On Thursday, September 7, 2023, the U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, visited RPS 205's Beyer Early Childhood Center as part of his "Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar". He joined the National Education Association President Becky Pringle, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, as well as state, and Rockford school leaders to speak with students and educators.
Secretary Cardona announced the launch of the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community. It's a multi-state effort to make kindergarten a transformational experience at the start of each student’s formal education journey. It builds on the U.S. Department of Education’s continued commitment to advancing early learning and school readiness for the nation’s youngest learners.
“Getting kindergarten right has to be top of mind for all of us, because what happens there sets the stage for how a child learns and develops well into their elementary years and beyond,” said Secretary Cardona. “Ensuring that kindergarten is a sturdy bridge between the early years and early grades is central to our efforts both to Raise the Bar for academic excellence and to provide all students with a more equitable foundation for educational success. The kindergarten year presents an opportunity to meet the strengths and needs of young learners so they can continue to flourish in the years to come.”
State and local education agencies will be invited to participate in a community of practice where they can benefit from peer learning, receive technical assistance, and share best practices to transform how students experience kindergarten including the transitions into kindergarten and first grade.
"It was an honor for Rockford Public Schools and Beyer Early Childhood Center to host the delegation from the Secretary of Education as well as NEA and IEA leadership", Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Ehren Jarrett said. " We were honored to show the great work that our faculty and staff are doing to support students here and early childhood initiatives. We were thrilled that we got great support from our local political delegation. It was a great mix of federal, state, and local leadership coming together to support public education."