BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//LEO | Learning & Engagement Opportunities Network - ECPv6.15.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:LEO | Learning & Engagement Opportunities Network X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net X-WR-CALDESC:Events for LEO | Learning & Engagement Opportunities Network REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250304T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250304T140000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115351 CREATED:20250307T211325Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250307T212129Z UID:250474-1741091400-1741096800@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education DESCRIPTION:This special webinar allowed us to dig deeper into the importance of relationships in early education with Love to Learn author Isabelle Hau of Stanford University and a panel of expert commentators who shared their perspectives on how we can enhance these vital connections. \nMeera Mani\, Ed.D.\, with The David and Lucile Packard Foundation moderated the webinar and began by emphasizing the importance of the book’s messages and the call to action it presents.   \nHau framed the conversation by discussing the urgency of the book’s release in light of societal changes and technological advancements that often undermine meaningful relationships. She emphasized that in a time when technology dominates much of the learning experience\, it’s crucial to remember that the foundation of effective learning is rooted in human connection. Hau explained that love is the most important tool we have to combat the increasing stress children face\, citing extensive research that shows how love not only mitigates stress but also promotes brain development and resilience.  \nShe further stressed that relationships should be at the center of policy\, educational environments\, and technology design\, so that every child has access to the protective benefits of love and connection. Hau’s call to action was clear: We need to make relationships visible and prioritize them across all sectors\, from family to education to the tech world\, to ensure that children’s emotional and cognitive development thrives. \nAttendees then heard from David W. Willis\, MD\, FAAP\, with Georgetown University who expressed appreciation for Love to Learn’s focus on relational health. He emphasized the critical need to address the relational deprivation crisis affecting child health\, development\, and learning. Rather than focusing solely on the challenges\, Willis encouraged attendees to view this moment as an opportunity — one that requires us to build stronger social networks and community support around children and families. He stressed that fostering relationships\, particularly those that are responsive and nurturing\, is essential to children’s development. Willis also pointed out that these connections help children manage stress and build resilience\, ultimately enhancing their capacity to learn and grow. \nKali Thorne Ladd of Children’s Institute continued the conversation by describing Love to Learn as a “need to have” rather than a “nice to have” and emphasized the importance of Hau’s message that we are wired for love. Acknowledging this\, Ladd shared the need for teacher preparation programs to incorporate neuroscience and behavioral psychology\, particularly focusing on the critical role that love and emotional well-being play in student learning. She emphasized that by integrating these insights into education systems\, we can ensure that children not only have the cognitive tools to succeed but also the emotional foundation to thrive in their relationships and communities. \nLastly\, attendees heard from Gloria Corral with Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) who praised Hau’s book and highlighted its urgent message about the importance of early childhood development and educational equity. Corral highlighted the critical role of validating language and culture\, particularly in a moment where these aspects are under attack. She stressed that love in the early years is expressed through touch\, words\, and language\, and that this should be nurtured within each community’s cultural context. \nShe stated\, “Technology is and should be leveraged as a valuable way of enhancing relationships. But it’s the love that comes with the human-to-human interactions that has to be foundational in the work. That includes [honoring] language\, culture\, and history in order for our collective well-being to be valued and nurtured.”  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n“There is a lot of stress right now. But as Isabelle [Hau] lays out and as the research lays out\, love is the single greatest protective factor to mitigate stress in the brain and to create resiliency. If there was ever a time that we needed to lean into love\, not just for our children\, but adults…now is that time.” – Kali Thorne Ladd\, Children’s Institute \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n \n Share Feedback URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/love-to-learn/ CATEGORIES:Past Event,Special Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Isabelle-postcard-v3-e1741380773823.