The Why & The How of Early Childhood Education
November 2022 was a big month in the U.S. with 36 Gubernatorial elections taking place, amid the many other races for House and Senate seats. Overall, the results illustrated that an investment in early learning for children ages 0-8 is a priority for voters across our nation.
did you know?
of the 4 million children who enter Kindergarten in the United states each year, only 20% of them have experienced a high quality learning setting.
High Quality Learning Setting Before Kindergarten
No High Quality Learning Setting Before Kindergarten
On the topic of investing in early childhood education, there are always two big questions:
why Invest?
and
How to get it right?
The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation endeavors to address these big questions – the “Why” and the “How” – with excerpts from the Foundation’s documentary, Starting at Zero, in the two short videos below.
High quality early learning is achievable at scale. We must start with what we know is successful, share resources, and together reimagine – and rebuild – early childhood education in America.
Alabama’s state pre-K program, led by Secretary Jeana Ross from 2012-2020, has been consistently ranked #1 in the nation. The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation is thrilled to announce its recent collaboration with Jeana Ross. As the Foundation’s new Strategic Advisor on Early Education Policy & Practice, Ross will lend her deep experience and expertise building high-quality early childhood education systems to states, localities, and leaders nationwide.
Jeana Ross
Strategic Advisor for Early Education Policy & Practice
Jeana Ross is a lifelong educator and, like the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, believes that early childhood education is a key component of a strong economy and successful society at the state and national levels. From 2012-2020, Ms. Ross was Secretary of Alabama’s Department of Early Childhood Education. Alabama’s state Pre-K and early education program continues to be a valuable guide for local and regional leaders as they look to build high-quality programs in their own states. Jeana Ross joined the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation as its Strategic Advisor on Early Education Policy & Practice. With encouraging cues coming off the 2022 elections, the potential to bring sweeping progress toward increased investment in early learning in states across our nation is hopefully gaining momentum. The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation and Jeana Ross are joining forces to help make this goal a reality. Meet Jeana in the video below, and learn about how she and her team built Alabama’s #1 ranked pre-K program in the nation, and the key components for success.
Increase in Number of Alabama Pre-K Classrooms During Jeana Ross' Tenure