Early Childhood Education Promoted

By Jason Thomas

Nearly one thousand teachers, administrators, public officials and parents on Saturday attended the Congressional District 30 Education Initiative held at Desoto High School in Desoto. The summit, featuring presentations by some of the finest educators in North Texas, was convened by District 30 Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and included educators from the Desoto, Lancaster, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Duncanville and Grand Prairie Independent School Districts.

“Early childhood education is very important,” said Congresswoman Johnson as she addressed the group during the keynote address. “We must ensure that our young people are well-educated. Without a quality education a young person’s future is bleak. I am your voice in Washington, but I need your input. Early childhood education is the key to future success.”

Congresswoman Johnson said that she would continue to do all that she could to ensure that North Texas school districts received the financial support that they needed to make early childhood education a top priority. She thanked the educators and public officials for what they were doing to promote early childhood education.

“We must ensure that our young people are well-educated,” said Desoto Mayor Carl Sherman who thanked Congresswoman Johnson’s for her work in Washington regarding education.  “Our Congresswoman gets it,” he said. “Early childhood education matters.”

The seven-hour program, which began at 8.30 a.m., featured panels of educators and presentations from national and state leaders. Dr. Libby Doggett, the deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning in the U.S. Department of Education, encouraged the participants to continue their efforts to mold the minds of young people while they were very young in a video presentation.

Dr. Nolan Estes, a former superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, who is recognized as one of the country’s leading educators, said that professionals on the national, state and local levels must embrace early childhood education.  Superintendents from participating school districts spoke about early childhood education program in District 30.

Other panelists included college presidents, principals, retired educators, hospital administrators and parents who expressed their views regarding the importance of early childhood education.  Veteran retired Dallas educators Dr. Roscoe Smith and Dr. Alfred Roberts, the guiding forces behind  the Coalition for an Accountable System of Education, also participated in the summit.

“I am very proud of the outstanding work that is taking place in District 30 regarding education,” Congresswoman Johnson said. “Early childhood education is where it all begins.”