K-12 District Leaders Convene in California to Highlight Best Practices in Early Learning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
 
Contact:  
James Minichello  
703-774-6953  
jminichello@aasa.org 

AASA’s Early Learning Cohort to Meet at Long Beach Unified School District

Alexandria, Va. – Nov. 8, 2023 – Superintendents and other school district administrators championing high-quality early learning programs in their respective communities are gathering in Long Beach, Calif., Nov. 8-10, for a meeting hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD).

In partnership with Age of Learning,  Waterford.org, the National Head Start Association, AASA’s Early Learning Cohort brings together educational leaders from across the country to review emerging research, discover best practices and plan to facilitate change.

The cohort, comprised of school district leaders from across the country, will gather to explore the latest data, research and trends around the mental health needs of students and school communities across the country. Attendees will also discuss wellness strategies and participate in action-oriented group activities to ensure they walk away with next steps to bring back to their home districts. 

“If superintendents and their teams are going to be successful in creating future-driven approaches to successfully educate the students they serve, these tactics must include effective ways to address the needs of our youngest learners.”

“The Long Beach Unified School District is honored to host AASA’s Early Learning Fall Cohort meeting, which will provide us with the opportunity to share what we’re doing to promote the readiness of young children in our learning community,” said Jill Baker, superintendent, LBUSD. “The mental and social and emotional development of these children has never been more important. The rich discussions that will occur throughout the meeting will also generate learning opportunities for us as we strive to champion early learning in our school system.”

“The Long Beach Unified School District is honored to host AASA’s Early Learning Fall Cohort meeting, which will provide us with the opportunity to share what we’re doing to promote the readiness of young children in our learning community.”

Key discussions throughout the meeting will focus on the following questions:

• How can we learn and apply the goals, strategies, objectives and activities that complete a comprehensive strategic plan when addressing the early learning, early childhood and developmentally appropriate practice needs of children and families?
• What are strategies for effective transitions for children and families, and how might we leverage those discussed and learned strategies to apply them to our own communities?
• How can we apply what we have learned from Long Beach Unified School District's observations and discussions in schools and communities to our own educational settings?

To learn more, visit the AASA Early Learning Cohort webpage. Superintendents and other school system leaders can also contact Mort Sherman, AASA senior associate executive director, at msherman@aasa.org, or Debbie Magee, AASA director of the Leadership Network, at dmagee@aasa.org.

Click to view the photo gallery and video from the AASA 2023 Early Learning spring meeting in Boise, Idaho.

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About AASA 
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.