Educators discuss early childhood education

STAFF WRITER

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link Staff photo: Rae Arnett

Robin Wells, left, and Erica Stubbs discuss Early Childhood Education at the ELAC meeting Thursday evening.

The Early Learning Alliance Council (ELAC) held a town hall meeting at Eastern New Mexico University on Thursday evening.

The meeting gave early childhood professionals and educators a chance to voice concerns to Chair of ELAC Erica Stubbs.

This is the first year that ELAC has sent members to different areas of the state to hold these meetings, according to Stubbs, who said ELAC hopes to ensure that these are annual meetings.

“This is our first year going out to the communities; we are visiting Las Vegas, Silver City, Gallup and here. The town hall meetings are used to connect with the communities and see what is going on first hand,” said Stubbs.

ELAC was formed a little over three years ago and the members are hand-selected by Gov. Susana Martinez, according to Stubbs.

Attendees to the town hall meeting discussed the pros and cons of early childhood education in the area.

Multiple attendees mentioned the need for higher education requirements for early childhood educators, more infant/toddler care centers, an update to the 45-hour training that educators are required to attend and an update to dual enrollment courses in Child Growth and Development at ENMU.

The attendees also discussed what they are impressed with in the area: The programs put into place to help children, the smaller community and how it allows people to stay more connected with how the children are doing and the addition of the inclusion position at the ENMU Training and Technical Assistance Program (TTAP).

Stubbs discussed possible solutions from the state level that are in the idea phase of solving the issues presented. Some of the solution ideas were incentives for the programs, funneling more money to the programs to assist in creating a high level of quality, as well as developing a resource system to see what the community programs should be trying to emulate.

ENMU TTAP Program Director Michelle Terry found the meeting very helpful and useful.

“It was helpful to have the meeting, because it gives the public a chance to have a voice and to express the importance of Early Childhood Education as well as challenges that those in the field face,” said Terry.

The town hall meetings will be concluded before Oct. 1 to ensure that the knowledge gained from the communities is in the ELAC annual report.

“The ELAC report goes to the governor and is also shared with the legislature and state departments that we support. It will contain recommendations, strengths and what’s working in the state as well as things that have been addressed this year,” said Stubbs.