Dear Friends of The Playing Field,
In beginning The Playing Field, I relied on my own observations of early childhood spaces. I had seen children spending long hours in settings where I would never want to leave my own child or grandchild. I had witnessed parents torn about making hard decisions when quality childcare wasnāt available to them. I had observed disparity between white and minority children.
More research is coming out to show that what I had observed in our community is common throughout the country. According to a report from Urban Institute, early childhood programs are likely the most racially and ethnically segregated educational spaces in the country. Seventy percent of US preschools are segregated.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Casey Stockstill, author of False Starts:The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers. Her book details her research and observations at two Madison area early childhood programsā one for low-income families and the other for more affluent families. Even though both programs were rated as high quality by Wisconsinās quality rating system, there were vast differences in the daily experiences of children.
All children are not being given a fair start. The so-called āachievement gapā is really a gap in opportunities and experiences. Thank you for your commitment to our mission. For nearly nine years, we have been breaking barriers faced by low income families to accessing high quality early care and education for their children. Your help and support have made that possible!
As we grow in an effort to reach more children and become a model for equity in early education, our need for help is growing too. This newsletter contains practical ways for your to be involved in making a difference for children and families. In whatever way you choose, we value and appreciate your time, interest, and contribution to leveling the playing field!
With Gratitude,
Abbi
The World We Imagine
Our capital campaign has now entered the public phase. This means we have raised over 80% of our goal and we need your help to complete our new building!
When complete, our new facility will serve 100 children per shift. Through unique collaborations with The Road Home Dane County and Plumberās Union Local 75, families will benefit from onsite child care, stable affordable housing and career training. In addition to apprenticeship opportunities in plumbing, The Playing Field will offer apprenticeship opportunities in Early Childhood Education.
Another exciting aspect of our site is that we have access to adult classrooms and a large auditorium where we can continue to offer training to fellow early educators. Each of the child classrooms has been designed with an observation area so we can invite others to see trauma sensitive practices without disruption to our children or teachers.
In March, we hosted 200 educators for a two day training in Conscious DisciplineĀ® and we look forward to more events in our new space!
Please consider helping us complete our fundraising goal! You can get involved in many ways.
- Join our campaign committee. If you are willing to donate your time and talent, please email us at info@playingfieldmadison.org
- Invite us to speak for your local organization.
- Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn) and share our posts.
- Make a donation of any size and encourage others to join you in supporting us.
Learn more about our efforts here: https://build.playingfieldmadison.org/
Teacher Appreciation Week
Every member of our leadership team and board believe that taking care of children begins with taking care of teachers. Thereās nothing we enjoy more than celebrating our staff and the important work they do for children!
In early May, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with special surprises each day. While this was a fun week for all of us, real teacher appreciation means supporting teachers every day.
Teachers deserve a living wage yet, the average wage for early educators in Madison is just over $13 per hour. Our teachers are salaried employees and start at $50,000 per year. The Playing Field devotes 85% of our operating revenue to staff salaries and benefits.
Class sizes and ratios are important. There is much discussion about the rapid rate at which teachers are leaving the field. Wages are a part of that conversation but, class sizes and ratios must be included too. When there are too many children in the classroom or when there is a high number of children per adult, teachers can not possibly meet all of the needs. Teachers want to do good things for children and they canāt do that when they are stretched too thin. Our group sizes and ratios are far better than what is acceptable under both licensing and accreditation. This allows teachers to meet the needs of individual children and build strong connections with the children they care for.
Ongoing professional development helps teachers grow. We invest a lot into our staff as they work to improve their practices. All new staff participate in a full day of training followed by ten sessions with a reflective cohort. From there, staff can receive classroom coaching and apply to attend a week-long Conscious Discipline training event. Teachers who have established model classrooms can be promoted to Mentor Teacher, Coaching, or Administrative positions.
Today and every day, we are grateful for the staff who care for children! Thank you teachers everywhere and most especially to those in our School Family!
Sharing With Others
In April, our Executive Director and Program Director had the opportunity to present at a conference hosted by the Catherine Hershey Schools. Erin Arango-Escalante founder of All Children Thrive invited Abbi Kruse and Michelle Henner to join her in presenting on play based learning.
While Erin presented to state-level policy makers and leaders, Abbi presented to early childhood teachers, and Michelle presented to professionals who work with parents.
Our name, The Playing Field, has two meanings. We are clearly aimed at creating a more level playing field in Madison- where all children have access to quality early care and education. We are also dedicated to the right of children to play. It was a joy to be with fellow early educators in celebration of play based learning!
Abbi also had the opportunity to present to nearly 300 school administrators in Myrtle Beach. Jill Molli, Director of Development for Conscious DisciplineĀ® hosted a two day training event and invited Abbi to share practical strategies for supporting staff.
Both Abbi and Michelle enjoy opportunities to share with fellow educators. Abbi said, āI get to take lessons learned to other educators. At the same time, I get to see amazing programs all around the country and bring ideas back to our program!ā
If your school or organization is interested in booking a speaker, please email us at info@playingfieldmadison.org.
