The Education Committee’s Early Education: Promise, Partnership and Policy workshop 
gathered a room full of early education advocates eager to hear from Dr. Celia Ayala, of Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP); Duane Dennis, of Pathways; and Kim Patillo-Brownson, of The Advancement Project. The workshop was moderated by Alex Johnson, of the Children’s Defense Fund – California.
Dr. Ayala discussed the promise of high quality early education including the impact of brain development, evidence-based practices and how early education contributes to children becoming lifelong learners. Dr. Ayala elaborated on how the achievement gaps in learning manifests early in children.
Duane Dennis shed light on access to high quality early education, referrals and resources in the 2nd District service area. He elaborated on how the resources and referrals serve as a one-stop shop from intake of the family’s specific needs to valuable information about choosing quality early education settings.
Kim Patillo-Brownson, explained how we could make early learning and development a priority in the 2nd District. She shared some success stories from across the nation that we may apply in the 2nd District while also telling the parents how they can advance early education as a policy.
Alex Johnson achieved the remarkable task of keeping the conversation moving and facilitating questions and answers and from the audience, taking great care to listen and facilitate discussions that elicited the views of all the attendees.
Resources:
- Resource & Referral Providers by ZIP Code
- SD2 Early Learning Resource Sheet (Jan. 2015)
- Top 10 Reasons to Enroll Your Child in Early Education
- Pathways – Access to High Quality Early Education, Referral, and Resources