New Advisory Commission on Early Education Includes the Voice of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition

Austin, Texas—October 26, 2009— Governor Rick Perry recently named his appointees to the newly formed Texas State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, a new council mandated by the federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.  The council will direct spending on a pending 11.3 million dollar federal stimulus grant  and work towards developing a comprehensive system of early childhood education and care that ensures coordination and collaboration among early childhood programs throughout Texas.  

“The council will work to build a more consensus-driven, integrated approach to early childhood education with a strategic vision and specific solutions about how the state can best ensure high-quality programs and school readiness outcomes for young children,” said Dr. John Gasko, Ph.D, the appointed head of the Advisory Council.

Dr. Gasko is also the Director of State Initiatives for the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and he is an example of the presence current and former Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) leadership will have on the council.  “We are happy to see Dr. Gasko, our former Director of Research and Public Policy, lead such an important decision-making body,” said Kara Johnson Executive Director of TECEC.  Additionally, 5 other appointees to the council have served or currently serve on TECEC advisory committees.

“In many ways, this new council represents what TECEC has been working towards for the last six years,” Johnson explained, “All sectors of early childhood education working together and making collaborative decisions for the future of young learners in Texas.”

The requirements of the federal stimulus grant call for a 70% match of federal funds.  It will be the decision of the Advisory Council to determine how these funds will be spent and distributed throughout the state, should the federal government approve the Council’s plan.

Bringing different representatives from the early education community together to inform decisions and create policy is a winning model.  Since the inception of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition in 2003, Texas has invested over $100 million in early education.  By working together, Texas has advanced high-quality early care and education more than most states.  The Governor’s thoughtful decision to appoint a diverse group of experts to such an important council will certainly help to move high-quality early care and education forward in Texas in a cooperative and collaborative manner.