Houston, Texas (PRWEB) August 22, 2013 -- The Early to Rise Plan will create a dedicated funding stream for improving the quality of Harris County’s early childhood education. It will provide training and assistance to parents and pre-school programs to help young children arrive at kindergarten motivated, curious and excited about school.
Carroll G. Robinson, a trustee for the Houston Community College System (HCC) understands the need to improve the quality of early childhood education programs across Harris County and the level of training of the teachers in those classrooms. Although he feels that this new Early to Rise program overlooks the problem of access. Mr. Robinson points out, “We also need to expand access to take in the children in our community who are not in any formal early childhood education program.”
The Houston Community College System has an early childhood education teacher certification program and also provides childcare services for its students.
He says that in the coming months, he will work with the HCC Board of Trustees to seek federal funding to increase the number of child care facilities across the Houston Community College System and to enhance the quality of early childhood education programs offered in those facilities.
Robinson says, “In 2015, I will work with the Texas Legislature to enhance the educational requirements needed to serve as an early childhood education teacher in our state. Those requirements when approved should be phased in over a reasonable period of time for the teachers currently working in early childhood education facilities across the state.”
Quality early childhood education programs can help reduce the racial academic achievement gap and the level of poverty in this county over the long term.
“To continue growing and prospering, this county needs to be the best-educated community not only in the state but also in the nation and together we can achieve that goal,” expressed Robinson.
Carroll G. Robinson is an Associate Professor at Texas Southern University where he has served as an Associate Dean and Executive Assistant to two presidents of the University. He has also taught at South Texas College of Law and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System and Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement System.
Chico Mendez, CapWest Strategies, (210) 573-8252, [email protected]
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