Policy Update with Dana Hepper and James Barta

by Rafael Otto | Apr 16, 2019 | Podcast, Oregon Policy, Policy Trends

Dana Hepper, director of policy and advocacy at Children’s Institute, and James Barta, strategic director at Children First for Oregon, provide a timely policy update on the current legislative session. They discuss draft legislation that includes a $400 million investment in early childhood, the recent work of the Early Childhood Coalition, the power of voter voice, and more.

Visit our policy page for more information about our full policy agenda for 2019 and sign up to get involved in our advocacy efforts.

Take your voice to Salem! The next public hearing in the Joint Committee on Student Success is Thursday, April 18, 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

The True Cost of Early Childhood Programs with John Tapogna

by Rafael Otto | Mar 29, 2019 | Podcast, Oregon Policy, Policy Trends

John Tapogna, president of the Portland-based economic consulting firm, ECONorthwest, recently completed a cost analysis of early childhood programs in Oregon. His work reviewed enrollment numbers, program eligibility, and cost per child spending for a suite of early childhood programs for children birth to age 5. These include publicly funded preschool, child care subsidy programs, home visiting, parent support groups, and special education services, among others. The recommended spending increases for early childhood totals about $1 billion per year. Tapogna recommends increased per child spending for almost every program as well as expanding these programs to provide rich early learning opportunities for children who are eligible. Tapogna views early childhood investments for low-income families as an imperative for the state. He also describes how funding a range of programs and services is really in service of creating a functioning early childhood system in Oregon.

Note: This analysis represents estimated costs of expanding access to existing eligible populations and improving quality. It is based on baseline enrollments and costs circa 2017 and draws on a wide range of state and national data sources. The initial analysis was completed in the fall of 2018 with some updates made in March 2019.

Download a copy of the slides

Building a Culture of Care at John Wetten Elementary

by Rafael Otto | Feb 8, 2019 | Podcast, Educators and Workforce, Successful Students

We visited John Wetten Elementary in Gladstone, Oregon recently to learn about how the district and the school are working to address ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences. Superintendent Bob Stewart and Principal Wendy Wilson have worked to establish a “Culture of Care” in the school that relies on building relationships with students and establishing an environment of predictability and safety. They’ve recently added a new classroom called the Skills Learning Center (SLC) that serves as a resource for kids needing to work on self-regulation, behaviors, and habits. In this segment, we hear from Stewart and Wilson about their work addressing ACEs, as well as Erika Nelson who works directly with children in the SLC.

On Transforming Education with Dr. Pedro Noguera

by Rafael Otto | Jan 22, 2019 | Podcast, Educators and Workforce, Parents and Families, Preschool, Successful Students, Equity

Dr. Pedro Noguera is an acclaimed sociologist whose research and scholarship focuses on how schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional, and global contexts. He is the distinguished professor of education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and faculty director for the Center for the Transformation of Schools at UCLA. In this interview, we discuss the lack of progress in closing achievement gaps in American schools that, according to Noguera, are the result of “wide gaps in educational opportunities that exist and correspond to the neighborhood you live in and often the racial and socioeconomic background of children and their families.” We spend time discussing the problem with “silver bullet” solutions, the key ingredients for school transformation, and the implications for education policy. We also unpacked what implementing universal preschool must look like, and what “high-quality” classrooms have in common.

Redmond Early Learning Center Shines as an Early Learning Innovator

by Rafael Otto | Jan 15, 2019 | Oregon Policy, Preschool Landscape

Early learning leaders in Central Oregon met on January 8 at the Redmond Early Learning Center (RELC) to discuss how best to meet the needs of kids and families throughout the region. The meeting included a tour of the RELC, which opened three years ago and serves nearly all kindergarteners in the Redmond School District.

The meeting and tour included state legislators Senator Tim Knopp (R), Representative Cheri Helt (R), Representative Jack Zika (R), and 10 members of the leadership council for the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon.

Principal Desiree Margo recalled when the district began exploring how to reopen the building as a K–5 school, though it once served middle school students. “We read the reports from Children’s Institute about pioneers around the state who were focused on early learning in Gladstone, David Douglas, and Pendleton,” Margo said. “We were inspired by Earl Boyles [the first Early Works site] and we began to ask, what if?”

That exploration led to the idea of serving all kindergarteners in one building. “We realized we could go so much deeper with instruction and learning for young children by focusing on the needs of our 4- and 5-year-olds,” Margo said. “We had some funds set aside and used them to remake the school for young learners.”

Today, the school has more than 400 kindergarten students enrolled in 17 classrooms. Two classrooms offer bilingual Spanish/English learning. They also added two preschool classrooms, one funded with Title 1 dollars and the other funded by Head Start.

The Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC) is hoping to fund a third preschool classroom, and Margo is partnering with the High Desert Education Service District to fund an Early Childhood Special Education classroom for children with developmental delays or disabilities. She is also hoping to serve additional kids and families with Preschool Promise funding.

Right now, the preschool classrooms offer a half-day program, an approach that doesn’t fully meet the needs of working parents and families in the region. Margo hopes to expand to full-day classes and is well-positioned to do that with room for expansion in the building.

Beyond kindergarten and preschool, the RELC is designed exclusively to meet the needs of the district’s youngest learners. Through partnerships with Healthy Beginnings, Head Start, public health, and other entities, the center serves as a hub for early learning for children from birth to age 6.

After a tour of the school, council members shared stories with legislators about the services and needs in their communities. The need for child care and preschool for working families is clear, as well as the need for additional facilities to hold full-day classrooms in more locations. Home visiting services are in demand and could be helping many more families. Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education staff are strained with more referrals than they can manage, and very few children are receiving adequate levels of service. Teachers also need training, supports, and professional learning opportunities. And, according to Margo, the RELC is seeing more children struggling from the effects of trauma and displaying challenging behaviors, factors that require resources, planning, and capacity.

This spoke to a need for further investment in programs that serve young children and their families. Council members and legislators appeared eager to help one another reach that goal, but the 2019 legislative session poses one significant obstacle: early learning investments in Governor Brown’s budget will largely require new revenue.

Special thanks to Tim Rusk from MountainStar Family Relief Nursery and Brenda Comini from the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon for arranging the meeting.