The Road to High-Quality Early Learning: Lessons From the States

On June 29, the Learning Policy Institute, the First Five Years Fund, and Council for a Strong America hosted the forum The Road to High-Quality Early Learning: Lessons From the States.

The event coincided with LPI’s release of The Road to High-Quality Early Learning: Lessons From the States, an in-depth review and analysis of four states — Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia — that have devised a set of strategies for delivering quality programs at scale.

The forum featured a keynote address by Roberto Rodríguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education, The White House Domestic Policy Council, and included remarks from representatives of partner organizations, including Jeremy Anderson, Education Commission of the States; Kris Perry, the First Five Years Fund; and David Kass, Council for a Strong America. Report lead author Marjorie Wechsler, Principal Research Manager at LPI, presented key report findings, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from the four featured states.

Keynote

• Roberto Rodríguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education, The White House Domestic Policy Council

Speakers (in order of appearance)

• Charmaine Mercer, Senior Researcher and Director, DC Office, Learning Policy Institute
• Kris Perry, Executive Director, First Five Years Fund
• David Kirp, Senior Fellow, Learning Policy Institute
• Jeremy Anderson, President, Education Commission of the States
• Marjorie Wechsler, Principal Research Manager, Learning Policy Institute
• David Kass, President, Council for a Strong America

Panelists

• Karen Ponder, President, Ponder Early Childhood, Inc. (Former President, NC Partnership for Children)
• Lloyd Jackson, Vice President, West Virginia State Board of Education
• Susan Broman, Michigan Deputy Superintendent, Office of Great Start
• Ruth Kagi, Washington State Representative, 32nd District