What does it mean to talk about bias in early education? How do biases affect children, teachers, and leaders, and what do you do when you see individual or systemic bias in action? 

In today’s episode, Marnetta Larrimer had a chance to sit down with Alexa Broderick, founder of The Equity Paradigm, live at the InterAct NOW: CLASS Summit. Listen to the episode to learn how to contend with internalized biases, take actionable steps when you notice biases playing out, and why it’s important for children to see and participate in diverse experiences. 

Teachstone is pleased to announce the new CLASS^® Observer Fellows Program to further its goal of representing underserved communities within the early education environment.

We recently hosted the Baby Talk: Building Relationships with Infants and Toddlers webinar with Becky Danis, Responsive Solutions Developer at Teachstone, and Monica Pujol-Nassif, Senior CLASS^® Specialist. In this webinar, you’ll learn about the importance of brain development and the optimal ways for early childhood educators to interact with infants and toddlers in their care.

Teachstone, developer of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) included in 23 states' Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and used by Head Start programs nationwide, today released a preview of CLASS 2nd Edition Measurement Suite. Designed specifically for Pre-K–3rd grade learning environments, CLASS helps educators focus, measure and improve classroom interactions—key factors in supporting children’s academic and lifelong success.

A big topic of conversation currently—both in and out of the educational field—is the difference between equality and equity. When equity is not being achieved in schools, some groups of students simply don’t have the same access and opportunity to acquire quality education. And, it’s undeniable that race is a significant factor in who can access opportunities and who ends up marginalized.

How can credentialing be used to recruit, train, and retain early childhood educators, or perhaps even return professionals who have left the field? In today’s episode of Impacting the Classroom, you’ll learn more about the CDA® credentialing process, how it works, and how it can be beneficial for educators and program leaders alike.

So, you’re working to make your teaching practices more equitable in your classroom and throughout your program. Being committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable learning environment is important. How do you achieve this goal? Focusing on continuous quality improvement (CQI) can give you the framework to meet your goals.

Marnetta and Darlene are out this week, so you'll hear a previously recorded presentation we hosted at NAEYC all about CQI as a means to support your equity initiatives. Learn how the CLASS® tool fits into continuous improvement efforts for both policymakers and education leaders, and get strategies that will help you build an environment that ensures success for every child. 

Watch the full episode below. We'll be back with regular programming on the next episode of Impacting the Classroom. Be sure to like, subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform!

As universal Pre-K becomes a real possibility in the United States, it’s important to look at other places that have these systems in place to find out what we can learn from them. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from two people who have firsthand experience with the pre-K system in Quebec.

The CLASS Learning Community is a community of teachers, observers, education leaders, and other educators dedicated to helping every child reach their full potential by measuring and improving classroom interactions.

The CLASS Learning Community is a great place to connect with others in the early education field. Members enjoy:

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachstone, developer of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) included in 23 states' Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and used by Head Start programs nationwide, today announced it has added four early childhood education experts to its senior leadership team.