Interrupting the Cycle of Poverty with Early Childhood Education

How can we professionalize and elevate early childhood educators? "The evidence is clear that to improve childhood outcomes for children, especially those in poverty, that we need highly trained staff". Tulsa is making early childhood education a priority in the city and in many cases is supported financially by the municipal government and by non-profit organizations. The cost of providing high-quality childcare is significant. The way to ensure that all children in Tulsa can access high-quality education is through a unique funding partnership with private and public funding (with federal Head Start programs and non-profit foundation grants http://www.gkff.org). What makes early childhood education in Tulsa so special and unique?  Annie Koppel Van Hanken oversees GKFF’s early childhood education and common education initiatives. Before joining the Foundation in 2002, Ms. Van Hanken worked in inner-city Los Angeles at a community-based youth development center. She serves as board president for Tulsa Educare and Tulsa Legacy Charter School. Ms. Van Hanken also serves on the board of Sunbeam Family Services of Oklahoma City and is a gubernatorial appointee on Oklahoma’s Early Childhood Advisory Council. She has a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis on learning disabilities, from the University of Texas at Austin and a dual bachelor’s degree in English and history, with a minor in classics, from Tulane University. How are professional development and pay equity considered within a larger conversation about early education in Oklahoma? Listen to find out.