The Latest
Coalition Building & Advocacy with Amanda Manjarrez and Dana Hepper
In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto explores the topic of advocacy and the details of two legislative agendas focused on building an inclusive, equitable, and just public education system. Guests: Amanda Manjarrez is the public policy &...
ECC Policy Agenda Shaped by Lived Experience
Zakkiyya Ibrahim had been running a 5-star rated child care program in her rental home for three years when she received sudden notice last May, from her landlord, that she would need to close her business within fourteen days or receive an eviction notice....
Child Care in Rural Oregon: A Report from The Ford Family Foundation
A new report from The Ford Family Foundation in Roseburg, Oregon examines approaches to addressing systemic inequities in Oregon’s child care system. Oregon has struggled with child care availability for years. In 2019, 90 percent of the state was designated a...
Beyond Fadeout: Why Preschool to Elementary School Alignment Matters
The news about the long-term benefits of preschool in recent years has been somewhat contradictory. Widely reported studies have suggested that gains in language, literacy, and math skills from preschool programs like Head Start appear to “fadeout” by third grade....
How Did Oregon’s Children Fare in this Election?
While national politics and the presidential election have consumed the lion’s share of voter attention these last few days, Oregon’s well established vote-by-mail process offers more concrete outcomes for local races and ballot measures. Here’s a round up of...
Transforming Schools: Community Health Workers in Action
The following is an excerpt from our new report, "Transforming Schools: Community Health Workers in Action," written by Katia Riddle. Read the full report.Ana Olmos was surprised one day in the winter of 2019 when a Community Health Worker (CHW) approached her in...
Podcast: Hadiyah Miller, Black Child Development PDX
In this week’s episode, host Rafael Otto speaks with Hadiyah Miller, president of the Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (ORAEYC) and chairperson of Black Child Development PDX, about combating the expulsion and suspension of Black children in...
Parents Wrestle with School and Care Choices in Pandemic
Melissa Tyler of Ontario, Ore., worries about sending her 5-year-old son into school this fall during a pandemic. But she’s even more concerned about Mason, who has Down’s syndrome, slipping behind. “I think socially he could be losing ground; that is my biggest...
Schools Push for Equity Against Forces of Pandemic
After the pandemic closed Oregon schools this spring, teacher Nicole Odom and her assistants at McKay Elementary in Beaverton depended on parental help to remotely teach their preschoolers. They prepared video lessons, learning activities, songs and Zoom sessions,...
Parents and Teachers Weigh Quality vs. Safety in Pandemic
As Oregon educators prepare to open schools this fall, they are searching for ways to give their youngest students quality education while keeping them safe in a pandemic. That goal poses an enormous challenge if they physically open and an even bigger one if they...
