WEBVTT
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For us, kindergarten readiness isn't just about a child knowing their ABCs or accounting to 10.
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It's about whether they are developmentally, socially, and emotionally prepared to access learning.
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And when we talk about benchmarks like third grade reading scores, what we're really talking about is a trajectory for all of our scholars and our children.
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And that trajectory doesn't begin in third grade.
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It begins the moment a child enters a classroom for the first time.
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Welcome to Thrivecast, a production of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
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My name is Don Hibbard, and I will be your host.
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Our topic today is the importance of kindergarten readiness and the early childhood landscape in Flint.
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I have with me today Dr.
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Latoya Summe, Executive Director of Countywide Programs for the Genesee Intermediate School District, Dr.
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Jody Ramos, Director of Early Childhood Programs at the Genesee Intermediate School District, Superintendent Kevin B.
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Jones II, Superintendent of the Flint Community Schools, and Dr.
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Janelle Jamerson, President and CEO of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
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Kindergarten readiness is a powerful predictor of long-term outcomes, and yet families experiencing poverty often face barriers to accessing high-quality early learning.
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These early inequities contribute to later gaps in achievement and opportunity.
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So, Dr.
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Ramos, as the first director of the Educare Early Childhood Center in Flint, and now as director of early childhood programs for the Genesee Intermediate School District, can you define for us what kindergarten readiness means?
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Hi, Don.
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Thank you.
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I sure can.
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So that's a pretty loaded question.
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I don't know if you have enough time for my full answer.
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So I'll try and get it down a little bit for you.
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But first, we just want to make sure that children are ready to engage in a social environment and that they feel confident to engage in a setting that might have rules and routines that vary from their home structure.
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So this includes things like socializing with other children in larger groups.
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You know, they may be used to only having two or three kids in their home or where they're at.
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And now they're in a classroom with 29, 30 other students.
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We want to make sure that they're prepared for that and managing their own emotions as it comes to those interactions in the classroom.
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We also want to make sure children have the foundational skills to succeed academically.
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When we're looking at fine motor for their writing skills, what they might need there, the areas of math, literacy, and what we call cognitive processing or problem solving.
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Can they solve a problem?
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If they're encountering an issue, how do how are they persistent?
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How do they make sure that they're able to continue to solve that problem?
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With kindergarten writingness, we also want to make sure that we're looking at uh alignment between developmental milestones, but also the state's early childhood standards of quality as well.
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Um, those are there.
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So we want to make sure are we looking at those?
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Are children able to attain those prior to entering kindergarten?
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Um, but really our ultimate goal is making sure that they view kindergarten as somewhere that is safe and that it's fun and that it's exciting to be there, and really laying that foundational piece for that school readiness case.
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So when should parents begin thinking about kindergarten readiness?
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Realistically, at birth, uh, you know, you're you're always preparing your children all the while from birth.
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Um, how are we involving them in conversations, even with babies?
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Are we babbling back and forth, encouraging them to develop those language skills?
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Are we pointing out things when we're driving to the doctors?
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Like, oh goodness, now I have to slow down because there's a red light.
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All of those little things matter all the way from birth, all the way through up to when they're getting ready to enter kindergarten.
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How do we get them into as many social interactions as possible?
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And Flint, there is just a wealth of opportunity to have your kids involved in different things.
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We have home visiting programs, you have the library, you have even just parks.
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Any of those opportunities to get them out there, have the social interactions, and the more language you can use with them, the better.
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Um, but realistically, if we're thinking about entering kindergarten and going into that as a five-year-old, you really want to start thinking that minimally a year prior to.
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What are some of those opportunities?
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Where is my child at developmentally?
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Where are they at with some of those standards that we would like them to have when they enter kindergarten?
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And what supports might I need to get them there?
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Superintendent Jones, in light of the recent focus on academic benchmarks such as third grade reading scores, why is it important for children to be kindergarten ready?
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Good question.
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Thanks for having us today, and thank you for the work that you all do here.
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Uh, for us, kindergarten readiness isn't just about a child knowing their ABCs or counting to 10.
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It's about whether they are developmentally, socially, and emotionally prepared to access learning from day one.
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And when we talk about benchmarks like third grade reading scores, what we're really talking about is a trajectory for all of our scholars and our children.
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And that trajectory doesn't begin in third grade, it begins the moment a child enters a classroom from the first for the first time.
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If a child starts kindergarten already behind, whether in language development, social skills, or early literacy, they are much more likely to struggle to read proficiently by third grade.
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And we know that third grade reading is a is a critical milestone.
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Uh it's the point where students shift from learning to read to reading to learn, right?
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If there's not re if they're not ready at that time, it's gonna be very difficult for them to uh pass tests.
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Uh, you know, we have M steps here, MSTEP here in Michigan.
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It's be very difficult for scholars to be ready for that test.
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So for us in Flint, kindergarten readiness is about equity.
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And that's an important word.
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Uh it's about ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, walks into that classroom with the foundational skills needed uh to be successful.
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That means like high quality education, high quality early childhood education, as mentioned, strong partnerships like the center with families, and community-wide commitment to our youngest learners.
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And so I think though, to add to that, uh it's important to emphasize it's not just a school issue, it's a community issue.
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Readiness starts long before a child ever steps into one of our school buildings.
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It starts with access to early learning opportunities, it starts with health care, stable housing, and families who are supported and empowered.
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And as a district here in Flint Community Schools, we're being very intentional about aligning our early childhood programs with our K-12 system so there's continuity for our families and our scholars.
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We're also working to meet families where they are, because parents are a child's first teacher.
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And when we invest in them, we're investing in student outcomes.
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And ultimately, if we want to move the needle on third grade reading, we can't wait until third grade to intervene.
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We have to start early, stay consistent, and think holistically about what readiness truly means for each one of our early young scholars.
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Thank you.
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Well, now I'm gonna throw it to Dr.
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Jamerson to talk to us a little bit about the early childhood landscape in Flint that prepares young scholars to be kindergarten ready and how the early childhood collaborative is making a difference for Flint kids.
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Yeah, and in Flint and communities like Flint across the country, the early childhood system is really diverse.
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Uh, so it includes center-based programs that are funded by the government, federally funded, like Head Start or Early Head Start.
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Early Head Start allows for children to start as early as six weeks of age, and Head Start allows for them to stay in center-based programming uh through uh through kindergarten, through kindergarten entry.
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Um, you also have the child care development subsidy that allows for families to select a child care provider that might be in a center, might be in a home, or even a family, friend, or neighbor who can provide that care.
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In Michigan, we're really fortunate to have the Great Start to Readiness program, which is our four-year-old preschool program.
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And increasingly, our state government is moving toward that being available for all kids in the state and even thinking about how we offer that as early as three years old.
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But there are also tuition-based options in our community as well that allow for uh families who might not qualify for one of those other sources I just talked about to be able to provide a safe and supportive environments for their children.
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I think a lot of times when we talk about early childhood, we think about a center.
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Um, but a huge part of our early childhood landscape is home-based providers, individuals who are serving up to six kiddos in their homes and really transforming their homes into the warm, loving, supportive environments that Dr.
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Ramos spoke about earlier.
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And then, you know, even if children aren't in the care of a formal childcare center, a huge part of our early childhood landscape is family, friend, and neighbor providers, individuals who families trust, who believe in the success of our children and are committed to creating spaces where every child can thrive.
