Impacting the Classroom

Why isn’t funding equitable, and what has to be addressed in order to make sure that ECE funding is just and equitable? Today, we're talking about current funding, and we're also talking about how funding has not been equitable throughout the early childhood space. Today’s guests are Keami Harris, the Chief Equity and Strategy Officer at the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, and Dr. William Johnson, the Director of Educational Strategy at the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Listen to their conversation to learn more about how funding has been inequitable throughout history, what foundational shifts need to occur for funding to flow in the right direction, and how leaders and providers can hold each other accountable. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:59] Keami Harris and her work for Early Childhood Funders Collaborative [00:02:13] Dr. William Johnson and his work as Director of Educational Strategy at the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund [00:02:57] How previous policies or funding have been inequitable [00:07:38] What foundational shifts are necessary [00:11:50] Personal experiences that influenced Keami’s and Dr. Johnson’s work [00:20:06] How funders and policymakers ensure that their dollars are used in an equitable way [00:26:09] How to elevate the voices of families so they can get what they need [00:31:32] How providers and leaders can hold each other accountable [00:38:10] What Keami and Dr. Johnson wish people knew about their work Resources Marnetta Larrimer Dr. William (Billy) Johnson Keami Harris

Because October is Head Start Awareness Month, Impacting the Classroom is celebrating with a closer look at Head Start, the federal government’s program to support student readiness and child development. Today’s guests are Christa Wesley, a Head Start Director at Cheaha Head Start in Alabama, and Marcia Flores, the Vice President of Chicanos por la Causa in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. Listen to the episode to learn what the critical areas for families are that Marcia and Christa see working in Head Start, how each of them reached their current positions, what their different communities look and how Head Start can serve them. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:01:13] What Christa is doing for Head Start in Alabama [00:02:05] What Marcia is doing for Head Start in Arizona [00:02:56] What brought Christa and Marcia to Head Start [00:05:34] Critical areas for children and families [00:12:42] What a Head Start program looks like and what roles exist within it [00:14:55] Marcia’s Head Start journey toward her current position [00:17:30] Christa’s Head Start journey toward her current position [00:20:15] What Marcia and Christa wish people knew about Head Start [00:23:05] The Head Start mission [00:24:40] Successful family components of Head Start [00:26:35] How to promote collaborations that support Head Start programs [00:33:20] More information about Head Start’s migrant or seasonal programs [00:36:30] What Christa’s community looks like [00:38:28] What enrollment in Christa’s community is like [00:40:40] What Head Start means to Marcia and Christa Resources Marnetta Larrimer Marcia Flores Christa Wesley

TikTok influencers come from a variety of backgrounds, but some of the popular influencers out there are teacher influencers. What are the responsibilities of teacher influencers, and what’s their role in the current conversations about education? In today’s episode, Marnetta Larrimer talks to Arielle, a teacher known on TikTok as Mrs. Frazzled, and Miss Redacted, a teacher influencer who left teaching. The two of them host a podcast together called Teacher Quit Talk. Listen to the episode to hear their thoughts about what’s controversial on TikTok – it’s not what you might expect – what the role of social media influencers is when it comes to their impact on diversity and equity, and what some of the inequities that occur in school are. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:22] Teacher influencers and their role in the conversation on education [00:00:54] Miss Redacted’s introduction [00:01:22] Arielle, aka Mrs. Frazzled’s introduction [00:02:10] The responsibilities of teacher influencers [00:04:34] The most controversial Tik Tok, given the current climate [00:08:22] The role of social media influences on the topic of diversity in education [00:13:09] The Addison Rae controversy [00:17:12] Equity projects that Miss Redacted and Mrs. Frazzled are involved with now [00:17:15] Student equity by region [00:20:35] How inequity is insidious [00:22:10] How social media influencers are impacting the teacher shortage [00:26:20] What to say to teachers who decided to stay [00:29:36] What policymakers and lawmakers should listen to and what they should do [00:35:06] How they feel about not coming back to teaching in the fall Resources Marnetta Larrimer Mrs. Frazzled Miss Redacted Teacher Quit Talk

