Title
Approval to Apply to National League of Cities - Cities Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce Application
Description
This report requests City Council approval to apply to the National League of Cities for the Cities Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce technical assistance initiative to assist Read On Phoenix (ROP) in aligning policies and programs to help city/community leaders in strengthening local efforts with early childhood workforce.
Report
Summary
The National League of Cities’ (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) is seeking to support city efforts in improving early care and education, strengthening city-school partnerships, and promoting joint planning initiatives between city governments, school districts, and private industry. NLC is creating opportunities to share lessons learned with city leaders nationwide and to stimulate new city-level efforts to make evidence-based, best practices work at the local level. NLC is targeting three cities: Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix.
NLC is seeking cities to support their early childhood education workforce efforts by assisting city leadership in creating more comprehensive professional development opportunities and pathways. The goal of the project is to help develop local programs and policies that will ensure all early childhood educators have the tools and supports needed to provide high-quality early learning experiences for children and equitable access to building their own skills and knowledge. Children who participate in high quality early learning experiences are more likely to do well in school, graduate, be healthy and achieve financial security than are children who do not have such experiences. Each city will identify a focal point for their local early childhood workforce efforts.
Read On Phoenix received an invitation to apply for the “Cities Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce” technical assistance initiative to help the city deepen their efforts to address equity and explore financial levers that support the early childhood workforce. NLC will support Phoenix to further refine the local early childhood strategic plan.
NLC received funding from the Vanguard Foundation to provide technical assistance through Dec. 31, 2021. NLC will cover all expenses incurred during the technical assistance initiative that will include site visits to Phoenix, bi-monthly check-in calls, quarterly group huddle calls, and two national convenings. No funding will be provided directly to the city.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Land Use and Livability Subcommittee meeting on Feb. 19, 2020.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Deanna Jonovich and the Youth and Education Office.