“Every child in Virginia is capable of success in school and beyond if they have access to the resources they need during those critical first five years of life. We are bringing our leading early childhood experts and policymakers together to align our priorities and make scalable and sustainable improvements to better serve Virginia’s littlest learners.”

— Virginia’s First Lady Pamela Northam

 

The Early Childhood Education Summit provided “an opportunity for superintendents and school leaders from around the Commonwealth to hear from education experts, engage in conversations with state officials about statewide policies, and learn from local communities collaborating creatively to improve access to and quality of early childhood education programs.”

“Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam have taken many steps to improve school readiness for at-risk three- and four-year-olds in the last six months. In August, Governor Northam announced the completion of a statewide Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment and draft Strategic Plan that were produced through the $9.9 million federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) that the Commonwealth was awarded in January. The Needs Assessment identifies gaps in Virginia’s early childhood system and the draft Strategic Plan outlines the goals and priorities for unifying and strengthening early childhood care and education in Virginia.”

“First Lady Pamela Northam, Virginia Secretary of Education Host Summit on Early Childhood Education,” press release from the Office of Governor Northam, October 22, 2019