It’s not in question that educational efforts need more funding; the question is what to do with that funding when it’s received. In today’s episode, Marnetta talks to one returning guest, Sarnitha Stricklin, director of the Jefferson Early Childhood Network in Louisiana, and Jen Roberts, CEO of Agenda for Children. They’re going to talk about using funding, both how they’ve done it previously and what their vision is for the future. Listen to the episode to hear what Sarnitha and Jen have to say about what leaders should do when they’re receiving education-specific funds, the successful investments they’ve seen and been part of, and their ideas for issues like retention and compensating educators. Topics Discussed in This Episode[00:00:23] Returning guest Sarintha Strickland [00:01:04] Jen Roberts, CEO of Agenda for Children [00:01:25] How Sarintha and Jen know each other [00:03:18] What leaders who are receiving education-specific funds for the fiscal year 2023 should do [00:07:10] What the initial investment in the leadership looked like for Sarintha [00:11:52] The most successful investment Jen saw [00:13:51] Growth in CLASS scores [00:14:26] Putting directors in a leadership role [00:15:43] When they started to think they were making a difference [00:20:35] The vision Jen and Sarintha are working toward now [00:23:45] Ideas for compensating educators [00:28:48] Who outreach is open to [00:31:15] Ideas for retention [00:36:07] Reaching people at all levels Resources Marnetta Larrimer Sarintha Stricklin Jen Roberts

Impacting the Classroom has explored several topics having to do with equity in the classroom and in early childhood education, and today we’ll be digging deeper into the subject by exploring equity in coaching. Today’s guests are Claudia Perez, an early education specialist and coach, and Dorothy Sanchez, an early childhood specialist and content developer. Claudia and Dorothy have worked with each other since their days at the University of Miami. Listen to the episode to hear what Claudia and Dorothy have to say about the coaching model that they created at the University of Miami, why diversity and representation matter in coaching, and how to foster more equitable coaching practices. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:42] Today’s guests and what they do [00:02:21] The coaching model that Claudia and Dorothy created at the University of Miami [00:04:36] How their coaching model helped teachers focus on equity in the classroom [00:08:07] Changes the teachers saw in the classroom [00:13:19] What we mean when we talk about coaching [00:18:20] Why diversity and representation matter when it comes to coaching [00:21:01] Barriers to building relationships with teachers [00:24:10] How program leaders can ensure more diversity among their coaches [00:27:54] How to foster more equitable coaching practices [00:31:20] When teachers view coaching as punitive [00:33:30] Finding shared goals with the teacher being coached Resources Marnetta Larrimer Claudia Perez Dorothy Sanchez

Engaging children in science and engineering long before high school is important. It needs to start at much younger ages. But how can educators make that happen? And how can CLASS help? Today, you’ll hear from Dr. Daryl Greenfield, a professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami, and Veronica Fernandez, Teachstone Senior Director of Social Impact. They’ll discuss their research into science and engineering at the preschool and elementary ages, how CLASS supports science learning, and how to make science more accessible to ECE teachers so they can better engage students. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:23] Today’s guests [00:00:51] Veronica’s collaboration with Dr. Greenfield [00:02:44] Dr. Greenfield’s paper on Science and Engineering in Preschool Through Elementary Grades [00:06:50] Gaps in the research that went into the paper [00:09:12] How CLASS supports science and math learning [00:15:58] How to make science more accessible for ECE teachers so they can engage children in science learning [00:23:25] Veronica’s experience in making science easier for ECE teachers [00:28:34] How educators should work toward justice when teaching science and engineering [00:31:42] Meeting children and educators where they are Resources Marnetta Larrimer Dr. Daryl Greenfield Veronica Fernandez