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You know, the role of the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative is really about building a system that works for every Flint kid.
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And so for us, it's not necessarily about taking a position on a child being a center base or home base or family, friend, or neighbor care.
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But our aspiration is to ensure that no matter where they go, no matter where parents choose as the best space for their child, that it's the highest quality option possible.
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And the way that we meet that aspiration is through working, waking up every morning, going to sleep every night, focused on five key priorities.
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Now, the first priority is high-quality teaching and learning, that educators in any space that's serving young children have not just the resources, but the competencies necessary to help that child enter kindergarten ready, to regulate emotionally, to socialize with peers and all the things that Dr.
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Ramos uh named much better than I could.
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The second is intensive family engagement.
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We know that parents are the first, most important, and forever teacher in the education of their child.
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And so we partner with parents as experts and equal partners.
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Uh, the third is through enhanced professional development, uh, making sure that it's not uh understanding that that the educational landscape is constantly changing and things are constantly emerging.
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And we want to make sure that educators are always equipped with the best in line, the best in class uh supports to support our young people.
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The fourth is related to data utilization and research, that we're not just making assumptions about the quality of the early learning environment or the availability of the early learning environment or the responsiveness of that environment to the needs of kids and families, but that we test that regularly and we use those data to continuously improve our services.
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And lastly, um is focused on coordinated systems, understanding that the rising tide does lift all boats.
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And so as we're doing work through our two uh key schools, Educare, Flint, and Cummings, we're using those lessons learned to really influence improvements across the ecosystem and you coordinating a system, like I said earlier, that ensures that early childhood works for every FLET kid.
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And so what are some of the results that we've seen from the work that's been done at Educare and Cummings Center for a great start?
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Yeah, I think, you know, and I would definitely encourage uh Dr.
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Ramos and Dr.
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Summy to jump in here.
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I would say, you know, one of the one of the major outcomes that we've seen from the system perspective is that Educare and Cummings are among the highest quality-rated childcare centers in the state of Michigan, uh, joining only about 11% of childcare centers in the state and meeting that demonstrating quality level.
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And we're very proud of that.
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But in addition, you know, Educare Flint and Cummings were created during the water crisis as a response to a lack of available childcare for kids and families.
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And over the course of the seven years of this partnership, more than a thousand students have come through the halls of Educare Flint and Cummings and left demonstrating readiness as defined by higher levels of language development, uh, higher levels of social emotional development.
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Um, and I would say with the parents and families who understand that it's not, to Superintendent Jones' point, not just the responsibility of the school, but that they are actually the first most important teachers.
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I would also say that Educare, Flynn and Cummings are also a platform for policy change.
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And in no small part, being able to point to the successes at Educare, Flynn and Cummings have influenced expansions in the Great Starts Readiness program throughout the state, ensuring that more kids have access.
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Our parent ambassadors have lobbied in Lansing, uh helping to share their stories and understanding why these things are so valuable.
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But then also, it's we also understand that to Superintendent Jones's point, it's not just about education, but it's also about access to healthy food and it's about stability.
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And so, you know, every family is paired with a family engagement advocate uh within the educare uh Flynn and Cummings uh schools, and they support families and not just navigating the educational experience, but also connecting with the resources that are necessary in the community to ensure that they remain the most important teacher in their child's uh life and that they have the resources that they need.
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Um, and you know, there's so many other things that I could probably speak about, but I would love to give uh either Dr.
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Summy or Dr.
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Ramos uh an opportunity to talk a little bit about our uh outcomes at Educare Fund and Cummings as well.
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Yeah, Janelle, when I was listening to you speak, I was really thinking about um the first year at Educare, and we had the students that had started at six weeks old and then had gone through the full five years, and really thinking when you're talking about impact, how those families and students felt going through a full five years of having full year, full day programming.
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Um and that right there to me was the success in seeing that community that was built within that school there and at Cummings, you see the same things.
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Um, to Superintendent Jones's point, the collaboration around community is what's gonna help us be successful.
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And that was the success I could feel there.
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Every staff member, every parent, every community member were together for the best interests of those children.
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And those parents will still come back to us and say, You guys helped us to make sure that we're achieving, that we knew how to advocate for our children, that we knew how to advocate for ourselves as parents, that we had the resources to be successful.
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Uh, Superintendent Jones touched on earlier about the need for stable housing and health care.
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That's something our family engagement advocates had been able to work with those families on.
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How can I help you learn how to become a homeowner?
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How can I help you gain access for health care for your child and for yourself as well as a parent and make sure that those things are taken care of?
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So when I think of those successes, I just continue to see those kids and those families in my head and just imagining all their smiling faces, and I still see them.
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I still run into them in the store and they still talk about the impact that it had and to think that some of those kids have now been gone.
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They were, it was 2022, is the first year.
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So four years later, I can still run into them in the grocery store and they still remember who I am.
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And that just means the world to me.
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That means that we were successful in providing them that environment where they felt supported and ready to move on.
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And they tell me about all of the wonderful things that they have been doing since there as well, too.
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You know, Dr.
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Ramos, uh, I'm so glad you brought up the first cohort of Medicare students because, like you said, it's been four years since they left our doors.
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And that cohort of students are in the third grade this year.
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And, you know, Superintendent Jones, you made such a, you know, important lift about the importance of third grade and this transition from explicit reading instruction to increasingly relying on a child's ability to read for them to attain additional information.
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Um, you know, where we're thinking about our kiddos who started with us at six weeks old, that Dr.
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Ramos uh had from six weeks all the way through their kindergarten transition, and we want to know how they're doing.
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Um, and so Dawn, to the point of the early childhood collaborative, we see early childhood as birth to age eight.
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Um, and we don't see the early childhood system as solely the child care framework that I spoke about earlier, but it's also partnerships with our school partners who are responsible for that kindergarten and third grade.
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We'll be working with Superintendent Jones and other leaders across uh the county this year, actually, to do a follow-up study on our Educare students and just understand we know that they left um motivated with all of those uh characteristics that Dr.
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Ramos spoke about.
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Well, we want to know um also to what extent were we able to actually influence that very important third grade reading milestone that to Superintendent Jones' point places them at a higher level of likelihood of being successful throughout their educational trajectory.
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Oh, you're looking at Superintendent Jones, he looked like he had something to say.
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I'll hold, but it was eloquently stated.
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Oh, okay.
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I think that we have to focus our attention, you know, on when you when you think about those scholars that uh started at EduCare and where they are today, you know, what we really need to dive into is what changed for them, right?
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So from the time they left you, what what uh atmosphere, culture did we send them into to be educated?
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Uh from school district to school district, not just Flint, right?
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Flint community schools.
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They they could be in a a different type of school, they can be in a charter, a parochial.
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You know, what how are they doing based on where they are?
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I think that's important.
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It's important for educators to understand that.
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It's important for parents to understand that.
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And if we're gonna really, really put scholars in a space to thrive, then we have to sometimes check our own systems and what we have, what we have put together.
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And are we building upon one another for the the best work towards our scholars, right?
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Or are we just putting programs out and just doing work, right?
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So what educare started, or what Flint Community School started with our earliest learners, are we ensuring that we're giving them that same impact when they get to third grade?
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And you know, Superintendent Jones, you know, it it when we talk about kindergarten readiness, a lot of times we tend to focus on the readiness of the child.
