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Early Learning Training Institute

October 25, 2021/in Education /by join.us

Problem

Parents cannot work if their children don’t have child care, and our child care industry is in crisis.  The business model doesn’t work. Parents of young children are least able to pay what the teachers and caregivers of their kids deserve to be paid. We know these are the most important years of learning for young brains – and we should be paying these teachers and caregivers accordingly.  Today the average child care worker gets paid $16,000-$24,000 a year, less than a barista at Starbucks.   Child care centers simply cannot survive without some way to recruit and retain their workforce through salary and training supports.  

 

Solution

The Early Learning Training Institute will leverage state and federal dollars to increase pay for child care workers with a commensurate increase in training, professional development and a real career/articulation path for these teachers and caregivers.  

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 join.us https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png join.us2021-10-25 14:59:342021-10-25 14:59:34Early Learning Training Institute

Disrupting Generational Illiteracy by Implementing Imagination Libraries

October 25, 2021/in Education, Equity & Opportunity /by join.us

Problem

In 2014, nearly 43 million adult Americans possessed low literacy rates with 8 million adults reading at a third grade level. In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a catastrophic rise in illiteracy rates among youth in the U.S. The guidelines issued by the government and public health institutions pushed millions of students out of school disrupting their education and forcing schools to redesign how to teach in a virtual world. This drastically changed literacy rates in the first few months of the pandemic, but the long term effects could have even more drastic results.

Solution

The solution to low literacy rates is to proactively disrupt generational illiteracy through government opt-in programs such as an imagination library. An imagination library is a free book gifting program that sends high quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income. This helps students in underserved communities that don’t have access to resources. Requiring state and local governments to offer imagination libraries would help prepare the next generation if another pandemic were to happen.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 join.us https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png join.us2021-10-25 14:57:182021-10-26 14:13:10Disrupting Generational Illiteracy by Implementing Imagination Libraries

901 Student Passport – A Local Getaway for Students and Families

October 25, 2021/in Education, Safety Net /by join.us

Problem

The fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 resulted in communities across the country sheltering in place for weeks and months throughout much of 2020. No one felt the impact of this intervention more than small children and the parents left to stimulate them. In Shelby County, TN, most schools were abruptly shuttered after Spring Break. Parks and recreational facilities were closed for several months. Summer camps canceled off-site activities, families halted playdates, and, when school began in the fall, most local school systems kept students at home to learn virtually.

At the same time, local galleries and museums were revamping how visitors could tour their spaces while reducing contamination from COVID-19. Despite their best efforts, tourism was at record-low levels and most non-profit boards reported fears that they might shut down permanently due to reductions in attendance and philanthropic support. 

Solution

In Summer 2020, the Shelby County Mayor’s Office created the community’s first-of-its-kind “901 Student Passport.” The program was a collaboration between local government and eight arts, culture, and historical institutions across Shelby County.  Each institution received a $30,000 economic stipend to allow every school-age child and their parents to receive free admission through the end of the first semester of school. Parents could download and print a Student Passport or pick up one from every local library in the County.

Upon visiting a location, the Passport received a special stamp. After earning a stamp at each local destination, families mailed or emailed their completed passports to the Mayor’s Office to receive a congratulatory gift box that included items to exercise their bodies and minds. Each box included a colorful puzzle game, durable jump rope, journal, and a personal note from Mayor Lee Harris.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 join.us https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png join.us2021-10-25 14:54:452021-10-26 14:13:19901 Student Passport – A Local Getaway for Students and Families

Jeff Bridges, Senator (Greenwood Village, CO)

July 2, 2021/in Broadband, Education, Equity & Opportunity, Infrastructure, Smart Government /by Jordan Smith

Closing Colorado’s Digital Divide

This week, NewDEAL Leader Colorado Senator Jeff Bridges’ bill to invest in internet access was signed into law. With the pandemic adding urgency to the necessity for access to high-speed reliable internet to participate in economic activities, education, telehealth, and more, Bridges’ bill provides $75 million to connect unserved and underserved communities, including $20 million specifically set aside for the Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Tribes. Learn more about how this funding increases equity, and keep an eye out for information on similar topics from the NewDEAL Forum Broadband Task Force.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 Jordan Smith https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Jordan Smith2021-07-02 14:22:202021-07-02 14:24:34Jeff Bridges, Senator (Greenwood Village, CO)

Brooke Lierman, Delegate (Baltimore, MD)

April 16, 2021/in Broadband, Education, Infrastructure /by Kellee Wicker

Implementing Broadband Connectivity in Maryland

This week, NewDEAL Leader Maryland Delegate Brooke Lierman’s Digital Connectivity Act of 2021 was signed into law after the Maryland General Assembly approved the bill. As a result, the Office of Statewide Broadband will soon be established and work towards ensuring state residents, including 520,000 households that lack wireless internet access, have access to high-speed, affordable-broadband internet by 2026. Read more about Delegate Lierman’s bill here, and for more from the NewDEAL Forum on policies to help lay the foundation for the effective expansion of broadband access and adoption, check out the NewDEAL Forum Education Policy Group’s report Aligning the Future of Education with Workforce Opportunities.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 Kellee Wicker https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Kellee Wicker2021-04-16 13:56:192021-04-16 13:56:37Brooke Lierman, Delegate (Baltimore, MD)

Steven Reed, Mayor (Montgomery, AL)