What does it mean to focus on teacher-student interactions? How can it help? What’s QRIS and how can it be used to implement improvement for both children and educators? Today’s guests are Nasha Patel and Sarintha Stricklin, and their conversation will address these questions. Nasha is a managing director at Watershed Advisors. She most recently served as Senior Advisor for Planning and Strategy at the Oregon Early Learning Division and previously served as the Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Early Childhood Strategy at the Louisiana Department of Education. In that role, she led the strategy to increase access to and quality of care and education for children in Louisiana through the state’s unified birth-to-five system. Dr. Sarintha Stricklin serves as the Director of the Jefferson Early Childhood Network supporting leaders of publicly funded programs in south Louisiana. She has worked in early education for over 30 years as a teacher, administrator, trainer, coach, and consultant. Currently, she leads a broad coalition of thought partners who are collaborating to increase access to high-quality early care and education across neighborhoods in Jefferson Parish Louisiana. Listen to the episode to hear about Nasha’s white paper on QRIS, what Sarintha has seen a state/local partnership do for her parish, and how Louisana’s model can have effects across the country Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:26] Today’s guests, Nasha Patel and Sarintha Stricklin [00:01:47] Nasha’s upcoming publication on QRIS [00:03:39] The pitfalls Nasha’s paper identified [00:08:18] How different pieces work together to create a final outcome [00:09:51] Creating continuity for children [00:15:05] Intersections of class, building relationships, and educator/child relationships [00:18:10] How much time has gone by since the law passed and the rollout was underway [00:18:30] Empowering childcare facilities [00:23:37] Lessons for anybody thinking about making this shift to their QRIS systems [00:28:41] What the state/local partnership in the Louisiana QRIS means for Sarintha’s parish [00:32:40] How Louisiana’s model can create a shift across the country [00:34:08] The benefit of networks and network leaders coming together [00:37:45] How focusing on teacher-child interactions impacts quality Resources Marnetta Larrimer Nasha Patel Sarintha Stricklin

The school year is at an end, which means it’s time for reflection, and for future planning. Today’s episode is about both. Listen to Marnetta’s conversation with Amy Cubbage, Kristy Umfleet, and Katherine Davis as they discuss the trends in young children’s learning in North Carolina since the pandemic, the outdoor learning that Randolph County is known for, and how to plan ahead for the possibility of summer learning loss. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:30] Today’s guests [00:01:25] Trends in young children’s learning in North Carolina in the last couple of years [00:07:27] Groups that were impacted more by the pandemic [00:12:00] Outdoor learning in Randolph County [00:16:07] Plans for learning loss [00:18:52] Examples of summer learnings [00:21:39] Whether it’s been a challenge for teachers to shift out of a virtual mindset [00:29:19] Whether North Carolina suffered from the Great Resignation [00:35:01] Goals for the summer Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Amy Cubbage Kristy Umfleet

In today’s episode of Impacting the Classroom, you’ll hear about exciting news coming to the world of quality assessment and improvement. In March, Teachstone announced an enhancement to its tool, the CLASS assessment tool. CLASS 2nd Edition will be available starting this next school year. Today’s guests are two members of the team that helped bring the vision of CLASS 2nd Edition come to life, Grace Funk, Teachstone’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Katie Twilley, Director of Product Management: Assessment and CQI. Listen to the episode to learn what’s new in CLASS 2nd edition, find out their favorite parts of the new CLASS, and discuss how it will make a difference for children and educators. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:26] CLASS 2nd Edition [00:00:43] Today’s guests [00:01:06] What CLASS is and what it’s for [00:01:57] What’s new about CLASS second edition [00:05:31] Favorite things about CLASS second edition [00:10:00] Separating the class manual into a manual set and field guide [00:12:45] FCC Videos [00:16:20] Observer supports that are being launched into the field [00:19:10] Addressing biases [00:21:04] The catalyst for the 2nd edition of CLASS [00:25:37] How CLASS 2nd edition will make an impact Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Grace Funk Katie Twilley

Everyone knows that the pandemic has affected a lot of things but you might be surprised to know that it may have even affected speech development. Research suggests that babies born since the pandemic started are speaking less. What does this mean? What’s causing these delays? What can be done about it? Today’s guests are Dr. Jill Gilkerson, Chief Research and Evaluation Officer at LENA, and Barb Lito, a GrowSmart Coordinator for the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Listen to the episode to hear what they have to say about these findings, what they mean for future school readiness, what surprised them, and what parents and educators can do going forward. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:22] Today’s guests [00:02:50] LENA’s findings that babies born after the pandemic are talking less [00:08:23] The causes of these delays [00:09:34] Barb’s experiences and what she’s seen on the ground [00:11:52] What the pandemic’s effects on teachers looked like for children [00:13:35] How the educators’ masks affected children [00:15:39] What LENA’s findings mean for future school readiness [00:19:59] What was surprising in the LENA report [00:24:06] The impact of descriptive language and supportive interactions [00:26:27] Ways that parents and educators can support young children impacted by the pandemic Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Dr. Jill Gilkerson Barb Lito