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Uh, and Dr.
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Ramos and my work together at Educare, we began really pushing on, you know, well, we can talk about if the children are ready for kindergarten.
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Is the kindergarten ready for the child?
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And, you know, I would hear so much from I don't know that people really understand just the level of discipline that has to, uh, that an early childhood educator has to have to individualize instruction for every child.
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And, you know, oftentimes our educators would say, um, is are our expectations developmentally appropriate for our children?
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And I just appreciate that lift of really beginning to interrogate are this is does the system as it works today truly developmentally appropriate for our children, or do we need to create different conditions that really allow for them to thrive?
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I just think that's such an important point related to kindergarten readiness that it's not just about the readiness of the child, it's also about the readiness of the kindergarten to support that child from the point that they enter.
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Right.
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Are we focused on giving them so much summative assessments, or are we formatively assessing our scholars?
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Meaning, are we changing our instructional strategies to meet the need of the child that enters the womb?
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Or are we already prepared to test them uh based on what we've just uh, you know, had professional development to do, right?
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It's it's a different time, it's a different world.
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We we need to check our models.
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Um, not saying that the work that we're doing is is so wrong, but we need to make sure that we're learning from the children that's coming in the doors in order to appropriately uh teach them and have them ready uh for the society that they're going to have to meet one day.
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And uh it's a different world from where we come from.
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I think I would add to that um uh what was going through my mind is the individual uniqueness.
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Um we are in a day and time where you have to look at the whole child.
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That's right.
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You know, and and it it to your point, it can't be just about test scores, it can't be, it's it's what does that child need?
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And then to Dr.
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Jameson's point about uh age appropriateness, when we think about age appropriateness, we also have to think about as an individual.
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I might be a five year old, but I might have the mentality of a three year old.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.279
So we have to, in the early childhood space, we have to account for that.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:03.279
We have To teach those children how to manage themselves.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.240
We have to teach the staff how to work with those children.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:13.039
It's just, it's a different day and a different time, and we just need to approach education differently in today's age.
00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:13.359
Right.
00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:13.839
Yeah.
00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:21.279
And I would say to what the early childhood collaborative does, you know, I talked about all of our priorities, but I think the hour is so important as well.
00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:42.880
That the early childhood collaborative is made up of the Genesee Intermediate School District and Flint Community Schools and the Flint Center for Educational Excellence, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, where we're committed to coming to the table and really putting our systems on that table and interrogating to what extent are we actually being successful and preparing kiddos to be successful in kindergarten?
00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:48.160
And how do we work better together for that system to become more seamless and more responsive?
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.599
At the core of our work, that's the commitment of those around this table and our partners who aren't here.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:23:08.400
And I think that's what positions Flint to really create a model for the country is that we are constantly focused on how do we continuously improve our systems to ensure that our kiddos have the best possible opportunities.
00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:09.119
Dr.
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:13.200
Jamison, I was actually thinking about that as I was listening to you all speak about that.
00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:28.000
That is definitely one of the successes that have come out of this, is that we have continued to engage and push each other and into positions where we're always thinking about what is best for the children and families, even if it makes us uncomfortable as educators.
00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.319
What is best for the children and the families?
00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.200
And how are we working together to accomplish that?
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:38.079
And we've worked so hard to get to this point, and it's just great.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:42.160
That's truly a success of this partnership as well, too, and doing that.
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:49.279
Um and then also just very refreshing that we are focusing all the way up to eight years because that truly is the end of the early childhood.
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:50.880
What is the definition of early childhood?
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.559
Early childhood does not end it for is what people typically look at it.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.720
Early childhood is a birth through eight years old.
00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:08.079
So we have to make sure that we are considering that even first grader, second graders are still in that early childhood gap age where they are still developing their brain.
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:17.599
Their brain is still there, they're still, you know, kind of crossing that line of abstract thought and abstract thinking into when they can exit the early childhood age.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:22.799
So it's just very refreshing that we're looking at the full spectrum and not just stopping at four years old.
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.039
Well, I have one final question, and Dr.
00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:36.880
Summy, um Janelle talked about this earlier, uh, about where all of what the landscape looks like in early childhood.
00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:44.720
Uh, we have Head Start, we have Readiness for Fours, we have the state programs, we have local programs, we've talked about the local collaboration.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:54.240
But can you help us understand how potential changes to federal funding for early childhood education could impact a community like Flint?
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:55.519
Absolutely.
00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:57.680
I want us to all think of a parent.
00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:03.599
Just think of a parent or even a family member taking their little one to school.
00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:09.440
And then one day, and that child might be um impacted by the Head Start program.
00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.240
Maybe they're in the GSRP program, um, maybe they're in a home visiting program.
00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:22.319
And then just think about if there's one day where that parent cannot take that child to school because the Head Start program no longer exists.
00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:25.599
Um, for Genesee ISD, that's an$18.5 million grant.
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.400
We touch every corner of Genesee County, right?
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:34.640
If that goes away, what does all of the parents who are impacted by that, what would they do?
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:36.720
Okay, let's let's consider this.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:45.440
You wake up in the morning, you're making breakfast for your children, you can no longer drive those children to a place, which means you can't go to work now.
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:50.559
So as a parent, you can't make money for your household, those children go to school.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:55.200
Let's say you're a parent who um can't afford to feed your children three meals a day.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:01.680
Well, at least by taking them to a Head Start program, they get two meals a day, they get breakfast, they get lunch.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:07.519
Um, the Head Start program provides the diapers, it provides the formula for those children.
00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:13.519
Um we uh we uh do the we make sure we work with families for their health care needs.
00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:29.920
Um we have buses and vans that if a family can't get to um for our home visiting program, if they can't get to the doctor, um, we can provide the transportation for that to make sure that those kiddos get their shots and and they get their immunizations.
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.880
Um we provide resources for those families.
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.200
If a family is homeless, our family engagement advocates work with those families.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:39.759
So imagine you take all of that away.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.640
We've just now impoverished a community that's already struggling.
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.599
And so, what does that do to the world?
00:26:47.839 --> 00:27:01.599
You know, it's it's really um it's really hard to even think about losing one grant, let alone the possibilities of all the other funding sources.
00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:05.680
When I think about our home visitors, they um get to go inside the family.
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.920
We talked about earlier how uh we teach families how to be their child's first teacher.
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:24.480
I know that even for me, even though I was an educator, I was a general education teacher, when I had my first child back in 2001, I didn't know how to treat, I didn't know how to raise a newborn in terms of education.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:26.240
I was a secondary teacher.
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.880
So those are resources that we're taking away from families, whether they're employees.
00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:34.720
Oh, the other thing that we do in the programs is we hire those parents.
00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:46.079
So if you're a parent of a child and you're dropping your child off every day, you have an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom that provides um resources for the other for families.
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.160
You have an opportunity to be employed.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.920
We find employment for you.
00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:53.279
So it's really a huge impact on the community.
00:27:53.359 --> 00:28:04.240
If you think about just taking the Head Start grant alone, um the governor, Governor Whitmer, she's done an amazing thing with Pre-K for All, where she's uh granted access to those families.
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:07.839
So uh districts are able to run their own GSRP programs.
