Early Childhood Education Commissioner Departs With Legacy of Accomplishment

MBAE has the good fortune to be located in the same office space as Strategies for Children, an organization that works to ensure that all children have access to high quality early childhood education and become proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade.  We rely on their knowledge of pre-K education on many occasions and support their work.  So, it is no surprise that Carolyn Lyons, President and CEO of Strategies for Children, expressed our sentiments exactly when she issued the following statement on the resignation yesterday of Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins:

“We at Strategies for Children and our Early Education for All Campaign thank former Commissioner Killins for her leadership on behalf of the commonwealth’s young children and families. She was instrumental in laying the foundation for a statewide system of high-quality early education upon which Governor Patrick’s proposed new investments in early education rest. She spearheaded Massachusetts’ successful application for a $50 million federal Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant. She launched a Quality Rating and Improvement Systemthat defines levels of quality and offers programs pathways to improve. She helped further the professionalization of the early education workforce and aligned programs and services to ensure that children have the strong start they need to succeed in school. She and the Department of Early Education and Care achieved this with relatively little investment of state funds. She leaves the commonwealth poised to build on this foundation and substantially increase the number of children who have access to high-quality early education and care. We wish her well and remain grateful for her service. We look forward to working with Acting Commissioner Tom Weber, the Board of Early Education and Care, and early educators across the state on our shared vision for the commonwealth’s children.”