What does it mean to talk about bias in early education? How do biases affect children, teachers, and leaders, and what do you do when you see individual or systemic bias in action? In today’s episode, you’ll hear Marnetta Larrimer speaking to Alexa Broderick, founder of The Equity Paradigm, at the InterAct NOW: CLASS Summit. Listen to the episode to learn how to contend with internalized biases, take actionable steps when you notice biases playing out, and why it’s important for children to see and participate in diverse experiences. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:26] Introducing Alexa Broderick at the InterAct NOW: CLASS Summit [00:01:06] Alexa’s work at The Equity Paradigm [00:03:53] What is meant by “bias” [00:05:47] The impact of bias on everyone in the education system [00:11:45] Combating biases at home [00:14:04] Making a difference against internalized biases [00:19:23] Recommendations for books, TV shows, and apps that do a good job of showing different perspectives [00:21:30] Mirroring diverse experiences with your behavior [00:24:45] Starting conversations with other types of people [00:27:12] What to do when you notice biases playing out [00:32:05] Giving power back to yourself [00:36:01] Actionable steps to take when you notice someone being biased [00:39:37] Advocating for yourself without being penalized [00:42:21] How parents can take personal responsibility Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re InterAct NOW: CLASS Summit Alexa Broderick The Equity Paradigm

A big topic of conversation currently – both in and out of the educational field, is the difference between equality and equity. Because, while equality might be a good thing when equity is not being achieved in schools, some groups of students simply don’t have the same access and opportunity to acquire quality education. And it’s undeniable that race is a significant factor in who gets that access and opportunity and who ends up marginalized. Today, Marnetta and Darlene are joined by Debi Mathias, the Director of Early Care and Education Quality Improvement at BUILD Initiative, and Stephanie M. Curenton, Associate Professor at Boston University, The Center on the Ecology of Early Development. Listen in to the episode to hear them discuss what quality improvement systems look like and can do, measure whether student experiences are improving, and implement real-time data into classroom approaches. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:01:21] What continuous quality improvement means for a classroom [00:01:54] What quality improvement systems should look like across the field. [00:05:06] Trends that have come and gone from states using CQIs [00:08:16] Tools that give a better perspective than assessments [00:09:30] The difference between equality and equity [00:17:04] The sense of agency when you know that you have an opportunity to impact and influence within your own space [00:18:20] Thinking about where individual tools sit within a larger system [00:22:00] Thinking about CQI systems that are developed to address multiple problems at the same time [00:23:13] Using the ACSES tool to measure whether low-income students are having more equitable experiences in the classroom [00:25:20] Heightening awareness throughout the field [00:29:15] Using real-time data to inform actions [00:35:50] The Quality Compendium Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Debi Mathias Stephanie Curenton BUILD 2021 Equity Early Measures with Equity Early Group

How can credentialing be used to recruit, train, and retain early childhood educators, or perhaps even return professionals who have left the field? In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about the CDA credentialing process, why it’s useful, and how it works. Today’s guest is Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., an accomplished leader in early childhood education He was appointed CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition in May 2020. He’s the Council’s first CEO to hold its early education credential, the Child Development Associate® (CDA). He is also a former member of the Council’s governing board. Dr. Moore holds a BS degree in early childhood education, an MS in Education degree, and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education. Dr. Moore participated in Head Start as a child, and then later professionally, so he’s seen the value of early childhood education from different perspectives. Listen to the episode to learn more about why the CDA is important to the early childhood space and how credentialing can help the teacher shortage, and strategies leaders can implement to help diversify the field Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:01:04] What the CDA is [00:02:15] The process of preparing to get a CDA credential [00:03:15] Why the CDA is such an anchor for the early childhood space [00:05:57] How credentialing can help in a teacher shortage [00:07:28] Advocacy work that the council does [00:10:25] Ways to recruit and retain educators besides credentialing [00:16:01] How to diversify the field and specifically to bring more men into the early childhood space [00:20:15] How to support leaders who support CDA [00:22:55] Opportunities for scholarships and grants [00:24:50] Support offered by the CDA Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr. CDA with CLASS® Teaching with CLASS Podcast The Council for Professional Recognition The Council's High School Pathways

