LAUNCH Flagstaff update for April 19 — LAUNCH Updates: Educational Leadership; Preschool Expansion; Literacy Coordination

Educational Leadership Academy Launches

Starting this summer, 25 educational leaders and aspiring leaders in the Flagstaff area will participate in a 14-month cohort of professional development in executive leadership.

The effort is the result of a year-long collaboration between LAUNCH Flagstaff and the Center for the Future of Arizona to bring the Beat the Odds School Leadership Academy to Northern Arizona.

“The quality of educational leadership in a school impacts about 25% of student achievement,” says Paul Kulpinski, Partnership Director of LAUNCH Flagstaff.

“When we look at where the big-levers are to move the needle on our goals, quality educational leadership quickly rises to the top,” he adds.

The leadership academy is administered through the Center for the Future of Arizona in partnership with the National Institute for School Leadership.

Preschools Collaborate Toward Expansion

Over thirty Flagstaff area preschool directors, early childhood educators, K-12 school officials, and interested community members met last week to explore opportunities for collaboration toward expanding preschool access.

The group met as part of the community conversation started by the publication of LAUNCH Flagstaff’s report and recommendation for expanding access to high-quality preschool in Flagstaff.

LAUNCH Flagstaff convened the group to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and engage preschool directors for their expertise in moving the planning forward toward serving the children who are currently not participating in any preschool program because of their families economic circumstances.

The LAUNCH Flagstaff report estimates that there are over 230 4-year old children in Flagstaff who are not enrolled in preschool because their families earn income above the threshold for admission into the Federally subsidized Head Start program and can not afford private, tuition-based preschools.  Meeting the needs of these children and families is the goal of the collaborative effort.

Literacy Coordination Begins

Twelve representatives of Flagstaff area literacy programs meet in March to begin a conversation focused on improving coordination between themselves and the community in alignment with the literacy strategies of K-3 educators.

Literacy professionals from the Flagstaff Public Library, other literacy programs, and parenting programs met with representatives of the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) to foster the relationships that will be the foundation for future collaborative action.

Together, the group brainstormed a list of community needs around literacy.  A theme that quickly rose to the top was the need for increased community awareness of the importance of high quality communication in the birth through three ages.  The group also confirmed the need for better communication and coordination between agencies.

Existing resources were acknowledged and identified as strengths for moving the conversation forward.  Enhancing existing social connections for families through neighborhood networks and faith groups were recognized as a strong resource to build upon.

Discussing Preschool on KAFF Radio

Peter Bruce of KAFF Radio hosted LAUNCH Flagstaff Partnership Director Paul Kulpinski and Leadership Council Member Robert Kelty on the air to speak to the Flagstaff community about the Expanding High Quality Preschool in Flagstaff report.

Click the button to listen to the entire interview.