Preschool - and early childhood learning - plays an essential role in the lives of many parents and children. Working parents rely on preschool, and research shows that a HIGH QUALITY preschool program can have a lasting positive impact on the life of a child. According to the NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, providing a high quality education for children before they turn 5 yields significant medium and long term benefits for children, including being:

• Less likely to repeat a grade
• Less likely to be identified as having special needs
• More prepared academically for later grades
• More likely to graduate from high school
• Higher earners in the workforce

Furthermore, access to effective, diverse programs breaks down barriers that have prevented many children– particularly children of color and children from disadvantaged families– from achieving their full potential.

But how do we ensure that - on a LARGE SCALE - our children are having experiences in early childhood programs that best support their short and long term development. Today, we’ll learn from Dr. Kara Ahmed about how New York City, our country's largest school system, is supporting its youngest learners.   

More on Kara:
As Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education, Dr. Kara Ahmed is responsible for ensuring the system is prepared to support all of New York City’s young people from birth to five years of age. 

For the past 14 years, Kara was the Principal for the Department of Education’s Living for the Young Family Through Education (LYFE) program, which she transformed into a nationally recognized, city-wide, early childhood education program.Kara began her career as an early childhood educator and then became the Early Childhood Supervisor for New Brunswick Public Schools. There she led all operational and programmatic aspects related to the public school and private provider preschool programs. Kara also led the implementation of preschool inclusion to guarantee children with identified disabilities were naturally integrated into general education preschool classrooms. Kara went on to work with William Patterson University to support the New Jersey DOE’s implementation of preschool across the state, and she taught graduate courses at Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Kara has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University. She has a Master of Arts degree in Education Leadership and a Doctor of Education in Education Policy, both from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Resources:

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