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As a former K-12 teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent, I have been so pleased to see how the public displays of support for teachers have gained momentum across our community and our country. Distance learning during the pandemic showed parents and caregivers the value and challenges of engaging and educating students of all grade levels.
And that also goes for the Miami-Dade families who rely upon quality early learning for their infants to 5-year-olds. Early child care is critical education. And it is education during the years that are scientifically proven to be the most formative to ensure a child is on the path to success. Ninety percent of a child’s brain is developed by the time they reach five years of age. Quality early learning – or not – makes the difference between a child fully prepared for kindergarten on day one, and those just getting started. The disparity starts that young and can carry on throughout their lives.
Yet, despite their incredible importance, some may not appreciate the actual value of early learning teachers. They are often paid less and are recruited away for more lucrative opportunities in higher grade levels. To protect the accessibility and quality of early learning in Miami-Dade, The Children’s Trust created the Thrive By 5 Quality Improvement System. Alongside our valued governmental and community partners, we ensure that high-quality early learning centers are available across Miami-Dade. We assist working families who do not qualify for federal and state benefits with child care scholarships; and we help to even the playing field so that early learning educators receive compensation that can compete with their K12 counterparts. Visit thechildrenstrust.org/thriveby5 to learn more about our efforts.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, I ask our community to give a warm and collective thank you to early learning educators shaping our future, one young mind at a time.
