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On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Dr. Thomas J. Lasley (Director of Policy and Advocacy for Learn to Earn and Montgomery County Educational Service Center) was invited by colleagues from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the National Council on Teacher Quality for a public discussion, with elected officials and education professionals, regarding Ohio's teacher education programs and how/if they follow the Science of Reading to prepare new teachers for best practices in the classroom. They shared results from a new report analyzing the reading programs of 26 colleges and universities across Ohio (slides available for viewing in the linked PDF). If you were unable to attend in person, the Fordham Institute has released a video you can see here. ************* Original Event Details: The science of reading movement is sweeping across the nation, and state and local policymakers are taking steps to ensure that students are learning to read via proven methods. Here in Ohio, Governor DeWine is leading bold efforts to ensure that schools use methods that focus on the components of the reading science: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. But what about Ohio’s teacher preparation programs? Are they adequately training prospective teachers in the reading science? Or are some of them promoting methods contrary to it? Join the Thomas B. Fordham Institute on May 16th for an important discussion about teacher preparation in Ohio. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will present brand-new findings from their latest review of Ohio’s teacher preparation programs in elementary-school reading. A panel will follow, with moderated discussion and an audience Q&A. Moderator Thomas Lasley, Director of Policy and Advocacy Montgomery County ESC and Learn to Earn Dayton Presenter Heather Peske, President National Council on Teacher Quality Respondents Senator Andrew Brenner, Chair of the Senate Education Committee Representative Tom Young, Chair of the House Higher Education Committee Elizabeth Lolli, Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools

The Summer and Afterschool Collaborative's SEL Committee is proud to co-present the GOOD VIBES block party, in partnership with Montgomery County ADAMHS and Omega CDC's Hope Center for Families. The event on Saturday, May 20 is an opportunity for families to join in fellowship around good food, fun music, active engagement, and informative learning experiences. It's a full afternoon designed to feel the body and soul -- creating Good Vibes! There will be something for everyone during the afternoon event: In the Kids Zone, activities include a petting zoo, bounce house, giveaways, and more. Adults will enjoy fitness demonstrations, health screenings, a mini-job fair, cooking demonstrations, and wellness workshops. Family engagement activities will be offered, plus free food throughout the day (lunch from 12-2 p.m.) and a live DJ keeping the energy up. Join the party at the Hope Center (1816 Harvard Ave, Dayton) on May 20, from 12-4 p.m. to feel the GOOD VIBES in celebration of the social and emotional health of all our students and their families.

Bryan Stewart, Workforce Director for Learn to Earn Dayton and Montgomery County Educational Service Center, is seeking four (4) current college students to serve as fellows for the Inside Dayton program. The ideal candidates are pre-service teacher education students who are community-minded and excited for the opportunity to explore the future of work within our region. Fellows will work ~32 hours/week with the responsibility of managing a team of 20+ high school interns. Fellows will interview intern candidates and help to manage the process from selection and during the program. The application deadline is May 22 with a start date of May 30. Fellows will participate in a three-week training session to equip them with all the tools and resources needed to be successful in the position. The high school intern program will run June 21-July 22, at which time fellow and interns will meet virtually every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Questions? Ready to apply? Reach out to Bryan Stewart at Bryan.Stewart@mcesc.org

Nina Carter joined L2ED in July 2021, and most recently served as the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives. Many residents and community partners know her for her impactful work as lead administrator supporting the Northwest Dayton Partnership - the catalytic investment from Blue Meridian Partners to address racial equity and economic mobility in Dayton. Now, we cheer her on as she steps into the role of Managing Partner, Place Based Portfolio with the Harlem Children's Zone William Julius Wilson Institute. Learn more about the incredible work the Institute is doing to to create place-based, people-focused solutions that open pathways to social and economic mobility. Nina's final day with L2ED was May 5, 2023, but we are all committed that what she helped to develop and build will continue. Even in the short time we worked with Nina, her impact was undeniable; we are better not only because of the work accomplished with her strategic support and passion, but also for the friendship, thoughtfulness, and fun she brought to every interaction. This isn't farewell, but rather thank you, good luck, and see you soon!

After an engaging and enriching visit with author Maya Payne Smart, L2ED's Early Grade Literacy Collaborative is offering a 4-week book study of READING FOR OUR LIVES: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six for educators and parents of young readers. (Continuing education credits are currently pending and we will update once they are approved.) REGISTER TODAY Join us for the progressive book study, offered virtually for the first three weeks and in-person (MCESC, 200 S. Keowee St., Dayton) with a free luncheon for the final session. Books will be provided free of charge to all participants; book pick-up will be coordinated late May. Session 1: June 6, via Zoom, 9-10:30 a.m. Session 2: June 13, via Zoom, 9-10:30 a.m. Session 3: June 20, via Zoom, 9-10:30 a.m. Session 4: June 29, at Montgomery County ESC, 12-1:30 p.m. (lunch provided) Questions? Contact Erika Pimentel Erika.Pimentel@LearntoEarnDayton.org.

