Colorado is at a crossroads for early childhood education and colleges are trying to help
Scott Dressel-Martin
Colorado is working to add a department of early childhood education and universal pre-k within the next two years. However, the changes come as colleges work to address an educator shortage and barriers for teachers in earning degrees.
and last updated 2021-07-05 20:02:34-04
DENVER â Colorado is at a critical crossroads for early childhood education. Last month, Governor Jared Polis signed a bill to create a new department of early childhood education.
The department, a result of HB21-1304, will be up and running by next July and will be tasked with figuring out how the state will implement universal pre-k by 2023.
The University of Colorado Denver is launching a statewide effort to make it easier for new and existing early childhood teachers to earn college degrees.
The university won a $2.3 million grant from a funders group called the Early Educator Investment Collaborative to bring together a coalition of university, community college, and state leaders over the next two and a half years. The kick-off meeting is Thursday.
The effort unfolds at a pivotal time in Colorado, with planning for a new early childhood agency and a state-funded universal preschool program underway. It also comes amid a pandemic that spotlighted the importance of early childhood teachers, but also the low pay and long hours that can put college classes out of reach for many of them.Â
Ann Schimke
The University of Colorado Denver is launching a statewide effort to make it easier for new and existing early childhood teachers to earn college degrees.
The university won a $2.3 million grant from a funders group called the Early Educator Investment Collaborative to bring together a coalition of university, community college, and state leaders over the next two and a half years. The kick-off meeting is Thursday.
The effort unfolds at a pivotal time in Colorado, with planning for a new early childhood agency and a state-funded universal preschool program underway. It also comes amid a pandemic that spotlighted the importance of early childhood teachers, but also the low pay and long hours that can put college classes out of reach for many of them.