Bill Would Invest in School Leadership Programs
Washington, D.C. – Monday, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) introduced the Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act, which would ensure that school leaders are able to effectively support early education teachers and provide children with high-quality early learning programs. Specifically, this legislation would amend Title II of the Higher Education Act by adding provisions to encourage recipients of Teacher Quality Partnership Grants to include training on early childhood development and effective instructional leadership for children ages zero through eight.
“Investing in early childhood education is a benefit to both our students and our economy. When children learn more earlier, they earn more later,” said Senator Casey. “The Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act will ensure that we equip our school leaders and teachers with the tools and resources they need to effectively support the emotional, social and academic development of young children in Pennsylvania and across the Nation.”
“Alabama has a nationally recognized pre-k program that is hailed for its high quality, and it’s important that the educators that serve those classrooms are well-trained. This bipartisan legislation will encourage training to help guide kids through this crucial time in their development,” said Senator Jones.
“The importance of early childhood education cannot be overstated,” Senator Romney said. “It is absolutely essential that our teachers are adequately prepared to provide the best instruction to our children. This legislation will ensure that Utah’s public school leaders receive the support needed to guide and evaluate those who teach our youngest people, at such a critical stage in their development.”
The Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act would ensure that principals and school leaders are able to effectively (a) support pre-kindergarten teachers and programs and (b) assist pre-kindergarten students through the transition from pre-K through second grade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations, critical brain development occurs in a child’s first years.
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