Quick Take: A quality early childhood education is not just learning A-B-C’s

The debate about ways to enhance our system of education often lacks voices to represent our youngest learners. Our concern about increasing test scores for school-age children and similar standards of evaluation fails to shed light on the conversation we really should be having, and that is the attention to the earliest years. Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America director Willa Kammerer effectively highlights this too often neglected topic in a powerful way.

We see this movement begin to take shape at the top levels as Governors from states like Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi and most notably Alabama, collectively recognize that our future depends on our ability to meet the needs of young children by providing consistent high-quality education experiences before they start kindergarten. Most importantly, however, is understanding what that education looks like.

We quickly learn that, of all the states in our nation, Alabama is a shining star, leading the nation as an example of how to prioritize and embrace quality early learning. The collaboration they have established between the public, private, and business sectors to achieve this common goal is beyond impressive. The results of their efforts over the years continue to reflect undisputable positive results, and we should all be taking notes.

As an early childhood educator for over 25 years, I found this documentary to be more than inspiring. It really captures the essence of what a quality early education looks like, which is not just learning A-B-C’s. Starting at Zero reminds us all that, if we want to foster creative, collaborative, socially responsible individuals, we need to find a way to give all children a safe environment with high-quality teachers, so they can play, learn, create, laugh and eventually make a positive impact in the world.

– Sandra Rojas, Director of Sand Tots Parent Participation Nursery School

Distributed by Abramorama, Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America is available to stream on VOD.

OFFICIAL TRAILER | Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America from Starting at Zero on Vimeo.