Today’s episode includes a recording of a NAEYC presentation that was put together for the NAEYC's annual conference. Listen in to learn more about CQI, creating equitable access, and the reason for focusing on social-emotional learning. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:31] The recommendations, strategies, and suggestions from the NAEYC's annual conference [00:02:03] Introducing Meghan, Marnetta, Kate, and Suzann [00:03:27] What CQI is and how it relates to equity [00:05:56] The importance of being data-driven [00:07:03] What CQI means for policymakers [00:11:41] Understanding what you’re missing or noticing while interacting with children [00:13:32] Not being afraid of trying innovation [00:14:30] Creating equitable access for children [00:16:15] Focusing on social-emotional learning [00:19:45] Getting to know the children you’re teaching [00:22:31] Self-care for adults [00:24:41] A coach’s role [00:25:55] Committing to doing better every day Resources Teaching with CLASS podcast InterAct Now: CLASS Summit

As universal Pre-K becomes a real possibility in the United States, it’s important to look at other places that have these systems in place to find out what we can learn from them. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from two people who have firsthand experience with the pre-K system in Quebec. From Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Joell Eryasa is a CLASS® Coordinator at CASIOPE since 2018. She joined CASIOPE in 2016 working as a consultant in professional development for teachers and for directors in early childhood education setting in Quebec. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). She specialized in quality measurement in early childhood education settings. She has worked to support the development of the quality rating and improvement system implemented in the province of Quebec in the past years. From Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Stéphanie Millette-Brisebois is a CLASS® Certified Trainer at CASIOPE since 2019. She joined CASIOPE in 2016 and is working as a consultant in professional development for teachers and for directors in early childhood education setting in Quebec. She holds a master’s degree in Psychoeducation from the University of Quebec in Outaouais (UQO). She believes that access to professional development, planning time to reflect daily, and being intentional in every aspect of teachers’ practice is fundamental to ensure high-quality educational environments for children. Listen to the conversation between Joelle, Stéphanie, Marnetta, and Darlene to learn about how Quebec’s childcare system came to be, the financial aspects of universal pre-K systems, and strategies for improving and ensuring quality at scale. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:42] Thinking about the Build Back Better campaign and the possibility of universal Pre-K [00:01:38] Today’s guests from CASIOPE [00:02:03] What Quebec’s childcare system looks like, and how it came about [00:03:54] The importance of local childcare initiatives in each town [00:05:40] How the financial aspect of universal childcare in Quebec worked [00:07:23] The plans for making more space once slots filled up [00:10:34] The model used with family childcare homes [00:12:10] The importance of ensuring quality at scale [00:15:01] The focus of CASIOPE [00:16:29] Lessons learned through training class observers to look for quality through COVID [00:23:04] Joelle’s and Stephanie’s advice for those who are working to improve quality at scale [00:25:41] Building on what exists, rather than scrapping everything and starting over Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re

Those working the childcare field are passionate and driven. Even with the best of intentions, change can't happen without investments. Learn about funding opportunities that childcare providers can take advantage of, and how other providers are strategically using the money. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Anne Hedgepeth, Child Care Aware® of America’s Deputy Chief of Policy, and Tiffany Lee, who serves as the Prenatal-to-Three Policy Advisor for the City of Seattle, Department of Education and Early Learning. They’ll discuss the funding coming to early childhood education, where it’s coming from, and how it can be used in ways that are sustainable and equitable. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:01:29] Today’s topic and guests [00:02:07] What's happening at the federal level that may lead to more funding for early childhood programs [00:04:30] How providers can access funding [00:06:35] How family childcare programs fit into the funding [00:09:22] The costs of running a childcare facility [00:10:15] What it takes to build higher quality childcare and early learning [00:12:35] How family childcare providers want to use the funding [00:15:34] How quality childcare providers who may not have licensing get what they need [00:20:21] Strategically using the funding [00:21:53] The different types of funding [00:23:55] Equity in funding [00:25:35] Measuring and knowing where the money goes [00:27:13] Important things outside of education that help ensure children have an equal playing field [00:28:55] Looking at families holistically Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Anne Hedgepeth Tiffany Lee

