The East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s Ready Start Network has received a three-year, $50,000 grant to target and improve early childhood education compensation.
“We are so proud of the early childhood team for their work to get awarded this grant with six other early childhood networks,” said Dr. Leigh J. Griffin, executive director of the EBR Schools Early Childhood and Literacy.
The Ready Start Network was one of seven groups in Louisiana to share $1.3 million, according to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. The funding is part of a $3 million grant given to the LPIC from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative.
Griffin said EBR Schools will use its share of the grant funding to work with about 70-100 childcare teachers in focus group settings to find ways to address the pay disparity for early childhood educators.
“This work will make so many strides for the teachers of our youngest citizens across the parish and state, and we are super excited for EBR Early Childhood to play a part in that effort,” Griffin said. “Teachers matter and are the foundation of the educational system. Their compensation should match their input. This grant will allow us to dig deeper and find solutions.”
Dr. Candace Weber, partnerships director for LPIC, said investing in early care and education is investing in our future.
“By providing these grants, we are taking a crucial step towards creating a sustainable and equitable compensation system for our early childhood educators. Their work is foundational to the success of our children, and it is time they are compensated fairly for their invaluable contributions,” Weber said.
