Early Childhood

Two major Massachusetts teachers unions are backing attempts to enroll more than 10,000 early childhood education workers in the private and nonprofit sectors in an effort to boost their pay, but some fear it could also drive up tuition rates. The Massachusetts Teachers Association and the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts supports legislation that would authorize the creation of a statewide union specifically for early childhood educators. Employees at more than 1,000 childhood centers that either have state contracts or receive some sort of state subsidy would be...

The Tri-Town Early Childhood Program, located at Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. A limited number of spaces is available, officials said. Applications are being taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The enrollment policy is based on a balance of 3- and 4-year-old students, a balance of boys and girls, and a balance among residents of the three member towns, Rochester, Marion, and Mattapoisett. The program provides early childhood education to preschoolers as well as offering high school students a chance...

DR. GREGORY Hagan is right on target when he calls for a focus on early childhood education ("MCAS rut points to need for early education," Letters, Sept. 15) as the way to improve MCAS scores. In 1980, just before Ronald Reagan was elected president, the presidents of the five-college consortium (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and the University of Massachusetts) held a press conference to spell out what they thought was the most important educational action the next president could take, no matter who was elected.

The following was submitted by Margo Steiner, assistant director of marketing and communications at Salem State: The Salem State University Preschool, established at the university in 1970, recently earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. The accreditation is valid through 2017. "We're proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the...

The Tri-Town Early Childhood Program, located at Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. A limited number of spaces is available, officials said. Applications are being taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The enrollment policy is based on a balance of 3- and 4-year-old students, a balance of boys and girls, and a balance among residents of the three member towns, Rochester, Marion, and Mattapoisett. The program provides early childhood education to preschoolers as well as offering high school students a chance...

The following was submitted by Margo Steiner, assistant director of marketing and communications at Salem State: The Salem State University Preschool, established at the university in 1970, recently earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. The accreditation is valid through 2017. "We're proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the...

A life-sized bronze figure of the 5-foot-8 Edgar Allan Poe strides through Boston, the city of his birth, the city he turned his back on. Spilling out of his trunk are an oversized raven, a heart, and pages of his stories and poems. Sculptor Stefanie Rocknak's vision for a Poe memorial incorporates references to two of the macabre master's most famous works, "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart. " Rocknack, based in Oneonta, N.Y., is one of three finalists picked by a commission looking to honor Poe in a square at Charles and Boylston...

Massachusetts teacher unions are attempting to enroll more than 10,000 early childhood education workers in the private and nonprofit sectors, a move that could boost their woefully low pay but critics say could also drive up tuition rates. A centerpiece of the effort by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts is legislation that would authorize the creation of a statewide union specifically for early childhood educators. Under the legislation, the "Massachusetts Early Childhood Educators Union" would negotiate directly with the state Department...

"People have to feel something in order to change the way they think and behave. " This is a quote from my book Keeping Your Child in Mind . The right brain is the seat of emotional regulation. Most, if not all, emotional and behavioral problems are intrinsically tied to the ability to regulate emotions. Changes in the brain can occur only if the right brain centers that regulate emotion are actually firing. I was thinking about this idea when I attended an amazing conference at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, New...

A new report from an advocacy organization says Connecticut's early childhood programs suffer from a lack of central coordination and declining funding levels. The report from Connecticut Voices for Children says the involvement of so many different agencies in supporting early education programs raises complications for parents and care providers. It also says funding for early care and education is more than 10 percent below 2002 levels. Thursday's report comes two days after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy identified more early childhood services as one of his...

The children's theater group Artbarn is losing its executive director of 13 years, cofounder Jackie Borck, and gaining two new leaders, Matthew Kossack and Chloe Lara-Russack, as codirectors. The change was celebrated April 28 with a fund-raiser and show. Borck said she was volunteering at Brookline Access Television and considering an early childhood reading program or Artbarn TV for the station. She is also looking at developing and publishing Artbarn's original plays for various formats.

"People have to feel something in order to change the way they think and behave. " This is a quote from my book Keeping Your Child in Mind . The right brain is the seat of emotional regulation. Most, if not all, emotional and behavioral problems are intrinsically tied to the ability to regulate emotions. Changes in the brain can occur only if the right brain centers that regulate emotion are actually firing. I was thinking about this idea when I attended an amazing conference at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, New Insights on Early Life Stress...

Pop star Justin Bieber's mom has inked a book deal to tell the story of the role she played in her son's rise to superstardom. Pattie Mallette signed a deal with Revell Books to publish, "Nowhere But Up: The Story of Justin Bieber's Mom. " The book's publisher said in a statement Tuesday that Mallette will share details of the trauma, abuse and addiction that plagued her early childhood and young adult years, leading to a suicide attempt when...

The Boston School Committee will weigh a proposal tonight to temporarily reopen a Dorchester elementary school that it closed less than a year ago, in order to accommodate a sudden influx of preschoolers who require special education immediately. If the committee approves the measure, the Fifield Elementary School would open next week as an early childhood education center and could have seven classrooms in operation by the end of the school year. The proposal is being put forward as the School Department faces a class-action lawsuit in federal court that asserts that the department...

A life-sized bronze figure of the 5-foot-8 Edgar Allan Poe strides through Boston, the city of his birth, the city he turned his back on. Spilling out of his trunk are an oversized raven, a heart, and pages of his stories and poems. Sculptor Stefanie Rocknak's vision for a Poe memorial incorporates references to two of the macabre master's most famous works, "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart. " Rocknack, based in Oneonta, N.Y., is one of three finalists picked by a commission looking to honor Poe in a square at Charles and Boylston streets.

A new report from an advocacy organization says Connecticut's early childhood programs suffer from a lack of central coordination and declining funding levels. The report from Connecticut Voices for Children says the involvement of so many different agencies in supporting early education programs raises complications for parents and care providers. It also says funding for early care and education is more than 10 percent below 2002 levels. Thursday's report comes two days after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy identified more early childhood services as one of his priorities for the 2012...

The Boston School Committee will weigh a proposal tonight to temporarily reopen a Dorchester elementary school that it closed less than a year ago, in order to accommodate a sudden influx of preschoolers who require special education immediately. If the committee approves the measure, the Fifield Elementary School would open next week as an early childhood education center and could have seven classrooms in operation by the end of the school year. The proposal is being put forward as the School Department faces a class-action lawsuit in federal court that asserts that the department...

The following is a press release from Harborlight Montessori:   Harborlight Montessori School is honored to welcome four professors of early education from the NanJing Normal University, NanJing, China on Monday, November 7th.  Harborlight is recognized as one of four premiere early childhood/elementary schools to be visited during this tour of the United States. With the purpose of investigating the best practices of early childhood and elementary education, these professors will observe in classrooms and interview Harborlight faculty...

The following is a press release from Harborlight Montessori:   Harborlight Montessori School is honored to welcome four professors of early education from the NanJing Normal University, NanJing, China on Monday, November 7th.  Harborlight is recognized as one of four premiere early childhood/elementary schools to be visited during this tour of the United States. With the purpose of investigating the best practices of early childhood and elementary education, these professors will observe in classrooms and interview Harborlight faculty throughout the...

Two major Massachusetts teachers unions are backing attempts to enroll more than 10,000 early childhood education workers in the private and nonprofit sectors in an effort to boost their pay, but some fear it could also drive up tuition rates. The Massachusetts Teachers Association and the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts supports legislation that would authorize the creation of a statewide union specifically for early childhood educators. Employees at more than 1,000 childhood centers that either have state contracts or receive some sort...