Mahoning, Trumbull educators participate in national conference

Staff report

Baltimore

As states across the nation move toward a “common core” of educational standards, educators from Mahoning and Trumbull counties participated in the 2012 National Conference Focused on Leading Change in Early and Elementary Education.

Scott Taylor, Mary Fran Jones, Mary Lou Bristol, Daniel Thorpe, Joyce Baldwin, Carrie Boyer, Michael King, Sheila Palombo, Pamela Perrino and Cheryl Kirk participated in the national meeting last month titled “What Really Works? Impact and Innovation for Young Learners,” which dealt with the education of children from pre-kindergarten to the third grade.

“These early educators joined a national community of educators focused on ensuring that every child has access to an effective program, a highly qualified teacher and the opportunity to succeed,” said Dr. Washington, president of the Cambridge, Mass.-based CAYL Institute that sponsored the conference. “The focus of the meeting was on the specific action that education leaders can immediately take to support specific learning goals and social skills.”

At the conference, participants heard from national leaders and had an opportunity to visit Liberty Elementary, a local Baltimore school.

Expert speakers included Jacqueline Jones, deputy assistant secretary for Policy and Early Learning to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan; Peter Pizzolongo and Kyle Snow of the National Association for the Education of Young Children; Sherri Killins, state commissioner of early education and care for Massachusetts; and Maurice Sykes, director of the Early Childhood Leadership Institute at the University of the District of Columbia.

Each speaker emphasized educational practices that will better meet the needs of the children and families, help program leaders collaborate more effectively with community-based organizations and use diversity as a strength that prepares every child for success.

“What Really Works? Impact and Innovation for Young Learners” is a result of CAYL’s intensive work with principals and child-care leaders throughout the United States and the demand from communities for increased training of early- childhood professionals.

“Research shows how vital the leadership is in having an effective program for teachers and children,” Washington said.