Campaigns

Raise Your Hand Virginia

More to come soon.  Stay Tuned!

Results of Our Work = BIG Wins for Kids

The Early Learning NOW Campaign delivers BIG WINS for Virginia’s children.  E3 led advocacy for early education in 2020 & 2021.  We fought for policy change & increased state investment for ALL children to have access to high quality early learning programs through third grade.  As we move forward, we’re calling on you to join us.  Help our children, families, teachers, programs and schools get back on track.

Big Wins for Our Kids

  • Defined the readiness gap by creating the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and UVA to give teachers a tool to understand the learning gaps and drive policy and investment.
  • Advocated & secured $85m in historical investments to improve equitable access to quality for children and families.
  • Worked with Democrats and Republicans to make early education a nonpartisan issue.
  • Advocated & secured $10m in federal GEER funds to help early learning programs during the pandemic.
  • Piloted the preschool version of VKRP in The New E3 School.
  • Advocated & secured the expansion of VKRP into preschool programs.
  • Polled Virginia voters on the issue.
  • Met with gubernatorial candidates and policymakers to emphasize that education starting with early learning must be a top priority.
  • Advocated & secured historic investment to increase access, improve quality, support teachers and programs.
  • Dedicated funding for over 20,000 at-risk children to have access to quality programs.
  • Advocated successfully for the expansion of the STREAMin3 model developed by UVA for The New E3 School.  The model is now on the VDOE List of Approved Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers and will impact more children and programs.
  • Improved access to quality for all children.
  • Advanced early education.

Join the movement.  Deliver BIG WINS for kids.  vaearlyed.org

Early Education Matters

E3 launched the Early Education Matters advocacy campaign and nonpartisan coalition to advance our legislative priorities. The campaign and growing coalition worked to advance early education for all children in the areas of access, equity, quality and impact.

The General Assembly passed the state budget for the 2020-2022 biennium with a historic investment of $85 million in early education for Virginia children. Specifically, this budget includes funding for:

  • Transitioning early education from the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).
  • Increasing access to quality for all children in publicly funded programs.
  • Improving quality in the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) for at-risk children.
  • Expanding VPI to three-year-olds through a mixed-delivery program.
  • Increasing the VPI per pupil amount.
  • Aligning the health, safety (currently 727 regulations) and quality standards for licensed programs under VDOE.
  • Providing support to attract and retain early childhood educators.

Special note: This legislation moves policy in the right direction to improve access, quality and equity for Virginia’s children and families. Sadly, the budget amendments proposed by the governor unallot the $85m to support the historic early education investments and all new funding given the economic uncertainty and the need for a revenue reforecast.

Invest in our Children!

DONATE