I want to make sure you saw the op-ed in the Statesman and other papers.


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We drive policy change to improve the lives of Texas children today for a stronger Texas tomorrow.

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Hello,

I wanted to make sure you saw our recent op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman and other newspapers: When It's Safe, Offer In-Person Learning to Youngest Kids First ([link removed]).

The op-ed argues:

Online learning works better for teens and tweens than kindergartners. And a solid foundation in the earliest grades is critical to students’ long-term success. So education leaders should make our youngest students — including young English learners — a priority this school year and during the next legislative session.

Here are a few excerpts:

[W]hen the Legislature set a goal last year of making sure more kids are strong readers by third grade, they wisely invested in full-day pre-K and strong dual language education in early grades.

While these early years are important for all students, they’re particularly important for putting English learners on a path to become strong readers and fluent in both English and their home language. This is the age range when the brain is most ready and able to acquire two or more languages. With English learners accounting for more than a quarter of Texas students in kindergarten through second grade, meeting their academic needs is critical for meeting the state’s education goals...

[W]hen school leaders, teachers and health experts agree that it’s safe for a portion of the student body to attend school in person, districts should first offer that option to families of our youngest students...echoing national experts ([link removed]). Other students to prioritize for on-campus learning include kids with disabilities, students who lack technology or other resources at home and young English Learners...

To help make distance learning more effective and in-person learning safer, state and federal leaders should provide additional funding to districts...

Even after school is back to normal, the educational impact of this disruption will persist for years. State leaders will need to use the next legislative session to ensure young English learners and other young students are on a strong educational track.

Feel free to contact me anytime about these issues. You can also contact (mailto:[email protected]) our Early Childhood Policy Associate, David Feigen, who leads our work on pre-k, child care, and other early education priorities, including the Early Childhood English Learner Initiative ([link removed]).

We look forward to continuing to work with you on these important issues!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Rubin
CEO@Steph_Rubin ([link removed])

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1016 La Posada Drive, Suite 240 | Austin, TX 78752 US

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