research-practice partnerships. New projects emerged, such as conversation guides for the Getting it Right publication and the Scholars of Color Series featuring webinars on Asa Hilliard, James Comer, and Cynthia García Coll, with over 5,000 views of the Asa Hilliard webinar recording!  

I fully understand that there is still work to be done to ensure that early educators have access to high-quality teacher preparation, ongoing support, and compensation that reflects the essential and cognitively complex nature of the work they perform. Young children, their families, and the entire field of early care and education depend on these educators to provide high-quality and life-changing programs. 

Thank you to our grantees who execute the Foundation’s mission through their hard work. And I send a warm virtual hug to our Young and Promising Scholars who give us hope for a better world in which research, policy, and practice are inextricably linked.  

Our staff has continued their work through political and economic volatility—and then there was the pandemic! I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Foundation’s Vice President, Dr. Sara Vecchiotti, who has been an extraordinary thought partner in the visioning and implementation of the Foundation’s work. Sherice, Ryan, Andrea, Dorothy, and Sara thank you for walking this journey with me in good and challenging times. You are magnificent. 

With gratitude,