Preschool
Making the Case for Early Education
Only 42 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Oregon are enrolled in early education. If you’re unaware of the benefits of high-quality early education, you might be inclined to believe that the remaining 58 percent of children in our state, who don’t begin attending...
Twitter Chat: Pay and Credentials for Early Educators
Thanks to all who participated in our Twitter chat on #PreKPay! There were several key take-aways from the chat that we need to continue to discuss: We need to raise awareness that early childhood is a critical time in a child's life for brain...
What We Talk About When We Talk About Preschool Expulsion
Many people associate school expulsion with deliberate disobedience or some form of violence by older kids in the K–12 system. But expulsion affects our youngest learners, too—preschool students as young as age 3 or 4—impacting thousands of children across the...
An Interview with Ron Herndon
We invite you to spend an hour listening to our interview with Ron Herndon, a long-time community leader and activist in Portland and nationally. He has been the director of the Portland-based Albina Head Start since 1975, and his background includes more than four...
Early Education in Oregon by the Numbers
The Status of Oregon Children & Families: 2017 County Data Book recently released by Children First for Oregon compiles data on how kids across the state are faring in health, education, and economic security. Here we highlight some key findings underscoring...
The Importance of Early Literacy
This week’s visit by the Children’s Book Bank to the Early Works preschool program at Earl Boyles is a good reminder of how important early reading is to young children. Consider that: Eighty percent of child’s brain develops by age 3. Reading to young children can...
At Earl Boyles, Parent-Teacher Conferences Foster Community
In a school community where over thirty different home languages are spoken, the faculty and staff at Earl Boyles Elementary in Southeast Portland work to make sure all members of the community feel welcome. Whereas one primary role of schools has been to...
From Yoncalla to Salem: Parent Voices Drive Advocacy
Governor Brown meets with parents from Yoncalla Early Works. “After that, I couldn’t wait to do more.” --- During the 2017 session of the Oregon legislature, Sara Ruiz-Weight traveled to Salem three times to testify about the value of preschool and early...
The Power of Head Start: A Parent’s Perspective
Angela Parsons gives us a parent's perspective about her experience with Albina Head Start in North Portland. She talks about how her son made great strides with his academic and social emotional skills during two years in preschool, her renewed interest in Spanish...
An Eye on Systems: An Interview with Principal Kelly Soter
Kelly Soter is the principal at Jackson Elementary School in Medford, Oregon. She was named 2017 Oregon Elementary Principal of the year by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators and the Oregon Elementary School Principals Association. In this Q&A,...
