SLECEDADM - Early Education Summit for School Leaders

Join School Literacy and Culture at Rice University as we present an inaugural summit designed specifically for administrators, instructional coaches, and other school leaders working in early childhood settings

For almost thirty years, School Literacy and Culture has encouraged teachers of young children to examine best practices in early childhood education. We invite you to join us on Friday, January 31st as we convene our first summit at Rice University designed specifically for school leaders. Gather background knowledge in early education pedagogy and child development while examining how to best support teachers of toddlers to kindergarteners as they promote children’s development in early literacy, executive functioning and socio-emotional domains.

A Special Reason to Convene a Special Summit
The field of early education lost an inspirational voice with the passing of Vivian Gussin Paley in 2019. This award-winning author and educator not only shared iconic studies of classroom life and children’s thinking in the early childhood years but also challenged a generation of educators around the globe to ask themselves difficult questions about what it means to be a teacher of young children. Our team at Rice School Literacy and Culture looks to continue that tradition by gathering speakers and presenters who challenge each of us to think deeply about the true needs of the children we serve.

Dr. Patricia Cooper of Queens College New York, author of When Stories Come to School and The Classrooms All Young Children Need: Lessons in Teaching from Vivian Paley, will serve as our keynote speaker. Cooper recently addressed early educators across the country during a featured session on Paley’s work requested by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

This summit has been created with two goals in mind: to share important early education content and encourage meaningful dialog among school leaders working across educational settings. In addition to content-based presentations, participants will enjoy

• A panel discussion featuring leaders from area schools and school districts
•  A networking lunch
•  A “desserts and drinks” tour through teacher action research poster sessions created by early childhood teacher leaders in SLC’s Early Literacy Leadership Academy (ELLA).

The registration price includes parking, lunch, and afternoon bites.

“Vivian gave us a blueprint for teaching children how to think.” Dr. Gillian McNamee, Erikson Institute