The Connecticut Council for Education Reform applauds Governor Malloy in taking bold action by forming the Office of Early Childhood. Clearly, he recognizes that the failings with early learning in our state are systemic in nature and he is not about to shirk his responsibility to do something about it.

The Office of Early Childhood will integrate divisions that previously addressed areas of school readiness, social services, developmental services, early childcare and early learning, separately. This bold action pulls the disparate elements of early childcare and early learning together under one roof to create a truly coordinated Office of Early Learning.

This new entity breaks down the silos that have traditionally created barriers to having a fully integrated approach to high quality early learning and care for CT’s most disadvantaged children.

“This is a fantastic example of leaders of public service, policy, philanthropy, child care, education, communities, and CT families, working together toward a common goal of doing what is right for the state’s young children,” said Rae Ann Knopf, Executive Director for the Connecticut Council for Education Reform. “In CT, it is no longer enough to collaborate on these issues. At some point, everyone needs to get on the same bus and drive it together. When more than 100,000 CT children come through our school doors behind and stay there, unable to read at grade level, you know we’ve reached that point.”