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250304T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250304T163000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115351 CREATED:20250131T090147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250307T073607Z UID:250106-1741100400-1741105800@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:For-Profit Child Care: Implications\, Challenges and Opportunities DESCRIPTION:This important session was part of CGLR’s ongoing series exploring the persistent challenges and the hoped for future of child care that began in fall 2024. Many of you joined those sessions with Dan Wuori\, author of The Daycare Myth\, along with other experts\, including state leaders who are implementing promising strategies and advocates who are committed to ensuring that we are ready for the future of child care. We looked at strategies to address the “three legged stool” of affordability\, quality\, and workforce development/retention. We also “interrogated” and re-imagined the future of child care in our discussions with expert leaders. This week\, we had the chance to pick up on one of the important factors in the future of child care: the increasing pace of private investment in the systems of support that families need so desperately.  \nCGLR’s good partner and early childhood expert\, Marica Cox Mitchell of the Bainum Family Foundation moderated a robust discussion among advocates and providers with diverse and sometimes conflicting perspectives. Marquita Davis\, Ph.D.\, of KinderCare\, Elliot Haspel of Capita\, Radha Mohan\, J.D.\, of the Early Care and Education Consortium\, Susan Gale Perry of Child Care Aware of America\, Arthur Rolnick\, Ph.D.\, of the University of Minnesota\, Linda Smith of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and Simon Workman of Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies engaged in a moderated discussion about the impact of private investment in early care. A big part of the conversation was consideration of guardrails that may be needed for all providers and especially those backed by private equity and other profit-seeking entities. Haspel explained what is meant by guardrails\, offering an example from Massachusetts\, and then came back to the core point that all speakers emphasized no matter the type of provider or the guardrails in place:  \n\nThis idea of common-sense guardrails is important. You can look at what Massachusetts did. They said\, if you want public money and you’re a large for-profit chain\, you have to agree to some common-sense things. You have to agree to a higher level of financial disclosure to check on whether you are over indebted — you would need to report this. You have to agree to spend a certain amount of this public money on educator salaries. So it’s those sorts of guardrails that really give accountability\, that give sunlight. But we also need to get the bigger picture in mind\, which is how do we center [the voices and experiences of] those who are most affected by the system and how do we build toward a system that’s going to work for them\, even if that’s not the system we have today.  \n\nThe conversation continued and we heard differing opinions about how the issues of accessibility\, affordability\, and workforce are impacted by whether a provider is backed by profit-seeking entities such as private equity or the stock market. At the heart of it all\, everyone agreed that it is important to move beyond the type of financing behind the provider and address the issues that are common across all providers to ensure that the needs of families are met and young children from all backgrounds have the chance to get ready for kindergarten. Davis also emphasized the importance of guardrails for all providers to ensure the persistent challenges are addressed:  \n\nI do think it’s important that we impose guardrails on everyone. I’ve worked in all of the systems\, and when we talk about guardrails\, we can’t just think about one part of the system. If we care about all children showing up in these multiple systems\, we invest in the teacher training\, we invest in increasing their salaries\, we invest in the things that families need and want for good outcomes for their children. So guardrails writ large should be what we’re doing for the early learning field. I think there are benefits of imposing standards of quality on all providers\, especially around the notion of finance. \n\nCGLR was thrilled to have the opportunity to use its GLR Learning Tuesdays platform to hold a conversation of differing opinions\, and we are inspired to develop future sessions that will continue to address child care challenges and opportunities. Keep your eye out for announcements. For now\, we hope you will join us again for upcoming sessions.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n \n Share Feedback URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/for-profit-childcare/ CATEGORIES:Past Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CASEYKINETIK2015_Thurs01010-e1738314088552.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250311T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250311T163000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115351 CREATED:20250228T150914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251223T134100Z UID:250406-1741705200-1741710600@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:Decoding NAEP: What Families Know and What We Can Do DESCRIPTION:“We all want the best for our kids. But without information… how can we advocate?”