00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:20.559
Um so uh if that funding source goes away, then that impacts the the opportunity uh for districts to help uh engage their families with meeting those children where they are.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:25.920
Uh it takes away the uh the unique abilities, the individuality that each district has.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:33.200
So it's it's gonna be detrimental to the community if we lose funding for Het Start, GSRP, and home visiting programs.
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.559
And these aren't limited to the city of Flint.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:37.119
No.
00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:38.640
These are countywide.
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:39.440
So this is out.
00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:43.440
Head start is federal, federal rural communities as well, who would be impact.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.079
Yes.
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:44.880
Yes.
00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:45.599
That's right.
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:46.319
And to Dr.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:55.759
Summy's point, you know, in, you know, that's the what you're describing as the impact on potential impact on Genesee County, but it's counties across this country, right?
00:28:55.920 --> 00:29:04.480
Uh Head Start is funded in all 50 states, and the potential of that loss of service can have exactly what Dr.
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:05.440
Summy described.
00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:09.119
I love thinking about it in the context of a parent, right?
00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:27.119
That could be parents, millions of parents across this country who are trying to figure out how do I address this, this, this loss of a core portion of the safety net that I rely on to ensure that I can keep my child safe and ensure that they're prepared.
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:29.920
Um, I think it's it's just so important to acknowledge.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:39.279
And also when we focus on a parent, I think it also just lifts how central the early childhood system is to life, right?
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.519
We talk a lot of times about two open windows.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:47.519
The child's brain develops more in the first five years of their life than at any other point along there.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:54.000
You go to college, you get degrees, all that your brain is not developing at the rate that it was developing between birth and age five.
00:29:54.160 --> 00:30:04.319
But often that birth to age five period is also an open window for parents as well, who moms often have a disruption in employment because they have to have a baby.
00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:11.200
And then, you know, there's uh, you know, a lot of our parents are young or in transitional spaces of their lives.
00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:24.319
And so an opportunity to enroll your child in the Head Start program and to find a career as an early educator, if we we're able to harness those two open windows and create opportunity for both the child and the parent.
00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:28.079
And that's something that is, I think, so special, as like Dr.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:34.000
S said, as a trained secondary educator, and you know, and and feeling like I had a good grip on that.
00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:46.960
What makes early childhood truly special is being able to transform the life experience of the child and the parent together, and that being the universal expectation of how this system works.
00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:51.039
And even to think about just the jobs for our educators.
00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:58.720
I mean, wow, we already have a shortage in in the education field, right?
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:02.799
So what's making that attractive?
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:18.480
You know, if if there's the the conversation about the possibility of not having funding to provide the most foundational resource that we need in our community is is the early learners, right?
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:28.079
And then to think that as an educator, why would teachers want to go into the field if if there's a possibility of a threat that they can't even teach in these in the space?
00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:30.640
So we really have to take a look at the ecosystem, as Dr.
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:31.599
Jameson said.
00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:34.400
Like, and and that's the beauty to the collaborative.
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:59.839
That's the beauty to the work that we do at the collaborative table, is because we look at all of it and we have hard conversations about how to how to strengthen the ecosystem, how to strengthen all of the system so that we um, if the funding should go away for whatever reason, we still have a strong foundation, we have a strong partnership and a strong network to try to keep um keep the community safe and that we can still educate children.
00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:15.039
Yeah, I would say, you know, in Michael we understand in Michigan, and what I would hope that legislators understand across the country is that early childhood education is not a liberal issue, it's not a conservative issue, um, it's not even just an education issue.
00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:15.839
But to Dr.
00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:26.960
Sami's point about, you know, if you if you have a 10-year-old, or maybe that's not right, but if you have a 12-year-old and you need to work, you can tell the 12-year-old, hey, stay safe, right?
00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:27.680
Sit at home.
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:30.160
You can't leave a six-week old at home and go to work.
00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:36.160
And so removing a key aspect of our childcare infrastructure is an economic development issue.
00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:39.119
It's a business issue, it's a finance issue.
00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:58.160
And so I would really just implore legislators across the country to understand how central early childhood education is to the workforce, to economic development, and to the stability of our economy, um, not just the stability of individual families and children as well.
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:09.200
Yeah, and um just thinking of that as well, too, to that point, I know Governor Whitmer has continued to increase the pure per pupil budget for early childhood within Michigan.
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:19.759
Um, however, you know, nationwide, as I'm looking at the proposal to Congress for flat funding, though, for Head Start, that also has potential detriments to our infrastructure.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.079
We know that there are rising costs always.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:22.559
As Dr.
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:27.519
Somey pointed out, we purchase the diapers, we purchase the formula, we pay for the food.
00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:29.839
All of those things have a rising cost.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.799
Our electricity, our gas for heat, all of those have rising costs.
00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:45.279
If we continue to be flat funded, then we have to look back at our budget and say, okay, we know we need heat in the classrooms, so we can't take away from there, we can't take away from the food.
00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:49.920
What do you start taking away from so you can ensure that those basic needs are met?
00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:54.319
You don't want to have to make those decisions on the quality end of it as well, either.
00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:57.039
So that it can also be detrimental.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:08.880
So what I'm hearing is funding becomes well, it's always a critical part of something like this, but it is not just about early childhood, as you've Dr.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.159
Jamerson has said.
00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:17.760
It it's it literally touches every aspect of our community, it's interconnected across all the systems.
00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:23.360
And that's why it's key for us to ensure that we are connected to lawmakers, right?
00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:33.840
And having those conversations and giving them the opportunity to see physically what's happening in our school systems and in our institutions.
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:38.320
Because don't forget, you know, Flint faced a water crisis.
00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:44.000
And uh the trust in institutions is still an issue in our community.
00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:48.880
And we really want our parents to trust what we do, what we're bringing to the table for them.
00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:52.079
Uh, but lawm lawmakers are important in that.
00:34:52.320 --> 00:35:02.639
Uh, and when they go back to their tables, we we would have to have said something to them and shown them uh just how important it is for us to continue to do the work that we do every day.
00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:03.360
Yeah.
00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:19.440
Well, on that note, I want to thank everyone for coming today and for participating in this incredibly important conversation about kindergarten readiness and the early childhood landscape in Flint and all that that entails.
00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:26.079
You have been listening to Thrivecast, the podcast program of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.480
For us, kindergarten readiness isn't just about a child knowing their ABCs or accounting to 10.
00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:12.800
It's about whether they are developmentally, socially, and emotionally prepared to access learning.
00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:22.000
And when we talk about benchmarks like third grade reading scores, what we're really talking about is a trajectory for all of our scholars and our children.
00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:24.879
And that trajectory doesn't begin in third grade.
00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:29.839
It begins the moment a child enters a classroom for the first time.
00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:40.399
Welcome to Thrivecast, a production of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
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My name is Don Hibbard, and I will be your host.
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Our topic today is the importance of kindergarten readiness and the early childhood landscape in Flint.
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I have with me today Dr.
00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:58.399
Latoya Summe, Executive Director of Countywide Programs for the Genesee Intermediate School District, Dr.
00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:06.400
Jody Ramos, Director of Early Childhood Programs at the Genesee Intermediate School District, Superintendent Kevin B.
00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:10.879
Jones II, Superintendent of the Flint Community Schools, and Dr.
00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:16.239
Janelle Jamerson, President and CEO of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
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Kindergarten readiness is a powerful predictor of long-term outcomes, and yet families experiencing poverty often face barriers to accessing high-quality early learning.
