hadn’t experienced before. Many veteran educators in the state refer to the 2020-21 school year as the most challenging one they’ve encountered, but one that’s also forced them to learn new ways to command their classrooms and […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
Drool for school: Colorado schools add saliva testing to slow spread of coronavirus in the classroom
Elementary school students in Cherry Creek School District are getting a bonus lesson this year: While studying reading, math and science, they’re also learning the best way to drool into a test tube. It’s not a typical part of the curriculum, but collecting students’ saliva has become another critical step in keeping schools open safely […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, Health, News
A Colorado school is taking coronavirus testing beyond its students and teachers
A COVID-19 testing network that is already testing about 40,000 teachers across Colorado school districts and higher education institutions has expanded to test some of Denver’s youngest learners and their families, who are among the most vulnerable. COVIDCheck Colorado, a network developed by Gary Community Investment Company and The Piton Foundation, is partnering with Clayton […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
Voters will decide in November whether all Colorado 4-year-olds can attend preschool starting in 2023
By fall 2023, thousands more Colorado 4-year-olds could be gathering in preschool classrooms for a few hours each week to practice their letters and listen to storytime in preparation for kindergarten. It’s a vision that state leaders — namely Gov. Jared Polis — and early childhood advocates have been chasing for decades. They might finally […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
Even as Colorado child care centers reopen, their long-term survivability is at risk
As Becky Crowe plots the reopening of Clayton Early Learning’s 20-acre campus that shut down in March to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus, she said it’s almost like playing “a grand game of whack-a-mole.” “The second you address one problem, there’s like three others that pop up,” said Crowe, president and CEO […]