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010: Approaching Early Childhood Education Holistically with Rachel Schumacher
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On today’s episode, we are joined by Rachel Schumacher, a nationally recognized strategic thinker and specialist in early childhood policy with over 25 years of experience at the national, state, and local levels. From government to philanthropy to grassroots, Rachel has focused on increasing equity in child care for children, families, and early educators who are typically not invited to the tables where policy decisions are made.
Looking back, Rachel can remember how invested her preschool educators were in her well-being and growth as a student and a child. These warm and fuzzy feelings have followed her through her adult life and informed her passion for creating early childhood education policy that involves students, educators, and parents–those with the most investment in the system but often the least amount of input. Rachel advocates for approaching education holistically and viewing parents and teachers as part of a whole rather than opposing barriers in a child’s life.
In my discussion with Rachel, we explore the importance of listening to the advocacy community and those in the field to find solutions to community problems and how this approach has changed the way she views policy. She also reflects on how we can better serve children and parents by prioritizing parent-teacher collaboration in schools and embracing a more whole-child approach to education.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How Rachel’s experiences as a parent and her own memories of childcare have shaped her approach to education policy
- Why taking a whole-child approach to education can better serve the development of our children in the childcare system
- Why it is so important to go to those who you are addressing with policy directly before looking elsewhere for solutions
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