February 19, 2021/in Education /by Kellee Wicker

New Program Seeks to Close Learning Gap

The effects of COVID-19 on our children’s education are well documented: pandemic-interrupted learning has set students back, by as much as a full year or more in some studies, with marginalized communities most likely to be adversely affected. In an attempt to close the “learning gap,” Montgomery, AL Mayor Steven Reed announced his city’s brand new LEAPS program. Short for Learning and Enrichment Acceleration Program for Summer Students, the program is geared towards 200 students in grades K-5 and is a partnership between the city and several businesses. Read more about LEAPS here. For more on COVID’s impact on education and policy solutions to address it, check out The NewDEAL Forum Education Policy Group’s report.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 Kellee Wicker https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Kellee Wicker2021-02-19 15:49:492021-02-19 15:49:58Steven Reed, Mayor (Montgomery, AL)

Senator Raumesh Akbari (Memphis,TN) & Senator Jeff Yarbro (Nashville,TN)

January 31, 2020/in Education /by actualize
Boosting Living Standards and Education in Tennessee

NewDEALer Senator Raumesh Akbari’s recent efforts to expand opportunity for Tennesseans have included an effort with fellow Tennessee Senator, and NewDEALer, Jeff Yarbro to push for increased education funding by the state. Read more in their op-ed in the Tennessean, which addresses the deficit that was laid out in a recent Department of Education report. “This structural education deficit is compromising the future of a million public school students and has far-reaching consequences,” Akbari and Yarbro write, “from our urban population centers to rural communities.”

In addition, Akbari introduced legislation, SB 1851, to protect tipped employees, increasing their earnings by raising the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour from the current rate of $2.13, in addition to tips. Senator Akbari advocates for the bill, explaining that “tipped workers already have unpredictable pay and schedules.The least we can do is abolish the sub-minimum wage in Tennessee and provide some financial predictability to the thousands of hard-working people in the service industry.”

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png 0 0 actualize https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png actualize2020-01-31 08:42:522020-02-28 09:12:37Senator Raumesh Akbari (Memphis,TN) & Senator Jeff Yarbro (Nashville,TN)

Oregon Promise

January 18, 2020/in Education Expanding Opportunity Education /by actualize

 

Problem

In the changing economy, it’s harder than ever to get a good-paying job with only a high school education, yet a growing number of high school graduates feel that they can’t afford a higher education. Unfortunately, it costs Oregon taxpayers an average of $14,000 per year for each unemployed young person they support.

Solution

Senator Hass wants to make it free for high school graduates to take community college classes so that they can earn technical skills or get a head start on a four year degree. Since two years of community college is cheaper than a lifetime of food stamps, he hopes to fund the program through federal Pell grants as well as future savings from students who would no longer need to rely on more expensive safety net programs.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/tile_education.jpg 300 300 actualize https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png actualize2020-01-18 13:48:072021-06-02 14:39:01Oregon Promise

Middle School Expanded Learning Time

January 18, 2020/in Education Expanding Opportunity Education 2014 Challenge Finalist /by actualize

Problem

One of the biggest obstacles in preparing students–especially lower income kids–to contribute as thoughtful young leaders within our community is our antiquated school calendar.

Solution

Mayor Driscoll is leading a coalition of parents, teachers, and researchers to modernize education by redesigning and extending the school day in her city. By implementing an Expanded Learning Time program, the longer school day gives kids more time to gain critical skills, allows teachers to target their time on what works best, and helps parents keep their kids out of trouble after school.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/tile_education.jpg 300 300 actualize https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png actualize2020-01-18 13:48:072020-01-18 13:48:07Middle School Expanded Learning Time

Race to the Tots

January 18, 2020/in Education Expanding Opportunity Education 2014 Challenge Finalist /by actualize

Problem

Investing in a 4-year-old’s brain is the single best investment we can make for the longest term return on closing academic and achievement gaps, but it’s been difficult in many places to prioritize funding for preschool and test what works best.

Solution

Senator Ferguson has an innovative solution: “Race to the Tots,” a competitive grant funded by the state lottery that allows local districts to test ideas that demonstrate how expanding access to preschool for low-income families can benefit all of us.

https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/tile_education.jpg 300 300 actualize https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png actualize2020-01-18 13:48:072020-01-18 13:48:07Race to the Tots
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Latest News

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Recent News

NewDEAL CEO Releases Statement Praising Inflation Reduction Act

August 12, 2022
For Immediate Release:                                                                 August 12, 2022                                                                          Contact: Jonathon Dworkin (NewDEAL), 202-660-1340 x5, jonathon@newdealleaders.org   NewDEAL Praises Inflation Reduction Act Climate change provisions are a huge […]
https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DCB-speaking-day-1.jpg 500 500 Jordan Smith https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Jordan Smith2022-08-12 15:23:452022-08-12 15:23:45NewDEAL CEO Releases Statement Praising Inflation Reduction Act

NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan Co-writes Op-Ed in Route Fifty: How State and Local Leaders Can Use Data to Ensure Broadband Access for All

July 13, 2022
By Debbie Cox Bultan and Nichole Dunn JULY 12, 2022 05:08 PM ET   COMMENTARY | To maximize the $65 billion in federal funds available […]
https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_5799.jpg 500 750 Jordan Smith https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Jordan Smith2022-07-13 13:57:082022-07-13 18:47:28NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan Co-writes Op-Ed in Route Fifty: How State and Local Leaders Can Use Data to Ensure Broadband Access for All

NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan’s Op-ed in RouteFifty: Roe is Gone. States and Localities Must Protect Reproductive Rights

June 28, 2022
By Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO, NewDEAL JUNE 27, 2022 05:14 PM ET   COMMENTARY | The 50-year era of Roe v. Wade has ended. We need […]
https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Debbie_pic.jpg 906 764 Jordan Smith https://newdealleaders.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/logo-tnd-300x74.png Jordan Smith2022-06-28 14:04:372022-06-28 14:04:37NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan’s Op-ed in RouteFifty: Roe is Gone. States and Localities Must Protect Reproductive Rights

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