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These early inequities contribute to later gaps in achievement and opportunity.
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So, Dr.
00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:46.959
Ramos, as the first director of the Educare Early Childhood Center in Flint, and now as director of early childhood programs for the Genesee Intermediate School District, can you define for us what kindergarten readiness means?
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Hi, Don.
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Thank you.
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I sure can.
00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:51.280
So that's a pretty loaded question.
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I don't know if you have enough time for my full answer.
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So I'll try and get it down a little bit for you.
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But first, we just want to make sure that children are ready to engage in a social environment and that they feel confident to engage in a setting that might have rules and routines that vary from their home structure.
00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:12.479
So this includes things like socializing with other children in larger groups.
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You know, they may be used to only having two or three kids in their home or where they're at.
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And now they're in a classroom with 29, 30 other students.
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We want to make sure that they're prepared for that and managing their own emotions as it comes to those interactions in the classroom.
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We also want to make sure children have the foundational skills to succeed academically.
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When we're looking at fine motor for their writing skills, what they might need there, the areas of math, literacy, and what we call cognitive processing or problem solving.
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Can they solve a problem?
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If they're encountering an issue, how do how are they persistent?
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How do they make sure that they're able to continue to solve that problem?
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With kindergarten writingness, we also want to make sure that we're looking at uh alignment between developmental milestones, but also the state's early childhood standards of quality as well.
00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:01.120
Um, those are there.
00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.039
So we want to make sure are we looking at those?
00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:06.719
Are children able to attain those prior to entering kindergarten?
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:19.520
Um, but really our ultimate goal is making sure that they view kindergarten as somewhere that is safe and that it's fun and that it's exciting to be there, and really laying that foundational piece for that school readiness case.
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:25.199
So when should parents begin thinking about kindergarten readiness?
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Realistically, at birth, uh, you know, you're you're always preparing your children all the while from birth.
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Um, how are we involving them in conversations, even with babies?
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Are we babbling back and forth, encouraging them to develop those language skills?
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Are we pointing out things when we're driving to the doctors?
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Like, oh goodness, now I have to slow down because there's a red light.
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All of those little things matter all the way from birth, all the way through up to when they're getting ready to enter kindergarten.
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How do we get them into as many social interactions as possible?
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And Flint, there is just a wealth of opportunity to have your kids involved in different things.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:07.199
We have home visiting programs, you have the library, you have even just parks.
00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:14.479
Any of those opportunities to get them out there, have the social interactions, and the more language you can use with them, the better.
00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:23.600
Um, but realistically, if we're thinking about entering kindergarten and going into that as a five-year-old, you really want to start thinking that minimally a year prior to.
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What are some of those opportunities?
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Where is my child at developmentally?
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Where are they at with some of those standards that we would like them to have when they enter kindergarten?
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And what supports might I need to get them there?
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Superintendent Jones, in light of the recent focus on academic benchmarks such as third grade reading scores, why is it important for children to be kindergarten ready?
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Good question.
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Thanks for having us today, and thank you for the work that you all do here.
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Uh, for us, kindergarten readiness isn't just about a child knowing their ABCs or counting to 10.
00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:05.920
It's about whether they are developmentally, socially, and emotionally prepared to access learning from day one.
00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:15.600
And when we talk about benchmarks like third grade reading scores, what we're really talking about is a trajectory for all of our scholars and our children.
00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:24.319
And that trajectory doesn't begin in third grade, it begins the moment a child enters a classroom from the first for the first time.
00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:38.000
If a child starts kindergarten already behind, whether in language development, social skills, or early literacy, they are much more likely to struggle to read proficiently by third grade.
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And we know that third grade reading is a is a critical milestone.
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Uh it's the point where students shift from learning to read to reading to learn, right?
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If there's not re if they're not ready at that time, it's gonna be very difficult for them to uh pass tests.
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Uh, you know, we have M steps here, MSTEP here in Michigan.
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.959
It's be very difficult for scholars to be ready for that test.
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:11.439
So for us in Flint, kindergarten readiness is about equity.
00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:13.120
And that's an important word.
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Uh it's about ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, walks into that classroom with the foundational skills needed uh to be successful.
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That means like high quality education, high quality early childhood education, as mentioned, strong partnerships like the center with families, and community-wide commitment to our youngest learners.
00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:49.040
And so I think though, to add to that, uh it's important to emphasize it's not just a school issue, it's a community issue.
00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:54.399
Readiness starts long before a child ever steps into one of our school buildings.
00:06:54.639 --> 00:07:03.600
It starts with access to early learning opportunities, it starts with health care, stable housing, and families who are supported and empowered.
00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:18.079
And as a district here in Flint Community Schools, we're being very intentional about aligning our early childhood programs with our K-12 system so there's continuity for our families and our scholars.
00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:25.040
We're also working to meet families where they are, because parents are a child's first teacher.
00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:29.360
And when we invest in them, we're investing in student outcomes.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:37.920
And ultimately, if we want to move the needle on third grade reading, we can't wait until third grade to intervene.
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:48.079
We have to start early, stay consistent, and think holistically about what readiness truly means for each one of our early young scholars.
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:49.839
Thank you.
00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.079
Well, now I'm gonna throw it to Dr.
00:07:52.160 --> 00:08:07.519
Jamerson to talk to us a little bit about the early childhood landscape in Flint that prepares young scholars to be kindergarten ready and how the early childhood collaborative is making a difference for Flint kids.
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:14.720
Yeah, and in Flint and communities like Flint across the country, the early childhood system is really diverse.
00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:21.439
Uh, so it includes center-based programs that are funded by the government, federally funded, like Head Start or Early Head Start.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:32.720
Early Head Start allows for children to start as early as six weeks of age, and Head Start allows for them to stay in center-based programming uh through uh through kindergarten, through kindergarten entry.
00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:44.559
Um, you also have the child care development subsidy that allows for families to select a child care provider that might be in a center, might be in a home, or even a family, friend, or neighbor who can provide that care.
00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:50.399
In Michigan, we're really fortunate to have the Great Start to Readiness program, which is our four-year-old preschool program.
00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:59.039
And increasingly, our state government is moving toward that being available for all kids in the state and even thinking about how we offer that as early as three years old.
00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:12.320
But there are also tuition-based options in our community as well that allow for uh families who might not qualify for one of those other sources I just talked about to be able to provide a safe and supportive environments for their children.
00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:16.320
I think a lot of times when we talk about early childhood, we think about a center.
00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:28.960
Um, but a huge part of our early childhood landscape is home-based providers, individuals who are serving up to six kiddos in their homes and really transforming their homes into the warm, loving, supportive environments that Dr.
00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:31.519
Ramos spoke about earlier.
00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:49.519
And then, you know, even if children aren't in the care of a formal childcare center, a huge part of our early childhood landscape is family, friend, and neighbor providers, individuals who families trust, who believe in the success of our children and are committed to creating spaces where every child can thrive.
00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:56.559
You know, the role of the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative is really about building a system that works for every Flint kid.
00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:03.679
And so for us, it's not necessarily about taking a position on a child being a center base or home base or family, friend, or neighbor care.
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:13.919
But our aspiration is to ensure that no matter where they go, no matter where parents choose as the best space for their child, that it's the highest quality option possible.
