Early Childhood and Elementary Newsletter

February 22, 2016

Early Childhood & Elementary

Early Childhood Takes Center Stage

There's been a tremendous amount of attention paid to early childhood lately. Even President Obama gave a shout-out to the needs of young children in his 2016 State of the Union address, asking that pre-K education be provided for all children.

This wasn't Obama's first mention of early childhood in a State of the Union address. He also championed early childhood education in his 2013 and 2014 addresses. In December 2014, he announced a $1 billion investment for expansion of educational opportunities, and a year later he signed into legislation the vastly revised No Child Left Behind Act (renamed Every Student Succeeds Act) which gives back control of fixing schools to states and local school districts.

Why the big push now? Jeff Anderson, the facilitator for the Iowa Early Childhood Stakeholder Alliance/Advisory Council, said the focus on early childhood is a convergence of several factors. "In the past we had research on brain development and the important learning that takes place in early childhood but not the practices. And then we had policies but not the funding. Now add in the new piece of ACES research and the new policy and economic pieces, and it all comes together."

So how is Iowa responding to this new focus on early childhood? In the next Early Childhood & Elementary newsletter, we'll take a look.

IPTV Educational Specialist Spotlight

Stacie Steveson
A blur of motion, Stacie Steveson doesn't often sit still when she's leading story time. Big gestures, exaggerated faces, varied tone of voice -- all are part of Steveson's repertoire as she spins a tale of Peg + Cat or leads children in play. And the children love it.

Steveson, an IPTV Ready for School (RFS) educational specialist, spends a lot of time out of the office and on the road. Her work takes her to eight new RFS communities each year as she brings together partners in the communities to help strengthen the math and literacy skills of children ages 2-8. She also maintains ties to RFS communities from previous years. So far Steveson has made more than 40 trips this fiscal year and engaged more than 1,100 people, including children, parents, educators, librarians and staff members.

What drives Steveson to keep this grueling pace? "I want to close the education gap for children who have fewer advantages than other, more well-off children, and I want to see the gap closed by the time they reach kindergarten," said Steveson. "Since we know that most of a child's brain development happens in the first five years in life, we have to intervene at an early age."

Steveson knows a lot about early childhood education. She graduated with a Child and Family Services degree and worked stints as a childcare center director, Head Start teacher and Child Care Resource and Referral advocate.

"What we do for children and families through the Ready for School initiative is important work, and it brings all the local stakeholders together," said Steveson.

Want your organization in our Spotlight? Email mary.czech@iptv.org.

Featured Resources

Child Development & Early Childhood Development - PBS provides parents with a child development tracker and articles to give them insights on their children's growth and development.
The Whole Child - ABCs of Child Development - PBS teaches parents and child care providers the ABCs of child development.
Zero to Three is a national, nonprofit organization that provides the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development.
PBS Teachers Early Childhood (PBS LearningMedia) puts PreK resources in the hands of educators.

Questions & Answers

Q: I am the director and preschool teacher at a center who is interested in finding out how to apply for a Ready for School Learning Center.

A: We do not have an application process for our Ready for School (RFS) Learning Centers. Learning Center recipients are selected with input from IPTV's community organization partners from current-year RFS communities. Learning Centers are often placed in the waiting area of a health facility or organization where children and their families spend time. The centers provide resources that encourage families to read books, watch quality children's programs and learn about additional ways to have fun together while waiting for their appointment.

Questions about Ready for School? Email them to mary.czech@iptv.org.

Out 'n' About with IPTV Education Specialists

2/22/16 Stacie -- Saydel Peg + Cat event -- Cornell Elementary, Des Moines
2/23/16 Stacie -- Peg + Cat event -- Armstrong Public Library, Armstrong
2/23/16 Shane -- STEM Festival -- STEM activities -- Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids
2/23/16 Angela -- Indian Hills Community College STEM Festival -- STEM Resources, Pre-K+ -- Rural Education Center, Ottumwa
2/24/16 Kelly -- Peg + Cat event -- Mitchell Early Learning Center, Des Moines
2/25/16 Kelly -- Peg + Cat event -- Woodlawn Education Center, Des Moines
2/26/16 Trista -- PBS LearningMedia resources -- Seymour High School, Seymour
2/29/16 Stacie -- Literacy Night, Peg + Cat event -- North Kossuth Elementary, Swea City
3/1/16 Trista -- Van Buren Elementary Family Night, Literature & math resources, Peg + Cat -- Van Buren Elementary, Douds
3/2/16 Trista -- Literacy Day -- Learning Center launch, Peg + Cat -- Pence Elementary, Fairfield
3/3/16 Trista -- Peg + Cat event -- Van Allen Elementary, Mt. Pleasant
3/3/16 Trista -- Salem Family Night -- Presentation, family resources, Peg + Cat -- Salem Elementary, Salem
3/3/16 Stacie -- Parent-Teacher Conferences -- IPTV Resources -- Cornell Elementary, Des Moines
3/4/16 Stacie -- Peg + Cat event -- Estherville Public Library, Estherville
3/5/16 Stacie -- Spencer Kids Fest -- IPTV resources -- Clay County Fairgrounds, Spencer
3/7/16 Trista -- Wayne Elementary Family Night -- Peg + Cat, family resources -- Wayne Elementary, Corydon

How are you using Ready for School ( RFS) resources in your organization? Email mary.czech@iptv.org with any stories of how you have used RFS resources or how the resources have benefited your community. We may feature your story in a future Early Childhood & Elementary newsletter!

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