Q&A With...Harriet Feldlaufer

Harriet Feldlaufer, the former chief of the Bureau of Early Childhood at the State Department of Education, is now chief of the Bureau of Teaching and Learning. The Bureau of Early Childhood Education is no longer a separate bureau and has merged with the Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction. Feldlaufer said early care and education will remain a priority, even though the work is now part of a larger bureau.

Q: What interested you in the field of early care and education?

A: “I've been in it for a very, very long time. I've really been in early childhood education since the age of 18. I started studying at Hampshire College and knew I wanted a program in early childhood education, so I transferred to UMASS-Amherst and studied with prominent early childhood experts including George Foreman and Patty Ramsey. I taught in a Montessori school, in elementary education, the university lab school and a Summerhillian School. I received my Master's in education/psychology and child development at the University of Michigan. I've come full circle at the State Department of Education – I began my career here in early childhood education, was fortunate to work on a wide variety of educational projects and initiatives and had the opportunity to go back to what I’m passionate about. Early Childhood education is something I believe to be critically important. By starting to educate someone early in life you get them ready for all future experiences.”

Q: How long have you worked at your current position?

A: “I've been in the department for 23 years. I became chief of the Bureau of Early Childhood Education in 2007 when it was formed. The State Department of Education just recently reorganized as of July 1 [2009] and moved the Bureau of Early Childhood Education into the larger Bureau of Teaching and Learning which encompasses pk-12. I've only been on [this] job a few months.”

Q: I know there have been some changes at the bureau – could you tell me what the bureau did before and what you anticipate it doing now?

A: “The Bureau of Early Childhood Education was formed in 2007 to align with the governor's emphasis on early childhood. The State Board of Education adopted its five-year comprehensive plan and chose three major priorities; the first of which was high-quality pre-k for all. The State Board of Education approved the Bureau of Early Childhood Education to focus on priority one [of the comprehensive plan], the governor's [early childhood] priorities and work of the Early Childhood Cabinet. The State Board of Education and Commissioner [of Education] realized early childhood needed to be highlighted. Even though the [early childhood] bureau is now part of the Bureau of Teaching and Learning, quality early childhood education is no less a priority. We have an opportunity to link early learning to kindergarten transition, literacy, early math and content areas like science and social studies. What we have done and will continue to do is articulate learning standards for the early years and provide technical assistance around the use of learning standards, appropriate assessment and how to teach young children.”

“We serve as a resource – a lot of professional development – and [engage] in policy work. My job is probably as much supporting good ideas as preventing bad things from happening. A priority of our work is relationship building and collaborating with DSS, DPH and Higher Education to work to establish the roles and responsibilities of each organization in providing comprehensive services for children and families. Our work runs the gamut from policy to professional development.”

NOTE: Background on the Five-Year Comprehensive Plan for Education 2006-2011, adopted by the State BOE on January 3, 2007. According to the report, the state funds preschool education for approximately 8,500 children from high-need districts. However, in these same districts, an estimated 7,700 children still do not participate in preschool programs because of inadequate state funding to establish spaces for these children. Beyond state-funded programs, many families living in other communities cannot afford the cost of preschool. To address this priority of high-quality preschool education for all students, the state BOE plans to support the following action steps:

• Provide funding for high-quality preschool education for all 3- and 4-year-old children living in high-need districts, as well as those children most in need throughout the state.

• Provide incentives to districts to assume increased responsibility for high-quality preschool education.

• Increase funds to existing state programs, such as School Readiness and Head Start, to support high-quality preschool education.

• Revise current statute to increase funding for both school construction and the child care facilities loan funds to expand capacity for preschool education.

• Provide assistance to enable children of families most in need to receive a high-quality preschool education

• Collaborate with Connecticut higher education to establish a seamless system between two- and four-year programs to prepare high-quality early childhood educators.

• Collaborate with Connecticut higher education institutions to provide incentives, such as scholarships, tuition waivers and forgivable loans, to candidates seeking an early childhood credential.

• Expand early childhood educator preparation programs to allow alternate forms of obtaining a required credential, such as distance learning, off-campus and satellite learning centers, employment-based and credit-granting courses and supervised practicum; emphasis placed on increasing minority candidate participation.

• Provide ongoing, systematic professional development in the use of “Connecticut's Preschool Curriculum Framework” and “Preschool Assessment Framework” to ensure all early childhood educators have the knowledge and skills to prepare children for future school success.

• Collaborate with DPH to modify the role of the education consultant to support early childhood educators in effective instructional practices consistent with “Connecticut's Preschool Curriculum Framework” and “Preschool Assessment Framework.”

• Establish a system of monitoring and technical assistance to support effective instructional practices consistent with “Connecticut's Preschool Curriculum Framework,” “Preschool Assessment Framework” and aligned with the “Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards.”

• Support the design and implementation of a developmentally appropriate measure of children's readiness for and progress in kindergarten.

Q: Do you think Connecticut is on the right track when it comes to opportunities for children to take part in high-quality preschool?

A: “Yes I do, however there's more work to be done. [In Connecticut], we have a 'mixed funding model', where we give money to the communities who can choose to give it to LEAs or community-based programs that meet the necessary components. This integrates children across socio-economic groups. The downside is we don't have enough money for everyone who needs it and there are a lot of programs who aren't required to be held to the same standards of program quality. We would like to see a high quality pre-k experience for all the children in CT. There is still so much to do.”