00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:21.840
And the way that we meet that aspiration is through working, waking up every morning, going to sleep every night, focused on five key priorities.
00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:39.039
Now, the first priority is high-quality teaching and learning, that educators in any space that's serving young children have not just the resources, but the competencies necessary to help that child enter kindergarten ready, to regulate emotionally, to socialize with peers and all the things that Dr.
00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:42.480
Ramos uh named much better than I could.
00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:45.120
The second is intensive family engagement.
00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:51.200
We know that parents are the first, most important, and forever teacher in the education of their child.
00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:55.120
And so we partner with parents as experts and equal partners.
00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:06.000
Uh, the third is through enhanced professional development, uh, making sure that it's not uh understanding that that the educational landscape is constantly changing and things are constantly emerging.
00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:13.919
And we want to make sure that educators are always equipped with the best in line, the best in class uh supports to support our young people.
00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:34.000
The fourth is related to data utilization and research, that we're not just making assumptions about the quality of the early learning environment or the availability of the early learning environment or the responsiveness of that environment to the needs of kids and families, but that we test that regularly and we use those data to continuously improve our services.
00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:40.559
And lastly, um is focused on coordinated systems, understanding that the rising tide does lift all boats.
00:11:40.639 --> 00:12:01.120
And so as we're doing work through our two uh key schools, Educare, Flint, and Cummings, we're using those lessons learned to really influence improvements across the ecosystem and you coordinating a system, like I said earlier, that ensures that early childhood works for every FLET kid.
00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:11.120
And so what are some of the results that we've seen from the work that's been done at Educare and Cummings Center for a great start?
00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.159
Yeah, I think, you know, and I would definitely encourage uh Dr.
00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:15.120
Ramos and Dr.
00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:16.639
Summy to jump in here.
00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:32.879
I would say, you know, one of the one of the major outcomes that we've seen from the system perspective is that Educare and Cummings are among the highest quality-rated childcare centers in the state of Michigan, uh, joining only about 11% of childcare centers in the state and meeting that demonstrating quality level.
00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:34.240
And we're very proud of that.
00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:45.200
But in addition, you know, Educare Flint and Cummings were created during the water crisis as a response to a lack of available childcare for kids and families.
00:12:45.360 --> 00:13:03.600
And over the course of the seven years of this partnership, more than a thousand students have come through the halls of Educare Flint and Cummings and left demonstrating readiness as defined by higher levels of language development, uh, higher levels of social emotional development.
00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:17.279
Um, and I would say with the parents and families who understand that it's not, to Superintendent Jones' point, not just the responsibility of the school, but that they are actually the first most important teachers.
00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:23.440
I would also say that Educare, Flynn and Cummings are also a platform for policy change.
00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:35.279
And in no small part, being able to point to the successes at Educare, Flynn and Cummings have influenced expansions in the Great Starts Readiness program throughout the state, ensuring that more kids have access.
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:43.120
Our parent ambassadors have lobbied in Lansing, uh helping to share their stories and understanding why these things are so valuable.
00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:53.279
But then also, it's we also understand that to Superintendent Jones's point, it's not just about education, but it's also about access to healthy food and it's about stability.
00:13:53.440 --> 00:14:15.279
And so, you know, every family is paired with a family engagement advocate uh within the educare uh Flynn and Cummings uh schools, and they support families and not just navigating the educational experience, but also connecting with the resources that are necessary in the community to ensure that they remain the most important teacher in their child's uh life and that they have the resources that they need.
00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:20.879
Um, and you know, there's so many other things that I could probably speak about, but I would love to give uh either Dr.
00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:21.759
Summy or Dr.
00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:26.799
Ramos uh an opportunity to talk a little bit about our uh outcomes at Educare Fund and Cummings as well.
00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:48.639
Yeah, Janelle, when I was listening to you speak, I was really thinking about um the first year at Educare, and we had the students that had started at six weeks old and then had gone through the full five years, and really thinking when you're talking about impact, how those families and students felt going through a full five years of having full year, full day programming.
00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:58.960
Um and that right there to me was the success in seeing that community that was built within that school there and at Cummings, you see the same things.
00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:04.879
Um, to Superintendent Jones's point, the collaboration around community is what's gonna help us be successful.
00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.039
And that was the success I could feel there.
00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:13.360
Every staff member, every parent, every community member were together for the best interests of those children.
00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:28.159
And those parents will still come back to us and say, You guys helped us to make sure that we're achieving, that we knew how to advocate for our children, that we knew how to advocate for ourselves as parents, that we had the resources to be successful.
00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:36.080
Uh, Superintendent Jones touched on earlier about the need for stable housing and health care.
00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:41.039
That's something our family engagement advocates had been able to work with those families on.
00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.600
How can I help you learn how to become a homeowner?
00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:52.720
How can I help you gain access for health care for your child and for yourself as well as a parent and make sure that those things are taken care of?
00:15:52.960 --> 00:16:01.679
So when I think of those successes, I just continue to see those kids and those families in my head and just imagining all their smiling faces, and I still see them.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:09.039
I still run into them in the store and they still talk about the impact that it had and to think that some of those kids have now been gone.
00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:11.600
They were, it was 2022, is the first year.
00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:16.159
So four years later, I can still run into them in the grocery store and they still remember who I am.
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:18.000
And that just means the world to me.
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:23.279
That means that we were successful in providing them that environment where they felt supported and ready to move on.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:28.000
And they tell me about all of the wonderful things that they have been doing since there as well, too.
00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:28.799
You know, Dr.
00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:35.679
Ramos, uh, I'm so glad you brought up the first cohort of Medicare students because, like you said, it's been four years since they left our doors.
00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:38.559
And that cohort of students are in the third grade this year.
00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:56.480
And, you know, Superintendent Jones, you made such a, you know, important lift about the importance of third grade and this transition from explicit reading instruction to increasingly relying on a child's ability to read for them to attain additional information.
00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:01.840
Um, you know, where we're thinking about our kiddos who started with us at six weeks old, that Dr.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:08.079
Ramos uh had from six weeks all the way through their kindergarten transition, and we want to know how they're doing.
00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:14.559
Um, and so Dawn, to the point of the early childhood collaborative, we see early childhood as birth to age eight.
00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:25.759
Um, and we don't see the early childhood system as solely the child care framework that I spoke about earlier, but it's also partnerships with our school partners who are responsible for that kindergarten and third grade.
00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:40.240
We'll be working with Superintendent Jones and other leaders across uh the county this year, actually, to do a follow-up study on our Educare students and just understand we know that they left um motivated with all of those uh characteristics that Dr.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:41.279
Ramos spoke about.
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:58.960
Well, we want to know um also to what extent were we able to actually influence that very important third grade reading milestone that to Superintendent Jones' point places them at a higher level of likelihood of being successful throughout their educational trajectory.
00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:04.880
Oh, you're looking at Superintendent Jones, he looked like he had something to say.
00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.480
I'll hold, but it was eloquently stated.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:08.799
Oh, okay.
00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:27.279
I think that we have to focus our attention, you know, on when you when you think about those scholars that uh started at EduCare and where they are today, you know, what we really need to dive into is what changed for them, right?
00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:36.000
So from the time they left you, what what uh atmosphere, culture did we send them into to be educated?
00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.200
Uh from school district to school district, not just Flint, right?