– John Johnson\, Parent Advocate ​​​​​​​ \n\n\n\nThis Decoding NAEP session\, co-sponsored by the National Parents Union (NPU) brought together a panel of parent leaders to explore the role of data in empowering parents\, strengthening advocacy\, and ensuring that all children — especially those furthest from opportunity — have access to the support they need. \nWhat Parents Want:  \nParents don’t just want data; they want timely\, clear\, and actionable information about their children’s progress\, interventions\, and learning opportunities. They want to be co-designers of solutions\, not just recipients of programs. \nPanelists emphasized the need for data about their individual students as well as data that represents all students\, including Native American\, children of color and lower-income families — not just those with the biggest gaps. As one participant shared in the chat\, “Data belongs to the people. Data belongs to students\, families\, and communities!” \nWhat You Can Do:  \n\nEngage parents as co-designers — Go into your community and create spaces for real dialogue.\nBe a listener — Understand what parents need and value in education.\nBuild relationships with diverse communities — Ensure all families see themselves in the data and decision-making processes.\nModel consistency — Trust is built through ongoing\, meaningful engagement.\n\nThe conversation made one thing clear\, when parents have access to data\, they have power. They can advocate\, partner\, and push for solutions that help children thrive. The challenge ahead is ensuring that every family — not just a select few — has that access. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n \n Share Feedback URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/naep-5/ CATEGORIES:Past Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CASEYKINETIK2015_Tues00852-e1740713270404.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T140000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115351 CREATED:20250218T164519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250322T053250Z UID:250342-1742301000-1742306400@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:Harnessing the Power of Communities to Help Children: The Early Learning Nation Collective DESCRIPTION:“Through this work over the decades\, we have seen the value of community leadership because place is such a critical factor in kids’ life trajectories. If you look at the research on economic mobility and education attainment\, it’s down to the ZIP code level because it really is at that community level where the formal and informal systems come together. Can I find a great child care provider? Is there a library with books in my language? Is food getting to families with young children who need it most? So the work of the ELN Collective is about investing in local leaders who can bridge and work across those formal and informal systems in service of local priorities. And it came about because we heard directly from folks in the field that there was a need and an opportunity for more investment in local leadership and local coordination.” \n —Megan Wyatt\, Bezos Family Foundation \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nIn this Funder-to-Funder Conversation\, Megan Wyatt of the Bezos Family Foundation (BFF) offered the above reflection as she described what sparked the Early Learning Nation (ELN) Collective and its efforts to shift power and influence to local leaders to create communities where every child has the resources they need to thrive. Thank you for registering for this funder-focused session and for joining us to explore this powerful new approach to supporting local action.   \nAngela Garcia\, co-chair of the ELN Collective Steering Committee and director of Toy Box Early Learning Centers in Las Cruces\, New Mexico\, facilitated the discussion which featured the founding funder and national partners of the ELN Collective. During the conversation\, Garcia first spoke with Megan Wyatt\, who explained how the ELN Collective aligns with BFF’s commitment to fostering early brain development in children through community partnerships.  \nGarcia then engaged representatives from the seven national partners that comprise the ELN Collective — Center for the Study of Social Policy\, Children’s Defense Fund\, National League of Cities\, Save the Children Action Network\, Start Early\, The Hunt Institute\, and UnidosUS. Each partner shared insights into their unique role within the collective and emphasized how their intentional collaboration strengthens the collective’s impact\, ensuring that its efforts are greater than the sum of its parts. They highlighted how their joint initiatives — such as community action tools\, technical assistance\, community cohorts and convenings\, and a Local Action Fund led by community members — position local leaders to drive meaningful change within their communities.  \n“One of the tenets of democracy is the voice of the people — that those voices are heard and that folks from all walks of life have a seat at decision-making tables….That’s why this collective initiative is so timely and so right for this moment. We say ‘for the people\, by the people\,’ and this work is really making that happen. We know that local leaders and communities must be part of the solution….Those who are closest to families and the needs of young children\, especially those in underserved communities\, must be at the table to help us develop systems and services that meet their needs. The collective is about doing that work.”   —Tonja Rucker\, The National League of Cities  \nWyatt encouraged other philanthropic organizations to join in scaling and expanding the ELN Collective\, emphasizing that “this work is designed to accomplish what no single organization could achieve alone\, and for that reason\, it is beyond the capacity of any one philanthropic entity to steward independently.” She announced that the next phase of investment would commence in the summer\, with investments from additional funders unlocking further support from BFF.  \nWyatt also extended an invitation to state and local funders operating in the 15 priority states where the ELN Collective is currently focused — Arizona\, California\, Florida\, Illinois\, Kentucky\, Louisiana\, Michigan\, Mississippi\, New Mexico\, Oregon\, South Carolina\, Tennessee\, Texas\, Washington\, and West Virginia — to collaborate with BFF and the ELN Collective. She highlighted the opportunity to leverage the collective’s free resources and its network of engaged local leaders to advance CGLR’s shared goal of creating brighter futures for young children.  \nTo connect with and explore investment opportunities with the ELN Collective\, contact: rucker@nlc.org.  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n \n Share Feedback URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/eln_collective/ CATEGORIES:Funder-to-Funder Conversation,Parents,Past Event,Readiness ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Upscaled.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T163000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115352 CREATED:20250207T192536Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251223T133916Z UID:250179-1742310000-1742315400@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:Decoding NAEP: The Perspectives of State Chiefs DESCRIPTION:This important session was a type of capstone to CGLR’s recent multi-week Decoding NAEP series where we’ve had the chance to hear multiple perspectives on interpreting and making use of the 2024 NAEP scores. This week\, we had the unique opportunity to learn from a panel of Chief State School Officers. As the top state education decision-makers\, policymakers and influencers\, they shared how they are reacting to the NAEP results\, the other assessment tools they are using to ensure they are progressing toward proficiency in reading and math\, and what this means for their priorities moving forward. \nIn this Decoding NAEP session\, John Gomperts facilitated a discussion that quickly revealed the collegiality among state chiefs from diverse regions of the country. The session provided a unique opportunity to observe top decision-makers as they deliberated on key challenges and opportunities\, exchanged best practices\, and responded to both pre-planned and audience-generated questions in a candid and insightful dialogue. \nSusana Córdova\, Ed.D.\, Colorado Commissioner of Education; Aimee Rogstad Guidera\, Virginia’s Secretary of Education; Katie Jenner\, Ed.D.\, Indiana Secretary of Education; Eric Mackey\, Ed.D.\, Alabama’s State Superintendent of Education; and Carey Wright\, Ed.D.\, Maryland’s State Superintendent of Schools began the discussion by sharing their “actionable takeaways” from the NAEP data on reading and math proficiency for students in their states. Córdova shared how data is critical to determining the right interventions to support student progress: \n\nAnd so the actionable takeaway that we have really focused on is making sure that we’re doubling down on the supports that we have in Colorado for students\, for teachers\, for district leaders. It’s not just one of those places. It’s like making sure that people have access to resources\, high-quality instructional materials\, training for teachers\, training for school leaders\, and readily accessible data. The readily available data allows “just in time” interventions and the resources for trained teachers to provide those supports. And so that’s the area where we really are focusing. A big chunk of our energy is getting those strong foundations in place\, moving with urgency and making sure that we have the whole suite of supports that are going to be important to make sure kids get to grade level [by the end of] third grade. \n\nThe conversation continued as the state chiefs acknowledged that NAEP data is useful because it provides a broad-brush comparison across the country and across states. It may\, however\, miss pockets of progress and bright spots where gains are being made in specific and perhaps surprising areas of the country. Mackey spoke to this when sharing a bright spot in a rural area of his state: \n\nDeKalb County is a very rural county. It has a high immigrant population\, mostly Hispanic. So Crossville is a school (in DeKalb County) that is about 80% to 85% Hispanic. A lot are first generation coming to America. Of course\, many don’t speak English as their first language. And they’re seeing remarkable growth\, unbelievable growth. And it’s a different strategy. We put a really good math coach in that school and a really good literacy coach in that school. So they’re helping the teachers think about the best way to work with these students. So I would say the two best things we have found in working with these traditionally low achieving populations is: one\, get really good PD for the teachers and a coach\, or in this case\, multiple coaches in that school to help the teachers learn to implement the PD; and two\, create outside learning activities. Whether\, again\, it is intercessions\, it’s after school\, it’s before school\, it’s summer school. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n If you were able to attend the session\, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives\, ideas\, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences. \n \n Share Feedback URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/naep-6/ CATEGORIES:Past Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_179210193_Preview-e1738956272377.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T140000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115352 CREATED:20250306T175335Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T143041Z UID:250455-1742905800-1742911200@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:Georgia Efforts to Support Summer Learning DESCRIPTION:This Crucible of Practice Salon highlighted the innovative work of the BOOST (Building Opportunities for Out-of-School Time) grant initiative in Georgia\, developed in partnership by the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network (GSAN). The initiative\, with funds from the American Rescue Plan provided grants over the course of the three years to programs in 115 of 159 counties. This statewide expansion has led to more sites providing robust summer programs for young people.   \nKatie Landes of the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network opened the discussion with an overview of BOOST’s design\, emphasizing the program’s intentional focus on collaboration with local initiatives\, as well as its commitment to transparency and flexibility.  \nKinyatta Trice\, also from Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network\, joined the conversation to discuss BOOST’s implementation. She highlighted grantee success stories and outlined the approach used to provide technical assistance and quality support. Next\, Jeannie Adams Myers\, Ed.S.\, of Los Niños Primero USA—a BOOST program grantee—spoke about the impact of the funding on her program\, describing how it helped enhance program quality and build capacity.  \nAkia Lewis\, MPAA\, PMP\, of Georgia Family Connection Partnership\, addressed the organization’s efforts to engage and support rural and other non-traditional grantees. Dawn Boyer of Metis Associates then provided an overview of the program’s evaluation\, detailing how program partners were involved in designing the assessment. She also shared key outcome data and system study findings.  \nFinally\, Katie Landes returned to discuss the program’s future. With federal funding coming to an end\, the team is working toward a sustainable model\, including efforts to secure funding for BOOST 2.0 in Georgia’s FY26 budget.  URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/ga-summer-learning/ CATEGORIES:Past Event,Summer Slide ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ProvidencCasey-040-e1724637751197.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T163000 DTSTAMP:20260408T115352 CREATED:20250311T054738Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251216T185113Z UID:250495-1742914800-1742920200@leo.gradelevelreading.net SUMMARY:More Hopeful Futures or Children as Collateral Damage? DESCRIPTION:The recent GLR Learning Tuesdays session examined the evolving role of the federal government in education\, focusing on the children and families who may be affected by proposed policy changes. \nThe discussion featured Amalia Chamorro of UnidosUS\, Bob Cunningham formerly with Understood\, Denise Forte of the The Education Trust\, Lindsay Jones\, Esq. of CAST\, Elson Nash\, Ph.D. of the Education Commission of the States\, and Leslie Villegas of New America. Panelists explored the history of federal engagement and investment in education\, highlighting key areas such as support for schools serving low-income students\, protections and opportunities for children with special needs\, and resources for English language learners. \nThe session also addressed the establishment of the Department of Education in 1980 and the challenges of potentially shifting its functions to other agencies. Discussion centered on the implications for children and families\, the role of federal funding streams\, the value of national benchmark data NAEP\, and the importance of technical assistance\, particularly in smaller states and underserved regions. The panel emphasized the Office for Civil Rights’ critical role in empowering parents to advocate for their children’s education. \nAs debates continue in Washington\, D.C. and across the country\, understanding these issues remains essential. This session provided key insights\, and participants are encouraged to engage further. The next session\, Impacts of Accelerated Deportation\, will take place on April 1. URL:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/event/kids-as-collateral/ CATEGORIES:Past Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://leo.gradelevelreading.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Providence_Photos_0299-e1741672015304.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR