WECA, in collaboration with the Early Learning Coalition’s Great Start campaign, has been working on several advocacy efforts to secure adequate funding for early childhood education in the Wisconsin state budget. For one of the activities, we asked parents to write postcards to their legislators describing why they support a Great Start for all of [...]
Archive for March, 2009
Parents help Legislators “Picture Wisconsin’s Future”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Budget, child care, Early Childhood Education on March 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Susan Russell: A Voice for Early Childhood Professionals
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged child care, Early Childhood Education, ECE Professionals, R.E.W.A.R.D. ™ WISCONSIN, T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® WISCONSIN on March 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sue Russell- founder of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® scholarship program, president of Child Care Services Association in North Carolina, and president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)- was recently asked to testify before the United States House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. In her testimony, Russell discussed [...]
WI Senate Bill 89/Assembly Bill 119: Changes in Five-Year-Old Kindergarten Requirements
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged ECE Legislation on March 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
SB89/AB119 was introduced into the Senate in February and into the Assembly in March. With 24 co-sponsors, the bill would change current mandates regarding enrollment in, and completion of, 5-year-old Kindergarten. Beginning in 2011-2012, completion of 5-year-old Kindergarten would be a prerequisite for entering first grade in any public or charter school. School districts would [...]
Early Childhood Ed and the 2009 Federal Omnibus Package
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Budget, child care, Early Childhood Education, ECE Legislation, ECE Professionals, President Obama on March 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The federal government’s current fiscal year began on October 1, 2008. At that time, legislators could not agree on changes in funding levles so federal agencies continued to be funded at the previous fiscal year’s amounts (the amounts signed into law for October 1, 2007- September 30, 2008). Because of this decision, legislators started working [...]
Milwaukee Child Care Centers May Face Tougher Assessments
Posted in Press, tagged child care, Early Childhood Education, ECE Professionals on March 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Milwaukee Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee recently passed a resolution that would require more strict assessments of child care centers wishing to operate within the city. The resolution, which was favored unanimously, would require that the Board of Zoning Appeals delay child-care permit licensing applications for 6 months (or use stricter processes) [...]
Federal Early Education Bills to Watch
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged child care, Early Childhood Education, ECE Legislation, ECE Professionals on March 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
With all the activity surrounding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, it’s easy to miss all of the other bills being introduced and debated in the United States Congress. We found that several of these new bills relate directly to early education. Here are 5 Federal bills to watch: 1. S.210/H.R.460- The Right [...]
US House Education and Labor Committee: Early Education Hearings
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged child care, Early Childhood Education, ECE Legislation, ECE Professionals on March 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, in the first of a series of hearings devoted to early childhood education, the United States House Education and Labor Committee met to discuss the importance of development in early childhood. Legislators heard testimony from several invited experts in the field from across the country. Speakers included Harriet Meyer of the Illinois Early Learning [...]
Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition: Top 10 Ways to Increase Funding for Early Care and Education
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Budget, child care, Doyle, Early Childhood Education, ECE Legislation, ECE Professionals on March 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As we posted earlier this month, the time has come for the 2009-2011 Wisconsin state budget to be reviewed and revised by the Joint Finance Committee. Do you want to advocate for early care and education funding to be increased in the budget? Here are 10 creative ways to do so: 1. Write a letter [...]
