Page 2 – Early Learning Nation

5 Questions for the Mayor: Rochester’s Lovely Warren

Linda Shockley·Jul 31, 2019·2 min read

Where do you go for the top news in Early Learning at the municipal level? Check out “5 Questions for the Mayor,” where we’ll explore the top Early Learning challenges and successes in cities across the nation. We’re thrilled to partner with the National League of Cities on this new series.

“Value Disorganization and Vulnerability as an Opportunity”: Part I of Interview with Brazelton Touchpoints Center’s Joshua Sparrow

Mark Swartz·Nov 23, 2021·3 min read

Recently, the anthropologist James Peacock III told me about the night in 1964 when his newborn daughter Louly had swallowed...

The American Rescue Plan Provides a Blueprint for Keeping Kids Safe and Reducing Reliance on the Foster Care System

Kendra Hurley·Apr 13, 2021·5 min read

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden has been lauded as a “force for...

BOOK REVIEW: Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending U.S. Poverty

An Indictment of U.S. Policy and Clarion Call to Fix It

K.C. Compton·May 18, 2021·5 min read

Thanks to U.S. public policy going back decades, nearly 40 million people in this country live below the poverty line...

Unconditional Cash: A Bold New Pilot for Pregnant Women

Mark Swartz·Jun 9, 2020·3 min read

Lived Experience Sabra Bell remembers what it was like to be pregnant and low on funds. “Extra cash would have...

States, Time to Step Up on Child Care

Elliot Haspel·Mar 1, 2022·8 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

Philadelphia’s Soda Tax Shows Promise As Allocations for Pre-K Outperform Expectations

Mark Swartz·Nov 2, 2021·3 min read

In 2016, when Philadelphia became the first big U.S. city to tax sugary beverages, many expected other others to follow....

Halloween Special: Our Top 10 Scariest Early-Childhood Parenting Tips

Mark Swartz and Art Hondros (Illustrator)·Oct 31, 2019·6 min read

It’s the ghoulish season, when candy-crazed miniature unicorns, ninjas and mini-Hamiltons in tricorne hats roam suburban streets and the corridors...

Caregiver Conversations: The Parent Voices Study Demonstrates Why “Participatory Research” Matters

Mark Swartz·Feb 10, 2022·4 min read

Nobody studies early childhood for purely academic reasons; researchers’ studies hope to improve the lives of real kids. And the...

Mississippi’s “Miracle”: Fourth Grade Reading Scores Keep Climbing. Is Early Learning the Reason?

Mark Swartz·Nov 10, 2023·4 min read

Everyone likes good news, so it’s no wonder that when Mississippi went from being ranked second-worst in 2013 for fourth grade reading scores to 21st in 2022, the media kept using the m-word. “Everybody keeps on calling this a miracle,” says Dr. Jill Dent, executive director, Early Childhood Education, Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). “But we have worked really hard, and we were very intentional.”

Carol Brunson Day: The Challenging Path – Equal Access to High Quality, School-Based Experiences

The Editors·Nov 21, 2019·5 min read

From her earliest days, teaching has been part of Carol Brunson Day’s life. And since those first lessons through her time in the classroom and as NAEYC Past President, she has been a relentless, powerful activist for equity, access, and high-quality education for children.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Early Learning Community

Elliot Haspel·Jan 4, 2022·7 min read

2021 was a momentous year for early childhood care & education. The field suffered blow after blow from COVID and then a knock-on staffing crisis; received nearly $50 billion in rescue funds to temporarily patch the gaping leaks; and is ending the year on the precipice of receiving enough public funds through the Build Back Better Act to finally become a stable and healthy sector.

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