00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:40.559
Flint community schools.
00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:45.279
They they could be in a a different type of school, they can be in a charter, a parochial.
00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:49.119
You know, what how are they doing based on where they are?
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:50.559
I think that's important.
00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.960
It's important for educators to understand that.
00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.759
It's important for parents to understand that.
00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:07.359
And if we're gonna really, really put scholars in a space to thrive, then we have to sometimes check our own systems and what we have, what we have put together.
00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:15.200
And are we building upon one another for the the best work towards our scholars, right?
00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:20.240
Or are we just putting programs out and just doing work, right?
00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:30.559
So what educare started, or what Flint Community School started with our earliest learners, are we ensuring that we're giving them that same impact when they get to third grade?
00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:40.000
And you know, Superintendent Jones, you know, it it when we talk about kindergarten readiness, a lot of times we tend to focus on the readiness of the child.
00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:40.720
Uh, and Dr.
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:47.359
Ramos and my work together at Educare, we began really pushing on, you know, well, we can talk about if the children are ready for kindergarten.
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:49.359
Is the kindergarten ready for the child?
00:19:50.000 --> 00:20:04.480
And, you know, I would hear so much from I don't know that people really understand just the level of discipline that has to, uh, that an early childhood educator has to have to individualize instruction for every child.
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:12.160
And, you know, oftentimes our educators would say, um, is are our expectations developmentally appropriate for our children?
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:25.119
And I just appreciate that lift of really beginning to interrogate are this is does the system as it works today truly developmentally appropriate for our children, or do we need to create different conditions that really allow for them to thrive?
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:34.960
I just think that's such an important point related to kindergarten readiness that it's not just about the readiness of the child, it's also about the readiness of the kindergarten to support that child from the point that they enter.
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:35.359
Right.
00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:42.000
Are we focused on giving them so much summative assessments, or are we formatively assessing our scholars?
00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:48.960
Meaning, are we changing our instructional strategies to meet the need of the child that enters the womb?
00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:57.279
Or are we already prepared to test them uh based on what we've just uh, you know, had professional development to do, right?
00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:00.640
It's it's a different time, it's a different world.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.880
We we need to check our models.
00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:22.079
Um, not saying that the work that we're doing is is so wrong, but we need to make sure that we're learning from the children that's coming in the doors in order to appropriately uh teach them and have them ready uh for the society that they're going to have to meet one day.
00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:25.119
And uh it's a different world from where we come from.
00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:32.400
I think I would add to that um uh what was going through my mind is the individual uniqueness.
00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:36.480
Um we are in a day and time where you have to look at the whole child.
00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:36.960
That's right.
00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:44.319
You know, and and it it to your point, it can't be just about test scores, it can't be, it's it's what does that child need?
00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:45.279
And then to Dr.
00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:51.359
Jameson's point about uh age appropriateness, when we think about age appropriateness, we also have to think about as an individual.
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:55.519
I might be a five year old, but I might have the mentality of a three year old.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.279
So we have to, in the early childhood space, we have to account for that.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:03.279
We have To teach those children how to manage themselves.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.240
We have to teach the staff how to work with those children.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:13.039
It's just, it's a different day and a different time, and we just need to approach education differently in today's age.
00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:13.359
Right.
00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:13.839
Yeah.
00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:21.279
And I would say to what the early childhood collaborative does, you know, I talked about all of our priorities, but I think the hour is so important as well.
00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:42.880
That the early childhood collaborative is made up of the Genesee Intermediate School District and Flint Community Schools and the Flint Center for Educational Excellence, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, where we're committed to coming to the table and really putting our systems on that table and interrogating to what extent are we actually being successful and preparing kiddos to be successful in kindergarten?
00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:48.160
And how do we work better together for that system to become more seamless and more responsive?
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.599
At the core of our work, that's the commitment of those around this table and our partners who aren't here.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:23:08.400
And I think that's what positions Flint to really create a model for the country is that we are constantly focused on how do we continuously improve our systems to ensure that our kiddos have the best possible opportunities.
00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:09.119
Dr.
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:13.200
Jamison, I was actually thinking about that as I was listening to you all speak about that.
00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:28.000
That is definitely one of the successes that have come out of this, is that we have continued to engage and push each other and into positions where we're always thinking about what is best for the children and families, even if it makes us uncomfortable as educators.
00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.319
What is best for the children and the families?
00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.200
And how are we working together to accomplish that?
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:38.079
And we've worked so hard to get to this point, and it's just great.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:42.160
That's truly a success of this partnership as well, too, and doing that.
00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:49.279
Um and then also just very refreshing that we are focusing all the way up to eight years because that truly is the end of the early childhood.
00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:50.880
What is the definition of early childhood?
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.559
Early childhood does not end it for is what people typically look at it.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.720
Early childhood is a birth through eight years old.
00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:08.079
So we have to make sure that we are considering that even first grader, second graders are still in that early childhood gap age where they are still developing their brain.
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:17.599
Their brain is still there, they're still, you know, kind of crossing that line of abstract thought and abstract thinking into when they can exit the early childhood age.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:22.799
So it's just very refreshing that we're looking at the full spectrum and not just stopping at four years old.
00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.039
Well, I have one final question, and Dr.
00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:36.880
Summy, um Janelle talked about this earlier, uh, about where all of what the landscape looks like in early childhood.
00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:44.720
Uh, we have Head Start, we have Readiness for Fours, we have the state programs, we have local programs, we've talked about the local collaboration.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:54.240
But can you help us understand how potential changes to federal funding for early childhood education could impact a community like Flint?
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:55.519
Absolutely.
00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:57.680
I want us to all think of a parent.
00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:03.599
Just think of a parent or even a family member taking their little one to school.
00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:09.440
And then one day, and that child might be um impacted by the Head Start program.
00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.240
Maybe they're in the GSRP program, um, maybe they're in a home visiting program.
00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:22.319
And then just think about if there's one day where that parent cannot take that child to school because the Head Start program no longer exists.
00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:25.599
Um, for Genesee ISD, that's an$18.5 million grant.
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.400
We touch every corner of Genesee County, right?
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:34.640
If that goes away, what does all of the parents who are impacted by that, what would they do?
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:36.720
Okay, let's let's consider this.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:45.440
You wake up in the morning, you're making breakfast for your children, you can no longer drive those children to a place, which means you can't go to work now.
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:50.559
So as a parent, you can't make money for your household, those children go to school.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:55.200
Let's say you're a parent who um can't afford to feed your children three meals a day.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:01.680
Well, at least by taking them to a Head Start program, they get two meals a day, they get breakfast, they get lunch.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:07.519
Um, the Head Start program provides the diapers, it provides the formula for those children.
00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:13.519
Um we uh we uh do the we make sure we work with families for their health care needs.
00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:29.920
Um we have buses and vans that if a family can't get to um for our home visiting program, if they can't get to the doctor, um, we can provide the transportation for that to make sure that those kiddos get their shots and and they get their immunizations.
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.880
Um we provide resources for those families.
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.200
If a family is homeless, our family engagement advocates work with those families.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:39.759
So imagine you take all of that away.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.640
We've just now impoverished a community that's already struggling.
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.599
And so, what does that do to the world?
00:26:47.839 --> 00:27:01.599
You know, it's it's really um it's really hard to even think about losing one grant, let alone the possibilities of all the other funding sources.