Learn to Earn Dayton's Early Grade Literacy Collaborative was pleased to welcome author Maya Payne Smart to Dayton to discuss her book, Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six. She shared personal stories about her own experiences in understanding how children develop reading skills and provided easily accessible tips and strategies for parents to be advocates and helpers for their own child's literacy growth. Thank you to the Iddings Foundation for their support of the Early Grade Literacy Collaborative to coordinate these critical conversations, to the Dayton Metro Library for hosting us, to Dayton Art Institute for helping welcome Maya to the Gem City, and to The Dayton Foundation's Del Mar Encore Fellow Program for matching us with two experienced educators to help support our early grade literacy initiatives. We were honored to welcome so many parents, partners, and engaged community members to the event, with special thanks to Preschool Promise for their collaboration and the Mayor for his passion for education and attendance at the event. In June, L2ED will kick off a book study of Reading for Our Lives for parents and educators. Stay tuned for more!

Read the news story announcing the designation in the Dayton Daily News. Jennifer Blatz, CEO of StriveTogether, shared the importance of "civic infrastructure" in creating positive, equitable outcomes for students and families. Stacy Wall Schweikhart, CEO of Learn to Earn Dayton, and Dr. Tom Lasley, Founding Director and Director of Policy for Learn to Earn Dayton, reflected on the past and set a course for future success. Dr. Reva Cosby, Superintendent of Trotwood-Madison City Schools, highlighted the challenges of COVID and how a partnership with Learn to Earn Dayton helped to get students back on track. Dr. Chad Sloss reflected on his experience as a Steering Committee member with L2ED's Northwest Dayton Partnership and challenged all community leaders to engage with the residents more deeply. Geoffrey Canada, President and Founder of the Harlem Children's Zone, discussed the Power of Place approach to successful student outcomes and keeping hope alive in Northwest Dayton. Vanessa Ward, CEO of Omega CDC, discussed the role L2ED played in capacity building, in support of Omega CDC's recent success and bright future. Rep. Andrea White, representing Ohio's 36th District, celebrated the success of regional partnerships, like Learn to Earn Dayton, and set a goal to ensure that other communities have the opportunities to replicate the success. Rep. Tom Young, representing Ohio's 37th District, focused on the science of reading and detailed the critical need for best practices in literacy to be consistently available to all students.

Submitted by: Geoffrey Canada, Founder and President of the Harlem Children’s Zone Published in the Dayton Daily News: April 30, 2023 *********** DDN Editor’s Note: National organization StriveTogether announced this week that Learn to Earn Dayton received its highest designation - Systems Transformation. The honor signifies that Learn to Earn Dayton is on the leading edge of building the civic infrastructure necessary for all students to succeed, a designation bestowed on only three communities in the nation. Throughout this week, Learn to Earn Dayton’s local, state and national partners will highlight the successes of their collective action approach, and the power of aligning with a shared vision across the cradle-to-career continuum to ensure that all learners have equal opportunity to achieve. -- In Dayton, and in cities across the country, the zip code where you are born is the greatest determinant of life expectancy, educational attainment, and career advancement. Faced with this reality, young people, and families in urban neighborhoods like Dayton struggle to hang on to hope for a brighter future. As hope fades, we find that there is a deterioration in the physical health and emotional wellbeing of children and families. Learn to Earn Dayton is proving that there is a way to keep hope alive. The NorthWest Dayton Partnership, a community-centered, power-building and systems change initiative is taking a different approach by insisting that those most disenfranchised are part of the conversations and power is centered in decision-making by those directly impacted. Read the full letter at DaytonDailyNews.com

Submitted by: Rep. Andrea White Published April 30, 2023 in Dayton Daily News ********************* DDN Editor’s Note: National organization StriveTogether announced this week that Learn to Earn Dayton received its highest designation - Systems Transformation. The honor signifies that Learn to Earn Dayton is on the leading edge of building the civic infrastructure necessary for all students to succeed, a designation bestowed on only three communities in the nation. Throughout this week, Learn to Earn Dayton’s local, state and national partners will highlight the successes of their collective action approach, and the power of aligning with a shared vision across the cradle-to-career continuum to ensure that all learners have equal opportunity to achieve. ************************ “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” While baseball legend Yogi Berra and others have expressed that sentiment over the years, it’s not what we’re about here in Montgomery County. Our region does know where we are going when it comes to helping our students and adults achieve the skills they need to thrive to their fullest God-given potentials and succeed in an ever-changing workforce environment. In fact, as a community, we have set a collective goal of helping 65% of our adults skill up to achieve a post-secondary marketable industry credential, a certificate or a degree. How are we working to achieve this goal which will drive Ohio’s economic future vitality and our citizens’ health and stability? It’s a process powered by a regional partnership with leaders bringing stakeholders together across a wide range of sectors to begin with an end in mind and work backwards to create a plan of action. In Montgomery County, our regional partnership is called Learn to Earn Dayton – and it’s one of the very best not only in our state but in the nation as evidenced by its recent “Systems Transformation” designation. Read the full letter at DaytonDailyNews.com.

