Whoops! Mississippi Early Learning Alliance is Still Wrong! Gaslighting?

Whoops! Mississippi Early Learning Alliance is Still Wrong!

Although child care providers selected to represent the private child care industry on the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) have had no official confirmation of their appointments to SECAC, the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance team very recently sent out two incorrect notices of this new membership.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance non-profit team jumped out ahead of any formal announcement from the Governor’s Office and introduced child care small business representatives by Mississippi Supreme Court District – which, of course, was wrong.

Gaslighting?

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance non-profit team distributed another announcement saying, “Whoops. We made a mistake,” and provided a listing of child care small business representatives from each Mississippi Congressional District. Although they did not list the facility address for each as I have done, I can only conclude that they did look into each child care facility address. How else could they make the following revision to the MELA/MELR announcement without researching?

Tamara Smith
Director
Little Samaritan Montessori Center (162 Millsaps Ave, Jackson, MS 39202)
3rd Congressional District

Lori Rolison
Director
Little People’s Christian Academy (17065 W Wortham Rd, Saucier, MS 39574)
4th Congressional District

Jennifer Calvert
Director
Calvert’s Learning Center (530 MS-145, Aberdeen, MS 39730)
Lead Partner for Amory Early Learning
Collaborative
1st Congressional District

Dean Bobo
Director
Magnolia Kindergarten (995 Eureka Rd, Batesville, MS 38606)
2nd Congressional District

Regardless, that information is just not true.

Please note from the link above that Little Samaritan Montessori Center is not in the 3rd Congressional District – it is in the 2nd and Magnolia Kindergarten is in the 2nd.

I am excited that Little Samaritan Montessori will have a seat at the table. I am certified in the Montessori method of instruction by the St. Nicholas Training Centre, London, and think it is the absolute best of the best!

It is perfectly fine to allow the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) to expand the number of child care small businesses to serve. (We are confident that both representatives selected from the 2nd Congressional District will serve our industry and little children well, for they always have.)

Therefore, we will be working with legislators to submit our recommendation for the 3rd Congressional District to the Governor while leaving our beloved Dean and Tamara in place.

We hope there will be no interference from demagogues and early learning professionals in that process. The Child Care Development Fund often advises policy makers to seek input from area child care organizations in such matters and that is all we are asking.

As for the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, perhaps it should just sit this one out.

MELA Team member April May, formally of Building Blocks, formally of the Mississippi Community College Board, formally of SECAC, (we recognize the same leadership, over and over again, but in different locations, offices, agencies and capacities) played a very active and significant role on SECAC in identifying child care representatives who also participated in Building Blocks to represent the whole of the child care industry on SECAC focus groups and in the development of the ADOPTED Child Care Development Fund State Plan.

We need no lecture on the role of SECAC. We know all too well how it has worked out for us. We have lived it!

To learn more, please click on the links below as you have time to do and read all:

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-21-53. (e) A representative of local providers of early childhood education and care services from each congressional district;

Failed: AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-53 to abolish SECAC and remove all child care small business representatives by establishing an Interagency Advisory Council.

Failed: MS-HB208: “Mississippi Universal Prekindergarten Program Act of 2018”. To Prescribe The Manner By Which Payments Will Be Made To Prekindergarten Programs Whether Such Programs Be Offered Through The Public School District Of Residence, An Outside District Or Through A Prequalified Private Provider; 

Embattled: Meaningful HHS/State Court oversight is overdue. The rating processes, type-specific evaluation scales and points needed to achieve and maintain the required Standard Center designation, however, have still not been identified, disclosed,

Failed: Remove 3134 Children from Licensed Child Care? A PreK grant prepared by Rachel Canter of Mississippi First.

Failed: State Board of Education member Danny Spreitler of Amory has spearheaded one of the groups that got state money. He questioned the move, saying he feared it would squeeze out private child care centers in favor of offering 4-year-old preschool only in public schools and Head Start facilities.

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