00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:05.680
When I think about our home visitors, they um get to go inside the family.
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.920
We talked about earlier how uh we teach families how to be their child's first teacher.
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:24.480
I know that even for me, even though I was an educator, I was a general education teacher, when I had my first child back in 2001, I didn't know how to treat, I didn't know how to raise a newborn in terms of education.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:26.240
I was a secondary teacher.
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.880
So those are resources that we're taking away from families, whether they're employees.
00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:34.720
Oh, the other thing that we do in the programs is we hire those parents.
00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:46.079
So if you're a parent of a child and you're dropping your child off every day, you have an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom that provides um resources for the other for families.
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.160
You have an opportunity to be employed.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.920
We find employment for you.
00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:53.279
So it's really a huge impact on the community.
00:27:53.359 --> 00:28:04.240
If you think about just taking the Head Start grant alone, um the governor, Governor Whitmer, she's done an amazing thing with Pre-K for All, where she's uh granted access to those families.
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:07.839
So uh districts are able to run their own GSRP programs.
00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:20.559
Um so uh if that funding source goes away, then that impacts the the opportunity uh for districts to help uh engage their families with meeting those children where they are.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:25.920
Uh it takes away the uh the unique abilities, the individuality that each district has.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:33.200
So it's it's gonna be detrimental to the community if we lose funding for Het Start, GSRP, and home visiting programs.
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.559
And these aren't limited to the city of Flint.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:37.119
No.
00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:38.640
These are countywide.
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:39.440
So this is out.
00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:43.440
Head start is federal, federal rural communities as well, who would be impact.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.079
Yes.
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:44.880
Yes.
00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:45.599
That's right.
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:46.319
And to Dr.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:55.759
Summy's point, you know, in, you know, that's the what you're describing as the impact on potential impact on Genesee County, but it's counties across this country, right?
00:28:55.920 --> 00:29:04.480
Uh Head Start is funded in all 50 states, and the potential of that loss of service can have exactly what Dr.
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:05.440
Summy described.
00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:09.119
I love thinking about it in the context of a parent, right?
00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:27.119
That could be parents, millions of parents across this country who are trying to figure out how do I address this, this, this loss of a core portion of the safety net that I rely on to ensure that I can keep my child safe and ensure that they're prepared.
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:29.920
Um, I think it's it's just so important to acknowledge.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:39.279
And also when we focus on a parent, I think it also just lifts how central the early childhood system is to life, right?
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.519
We talk a lot of times about two open windows.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:47.519
The child's brain develops more in the first five years of their life than at any other point along there.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:54.000
You go to college, you get degrees, all that your brain is not developing at the rate that it was developing between birth and age five.
00:29:54.160 --> 00:30:04.319
But often that birth to age five period is also an open window for parents as well, who moms often have a disruption in employment because they have to have a baby.
00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:11.200
And then, you know, there's uh, you know, a lot of our parents are young or in transitional spaces of their lives.
00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:24.319
And so an opportunity to enroll your child in the Head Start program and to find a career as an early educator, if we we're able to harness those two open windows and create opportunity for both the child and the parent.
00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:28.079
And that's something that is, I think, so special, as like Dr.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:34.000
S said, as a trained secondary educator, and you know, and and feeling like I had a good grip on that.
00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:46.960
What makes early childhood truly special is being able to transform the life experience of the child and the parent together, and that being the universal expectation of how this system works.
00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:51.039
And even to think about just the jobs for our educators.
00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:58.720
I mean, wow, we already have a shortage in in the education field, right?
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:02.799
So what's making that attractive?
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:18.480
You know, if if there's the the conversation about the possibility of not having funding to provide the most foundational resource that we need in our community is is the early learners, right?
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:28.079
And then to think that as an educator, why would teachers want to go into the field if if there's a possibility of a threat that they can't even teach in these in the space?
00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:30.640
So we really have to take a look at the ecosystem, as Dr.
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:31.599
Jameson said.
00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:34.400
Like, and and that's the beauty to the collaborative.
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:59.839
That's the beauty to the work that we do at the collaborative table, is because we look at all of it and we have hard conversations about how to how to strengthen the ecosystem, how to strengthen all of the system so that we um, if the funding should go away for whatever reason, we still have a strong foundation, we have a strong partnership and a strong network to try to keep um keep the community safe and that we can still educate children.
00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:15.039
Yeah, I would say, you know, in Michael we understand in Michigan, and what I would hope that legislators understand across the country is that early childhood education is not a liberal issue, it's not a conservative issue, um, it's not even just an education issue.
00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:15.839
But to Dr.
00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:26.960
Sami's point about, you know, if you if you have a 10-year-old, or maybe that's not right, but if you have a 12-year-old and you need to work, you can tell the 12-year-old, hey, stay safe, right?
00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:27.680
Sit at home.
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:30.160
You can't leave a six-week old at home and go to work.
00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:36.160
And so removing a key aspect of our childcare infrastructure is an economic development issue.
00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:39.119
It's a business issue, it's a finance issue.
00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:58.160
And so I would really just implore legislators across the country to understand how central early childhood education is to the workforce, to economic development, and to the stability of our economy, um, not just the stability of individual families and children as well.
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:09.200
Yeah, and um just thinking of that as well, too, to that point, I know Governor Whitmer has continued to increase the pure per pupil budget for early childhood within Michigan.
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:19.759
Um, however, you know, nationwide, as I'm looking at the proposal to Congress for flat funding, though, for Head Start, that also has potential detriments to our infrastructure.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.079
We know that there are rising costs always.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:22.559
As Dr.
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:27.519
Somey pointed out, we purchase the diapers, we purchase the formula, we pay for the food.
00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:29.839
All of those things have a rising cost.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.799
Our electricity, our gas for heat, all of those have rising costs.
00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:45.279
If we continue to be flat funded, then we have to look back at our budget and say, okay, we know we need heat in the classrooms, so we can't take away from there, we can't take away from the food.
00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:49.920
What do you start taking away from so you can ensure that those basic needs are met?
00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:54.319
You don't want to have to make those decisions on the quality end of it as well, either.
00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:57.039
So that it can also be detrimental.
00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:08.880
So what I'm hearing is funding becomes well, it's always a critical part of something like this, but it is not just about early childhood, as you've Dr.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.159
Jamerson has said.
00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:17.760
It it's it literally touches every aspect of our community, it's interconnected across all the systems.
00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:23.360
And that's why it's key for us to ensure that we are connected to lawmakers, right?
00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:33.840
And having those conversations and giving them the opportunity to see physically what's happening in our school systems and in our institutions.
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:38.320
Because don't forget, you know, Flint faced a water crisis.
00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:44.000
And uh the trust in institutions is still an issue in our community.
00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:48.880
And we really want our parents to trust what we do, what we're bringing to the table for them.
00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:52.079
Uh, but lawm lawmakers are important in that.
00:34:52.320 --> 00:35:02.639
Uh, and when they go back to their tables, we we would have to have said something to them and shown them uh just how important it is for us to continue to do the work that we do every day.
00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:03.360
Yeah.
00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:19.440
Well, on that note, I want to thank everyone for coming today and for participating in this incredibly important conversation about kindergarten readiness and the early childhood landscape in Flint and all that that entails.
00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:26.079
You have been listening to Thrivecast, the podcast program of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence.