Submitted by: Rep. Tom Young Published April 30, 2023 in Dayton Daily News ********************* DDN Editor’s Note: National organization StriveTogether announced this week that Learn to Earn Dayton received its highest designation - Systems Transformation. The honor signifies that Learn to Earn Dayton is on the leading edge of building the civic infrastructure necessary for all students to succeed, a designation bestowed on only three communities in the nation. Throughout this week, Learn to Earn Dayton’s local, state and national partners will highlight the successes of their collective action approach, and the power of aligning with a shared vision across the cradle-to-career continuum to ensure that all learners have equal opportunity to achieve. -- For educators, there is no tool more indispensable than the book. For students, there is no tool more foundational to their education than their literacy. Literacy is instrumental to learning. Improving the literacy of Ohioans is an economic imperative. Our economic sustainability and vitality depends on it. Policy makers must research best educational practices and determine how those practices can shape good public policy. We want to make Ohio the leader in job growth where families can thrive, and student literacy is critical to that growth. Learn to Earn Dayton is a decorated member of StriveTogether, a nationwide network of organizations that promote educational attainment and foster better education practices. In partnership with organizations like Learn to Earn Dayton, we know what practices work best to maximize and deepen student learning. Those practices are evident in many Ohio schools, but they still are still not the norm. The Science of Reading is one of those best practices; it is an established methodology with demonstrable results – it is critical to helping Ohio create a generation of students that is ready for long-term educational success. Read the full letter at DaytonDailyNews.com

Submitted by: Vanessa Ward, CEO Omega CDC Published April 30, 2023 in Dayton Daily News ********************* DDN Editor’s Note: National organization StriveTogether announced this week that Learn to Earn Dayton received its highest designation - Systems Transformation. The honor signifies that Learn to Earn Dayton is on the leading edge of building the civic infrastructure necessary for all students to succeed, a designation bestowed on only three communities in the nation. Throughout this week, Learn to Earn Dayton’s local, state and national partners will highlight the successes of their collective action approach, and the power of aligning with a shared vision across the cradle-to-career continuum to ensure that all learners have equal opportunity to achieve. -- Since 1997, the Omega Community Development Corporation has been serving children and families in Dayton. Founded by the Omega Baptist Church, our mission has focused on breaking the cycle of poverty by implementing a two-generational approach that addresses educational, health, and economic barriers that children and families have faced for decades. We resolved to partner with Dayton Public Schools, churches, non-profits, and organizations like Learn to Earn Dayton to align efforts to realize better academic and whole-family outcomes, particularly for residents of northwest Dayton. While the Omega CDC had been doing its best to serve children by offering tutoring, after-school, and summer learning, we realized early in our work that we lacked the resources to support children in meeting the aggressive academic and social outcomes expected. Gaps in the academic achievement of children in grades k-12 remained staggering despite our efforts to contribute to every student’s success. As a non-profit, community development organization with deep community roots, we sought to partner with Learn to Earn Dayton because it delivered strategies for closing academic gaps that would help organizations like ours to move the needle for Dayton students. Read the full letter at DaytonDailyNews.com

Submitted by Dr. Chad Sloss Published in Dayton Daily News, April 28, 2023 *************** DDN Editor’s Note: Throughout this week, Learn to Earn Dayton’s local, state and national partners will highlight the successes of their collective action approach, and the power of aligning with a shared vision across the cradle-to-career continuum to ensure that all learners have equal opportunity to achieve. Community voice is an essential aspect of building and sustaining healthy, vibrant communities. It is a means by which residents can express their needs, concerns, and ideas, and have them heard and acted upon by those in positions of authority. The importance of community voice lies in its ability to promote transparency, inclusivity, and accountability, ultimately leading to greater outcomes by means of community engagement and participation. At its core, community voice promotes communal autonomy to express their opinions, share their personal experiences, and offer feedback or expertise on issues that impact them and their neighborhood directly or indirectly. Read the full letter at DaytonDailyNews.com