They are the first and most important teachers, they are exhausted, and they and need support
early childhood education
Posted inEquity
Colorado’s child care crisis shows no sign of waning
Timing was everything for Jaiya Jermulowske and her husband, Kory. They knew they couldn’t afford to have two kids in day care at the same time, so the couple— who live about 35 minutes south of Steamboat Springs — planned their second pregnancy around child care. When her son, Kayson, was born, Jermulowske left her […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado program is looking for a few good older workers
As far as pandemic pivots go, Lisa Armao’s made a lot of sense. Her goal to set up an intergenerational preschool that paired older adults with mild dementia and preschoolers hit a wall after COVID-19 struck Colorado. Schools went remote. Adults who could, stayed home. And her financial supporters, Boomers Leading Change, morphed into Experience […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Pass this bill to realize the promise of early childhood education
Colorado has a monumental opportunity to set up every child and their family for a lifetime of opportunity from birth, through kindergarten and beyond. With the passage of Proposition EE in 2020 and the creation of the Department of Early Childhood in 2021, Coloradans overwhelmingly showed their support for increasing access, affordability and quality of […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Polis defends lowering preschool teacher requirements, says it’s “small piece” of state’s expansion plan
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis this week defended recent cuts to hiring requirements for preschool teachers, rejecting criticism from advocates who fear they could erode the quality of a preschool education just as the state prepares to roll out a major expansion. Polis argued that rather than lowering the bar for early childhood educators, the new […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Colorado is lowering teacher qualifications amid staff shortage a year before expanding preschool access
Tens of thousands of Colorado children will be eligible to enroll in the state’s expanded preschool program come fall of 2023, but as an educator shortage has swelled to “crisis” levels, pressure is mounting to find enough teachers to staff classrooms. One solution the state implemented in December: lowering the bar on credentials to become […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Denver’s tax-supported preschool program is showing results
There is nothing more frustrating to a parent than feeling like your child doesn’t have access to the same advantages other children have. The Declaration of Independence may hold that all people are created equal, but very clearly all ZIP Codes are not. Access to health care, child care and even food varies significantly depending […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado needs the right plan to match the people and money it has committed to expand early education
This summer, Governor Jared Polis signed a historic bill to support universal Pre-K in Colorado. The legislation’s passage represented a major milestone in a decades-long quest to expand educational opportunities for young learners. But the hard work is not done. The way we move the plan forward, and how we decide to use the funds […]
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 […]