Onward Neighborhood House joins a new employer-led early childhood education workforce partnership addressing teacher shortage, increasing educator diversity and compensation, and creating better career pathways.
The newly formed employer-led workforce collaborative, Chicago Early Childhood Workforce Partnership, has announced its support of the Illinois General Assembly’s recently passed education component of the Illinois Black Caucus’s omnibus bill.
“As early childhood employers in Chicago, we stand behind the Illinois Black Caucus who championed legislation that seeks to solve the inequities in our early childhood education system,” said a spokesperson for the workforce partnership. “The legislation aligns with our 2021 Action Agenda of increasing compensation for early childhood educators, creating better pathways for existing high-quality teachers to meet degree requirements, and generating a new pipeline of early childhood educators. We look forward to collaborating with the State and local partners to bring this legislation to life for our Chicago communities.”
The Chicago Early Childhood Workforce Partnership is a group of 18 early childhood employers who seek to build the best early childhood workforce in the US–marked by high-quality, diversity and equity. Based on the group’s research effort produced by Bellwether Education Partners, it is clear more than ever that high-quality early childhood services benefit children, families, and the broader economy. The research also highlighted a need in Chicago for 3,000 new educators as well as “upskilling” of 1,000 existing educators whose current roles now have higher degree/credential requirements by 2024.
Members of the Chicago Early Childhood Workforce Partnership include:
Co-Chairs
Anita Andrews-Hutchinson, Chief Operating Officer at It Takes A Village Family of Schools
Bela Moté, Chief Executive Officer at Carole Robertson Center for Learning
Bryan Stokes II, Chief, Early Childhood Education at Chicago Public Schools
Leslie McKinily, Deputy Chief, Early Childhood Education at Chicago Public Schools
Christina Krasov, Chicago Early Childhood Workforce Partnership Convener
ADA S MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES INC
ASIAN HUMAN SERVICES
CHICAGO COMMONS ASSOCIATION
CHILDREN’S HOME & AID SOCIETY OF ILLINOIS
CHRISTOPHER HOUSE
CONCORDIA PLACE
EL HOGAR DEL NINO
EL VALOR CORPORATION
ERIE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
EYES ON THE FUTURE CHILD CARE
GADS HILL CENTER
HANA EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
MARILLAC ST. VINCENT FAMILY SERVICES INC
METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES
ONWARD NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
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About Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance:
Since its founding in 2012, the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance (CWFA) has engaged over 30 funders to advance its shared mission of collaborating with employers and other workforce stakeholders to increase employment, earnings and racial equity for underprepared workers in the Chicago region. The Funder Alliance is known as the region’s major convener of the philanthropic community interested in workforce development and employment. Through a combination of grant making and civic leadership the Funder Alliance has used this role to carve out a unique position at the complex intersection of workforce development, social justice, education and economic development. Learn more about CWFA and its initiatives at www.chicagoworkforcefunders.org and follow us on: Twitter or LinkedIn