The colliding of pandemic health and safety policies and historic underinvestment in early learning has culminated in worrying trends in the education workforce. In fact, the sector has seen a decline of more than 160,000 jobs. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from a panel that includes Shanda Parkinson and Amanda Horne of the Davis School District Head Start program in Utah and Lauren Bell of Ready Nation. Listen to the episode to learn more about the latest trends in the ECE workforce. And, hear the strategies that one district is using to recruit, train, and retain its educators. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:50] Introductions [00:03:30] What the phrase “challenges with the workforce” means [00:08:03] Challenges that childcare educators are facing besides COVID [00:11:06] The report from ReadyNation [00:12:10] How research compares to what's happening in Utah [00:18:53] How to fill the teaching pipeline [00:23:35] Retention strategies from Davis Head Start [00:24:24] How co-teachers help with retaining staff [00:25:34] The Staff Health Improvement Program for health and mental health [00:29:15] The Head Start support team [00:32:18] Policies and investments to fix the challenges Resources Marnetta Larrimer Darlene Estes-Del Re Shanda Parkinson Amanda Horne Lauren Bell Ready Nation

How should you begin thinking of equity as a verb? What are the first steps for businesses and schools to take to create change? What steps can educators do within the classroom to be more mindful and culturally competent? In today’s episode, you’ll hear a conversation between Dr. Darlene Estes-Del Re, Marnetta Larrimer, and Dr. Rosemarie Allen. Dr. Allen is the President and CEO of the Center for Equity and Excellence and has a 30-year background as an educational leader on a mission to ensure that all children can access high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and culturally appropriate early childhood programs. Listen in to learn what the effects of the recent push for more equity have been, what an equity audit is, and how the American Rescue Plan funds can be used to support the effort for more equitable classrooms. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:18] Introductions [00:00:30] Today’s topic: How to build a more equitable education system [00:02:21] Whether or not children are seeing results from the recent push for equity [00:10:05] The first steps for designing and implementing equity-focused programs [00:14:10] Building a diverse workforce [00:18:51] Using the American Recovery Plan funds [00:23:11] The difficulty of accessing high-quality programs [00:24:00] Making sure those who need it most can access programs [00:25:10] What families need at home to help children learn [00:28:35] Partnering with families to find out what supports they need [00:29:64] Supporting the need for culturally competent early learning educators [00:33:17] Accepting the bias in your own cultural lens [00:34:14] Daily acts of bias in early childhood classrooms [00:38:09] Keeping in mind when teaching takes place [00:40:30] Summary of today’s conversation [00:41:28] Equity as an action word Resources Dr. Darlene Estes-Del Re Marnetta Larrimer

Issues surrounding the ongoing pandemic and the Great Resignation have only made the already complex field of early childhood education even more challenging than before. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about some of the issues that exist in this difficult time and how they can be addressed. You’ll also learn more about the push for equity in early childhood classrooms and what that can mean for educators and policymakers. Today’s guests include Suzann Morris and Dr. Veronica Fernandez. Suzann Morris is the Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at Teachstone. Dr. Veronica Fernandez is the Senior Director of Social Impact at Teachstone, and before taking that position, she was a Teachstone consultant for many years. Listen in to hear what they have to say about better meeting children’s and teachers’ needs, what classrooms need in order to drive equity, and what can be done with new funding that will move the field forward. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:00:41] Today’s guests [00:01:48] How to better meet children’s needs in this challenging time [00:02:37] The conversation around the importance of early childhood [00:03:40] What the drive for equity in early childhood education needs [00:04:45] Example of inequity and equity [00:07:58] How equity shows up in the field of early childhood education [00:10:32] Who would be helpful at the table when it comes to early childhood education [00:13:32] How a wave of resignations has impacted the early childhood education field [00:16:40] Whether early childhood education is taking a step back in how people view its importance [00:19:08] The challenge of the traumas caused by the current challenges [00:22:55] What can leaders think about doing differently with funding to move forward [00:25:30] What universal pre-K is [00:32:12] How leaders can improve things to better than they were before the pandemic [00:34:52] Impacting the classroom from a teacher perspective [00:40:35] Episode summary Resources Our guests today, include: Veronica Fernandez Suzann Morris Hosted by: Darlene Este

Introducing Impacing the Classroom. The podcast that features big topics with an even bigger impact.