Key Takeaways
- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham emphasized that New Mexico now has one of the leading early childhood education and care systems in the nation.
- The summit's agenda was designed to foster collaboration and share insights from various perspectives.
- The panel focused on the positive impact of increasing childcare services on the broader workforce and communities.
On July 24th, I had the privilege of attending Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's Early Childhood Summit, hosted by the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), as a representative of the National Education Association of New Mexico. The summit brought together a group of 200 participants, including early childhood education professionals from state and Tribal programs, K-12 and higher education, as well as legislators, parents and caregivers, funders, advocates, healthcare providers, and early childhood experts. The summit aimed to unite participants in developing strategies to build a stronger future for New Mexico's young children and their families.
During the opening remarks, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham emphasized that New Mexico now has one of the leading early childhood education and care systems in the nation. While expressing pride in this achievement, she acknowledged that more work is needed to realize a fully universal, affordable, and high-quality prenatal-to-five system.
Governor Lujan Grisham declared that the fragmented days of early childhood education in New Mexico are over and celebrated the state's unified efforts as a success.
The summit's agenda was designed to foster collaboration and share insights from various perspectives. The event featured three panels, each addressing crucial aspects of early childhood. These panels delved into business and workforce issues, explored national perspectives on building a family-centered early childhood system, and highlighted family perspectives, ensuring that the voices and experiences of parents and caregivers were part of the discussion.
The business and workforce panel, moderated by Sarita Nair, Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Workforce Solutions, highlighted the vital role of childcare as the backbone of the workforce and discussed strategies to enhance its availability and compensation. The panel focused on the positive impact of increasing childcare services on the broader workforce and communities.
Key points included advocating for business communities to recognize the benefits of offering childcare and addressing the wage disparity between early childhood professionals and other professions. Discussions centered on aligning early childhood workforce compensation with the value and importance of educators' roles and finding solutions to improve workforce stability, such as providing better wages, health insurance, and incentives for continued education.
The summit featured a National Perspectives panel, moderated by Elizabeth Groginsky, Secretary of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, with Dr. Jack Shonkoff and Dr. Cynthia Osborne. Dr. Shonkoff, Founding Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, and Dr. Osborne, Founder and Executive Director of Peabody College’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University, provided insights into building a family-centered early childhood system.
The discussion highlighted what science reveals about the critical importance of early childhood and how effective state policies can support this foundation. The panel emphasized creating environments where both children and families can thrive, addressing the interconnectedness of communities, neighborhoods, and state and city systems. The panel highlighted the need to support caregivers alongside children, addressing issues such as medical leave, paid leave, healthcare, and prenatal screenings.
Building an infrastructure that invests in and supports families was identified as key to ensuring that both children and their caregivers receive the necessary resources to succeed.
The Family Perspectives panel, moderated by Mariana Padilla, Director of the Children's Cabinet Office of Governor Lujan Grisham, provided insights from families on enhancing New Mexico's early childhood system. The panel featured members from family leadership and young parent advisory councils. The discussion focused on making the system more accessible and addressing opportunities to streamline processes such as child screenings and evaluations. Families highlighted the importance of effective communication and improving the ease of navigating childcare services. The panel explored key areas for improvement including boosting educator compensation and expanding the availability and quality of early education programs.
The day concluded with participants engaging in action planning roundtables, where the focus was on developing strategies to advance New Mexico’s early childhood system. The collaborative session aimed to address key goals such as expanding universal access, growing workforce capacity, improving the quality of early childhood programs, and enhancing and expanding early care and education facilities. The roundtables highlighted a shared commitment to continue advancing a high-quality, accessible, and family-centered early childhood system, aiming to ensure a comprehensive and supportive future for New Mexico’s young children and their families by effectively meeting their needs.
For more information about the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and statewide prenatal to pre-K programs, visit their website.
Tara Hughes is an early childhood special education teacher. She has taught in a variety of environments from small settings to a four-year-old inclusion preschool classroom at the Nye Early Childhood Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Making her home at Nye Early Childhood Center for the past 10 years has profoundly shaped her as a teacher, influencing her approach to education and her dedication to creating inclusive and engaging learning environments. Tara's pedagogical philosophy prioritizes universal preschool, emphasizing equal access, early intervention, social-emotional learning, and inclusion for all young learners.
Tara was recognized as the Santa Fe District Teacher of the Year, New Mexico Teacher of the Year and received the Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023. She is a NEA-NM member, has served as a State Ambassador, a member of the Teacher Leader Network, and a Teach Plus Agent of Change.
Tara's pedagogical philosophy prioritizes universal preschool, emphasizing equal access, early intervention, social-emotional learning, and inclusion for all young learners.
