Sign up for our newsletter to receive information on upcoming Policy Forums!

BACKGROUND

 

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to the Cambridge-based CAYL (Community Advocates for Young Learners) Institute to enhance and build the 2009 CAYL Nellie Mae Education Foundation Policy Forums

Since 2004, the CAYL Schott Fellowship in Early Care and Education (a program of the CAYL Institute), also funded by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, has offered a series of statewide Policy Forums, convening national and regional leaders on topics that are timely, relevant, and immediately actionable in the Massachusetts early care and education field.

"Bringing people together to talk about critical policy issues for young children is a priority of the CAYL Institute," said CAYL President, Dr. Valora Washington "These Forums enable state leaders and advocates to focus on solutions and to improve the quality of services to children and families."

"We're excited and proud to be working with the CAYL institute and the Schott Foundation to provide these important opportunities for leadership to examine how to better educate and care for our youngest citizens," said Nicholas C. Donohue, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. "The future of our state and our region is directly tied to the health and prosperity of today's children and we know that investing in their development and enrichment benefits all of us."

The Massachusetts early care and education environment is rapidly changing, and the CAYL Policy Forums have proven to be a constant and reliable source of information about these changes. CAYL consistently has a strong statewide audience of people who count on the Institute for this unbiased and straightforward information and for the opportunity to collaborate on the direction of change for children. Over 320 people attended the three state-wide CAYL Policy Forums held in 2008.

In 2009, we are continuing to offer a high quality series of four Policy Forums on topics that are timely, relevant, and immediately actionable. These Policy Forums are planned and
implemented by our CAYL Schott Fellows with the support and assistance of our entire CAYL Network and key leadership in the field in Massachusetts.

The Policy Forums are a vital part of our strategy for creating change through policy and are embedded in our philosophy and our mission. The process of change involves the entire Fellowship year, through policy identification, analysis, research, reporting, and then the convening of the Policy Forum. The end results are the CAYL Schott Policy Projects, a product that emerges from research, analysis and feedback from the Policy Forums.

This information is shared with government leaders and decision-makers, legislators, used as a tool to build support and public will for children from other relevant organizations:

• Copies of the 2004-2009 CAYL Schott Fellows Policy Briefs are available here.
• In two cases, CAYL Schott Fellowship policy projects have led to proposed legislation.
• Several Fellows have presented testimony related to their policy topics to the Massachusetts State legislature.

Over 320 people attended the three state-wide Policy Forums we held in 2008:

In April 2008, we convened a Forum on the lack of gender diversity in the early care and education field, and it was very well received, including respected researchers, activists and leaders of community-based organizations.

Press coverage included:

• “The value of the male school teacher”, April 22, 2008, The Boston Globe, Derrick Z. Jackson
• “The gender gap”, April 26, 2008, The Boston Globe, letter to the editor, Yasmina Vinci, CAYL Advisory Board
• “Looking for a few good men”, October 2, 2008, The Bay State Banner, Valora Washington and Kitt Cox
• “New Report: Male Teachers Called ‘Endangered Species’”, October 27, 2008, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Robin Chen Delos
• “Report: Male teachers now an ‘endangered species’”, November 6, 2008, The Bay State Banner, St. John Barned-Smith

 

In July 2008, with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), we convened a Forum on Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) in Massachusetts, for over 150 participants. Speakers included Speakers included national QRIS expert Anne Mitchell, president of Early Childhood Policy Research; Lorie Pugh, policy and planning consultant in the Regulatory Services Section at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development; Rebecca Gomez, the professional development manager for Southeast Regional Key in Philadelphia; and Corey Zimmerman, Director of Strategic Planning & Analysis for EEC.

Press coverage included:

• “State to adopt rating system for child ed”, September 4, 2008, The Bay State Banner, Jared Lindh
• “EEC Works with Key Partners on Next Steps in Developing a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)”, August 20, 2008, EEC Monthly Update

In September 2008, Fellows hosted a Forum on issues of early education and care and transportation. In 2004, the Massachusetts state legislature approved a plan to offer universal preschool (UPK) by 2012 with priority to low wealth districts. Even with the economic downturn, Massachusetts continues to invest in its universal preschool agenda. While much of this agenda has focused on issues of assessment and curriculum, several national studies reveal that lack of access to transportation has been a chief barrier to participation in universal preschool in other states.

Press coverage included:

• “CTI looking for means to solve transport crunch,” September 20, 3008, Lowell Sun, Dennis Shaughnessey
• Interview with Clarence Little, CAYL Schott Fellow 2008, Boston Neighborhood News
• “Transporting Tots”, Georgia Orcutt, Boston Parents Paper Education & Enrichment Guide 2008-2009