June 25, 2013

GOV. MALLOY NAMES DR. MYRA JONES-TAYLOR AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STATE'S NEW OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is appointing Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor of New Haven to serve as Executive Director of the state's new Office of Early Childhood (OEC), which Governor Malloy proposed earlier this year and signed an executive order on Monday to establish. Dr. Jones-Taylor currently serves as Director of the state Office of Early Childhood Planning, a position she was appointed to by Governor Malloy in 2012 for the purpose of creating a statewide plan for a coordinated birth-to-eight early care and education system.

"Dr. Jones-Taylor has an impressive background, specifically her research on the impact that poverty can have on young children's overall success in our education system," Governor Malloy said. "We must make quality early childhood programs available to more of our young people so they can get the preparation they need, and eventually graduate high school and attend college. With her extensive knowledge and experience, she is a perfect fit as the first Executive Director of this new office."

"It is a distinct honor to be given the opportunity to serve under Governor Malloy's direction. His passion and vision for early childhood will be the force that will drive Connecticut to the forefront of quality early childhood programs and services for children," Dr. Jones-Taylor said. "I feel an incredible sense of responsibility and urgency to ensure that this new agency streamlines inefficiencies, increases access, and improves the quality of comprehensive early childhood services available to children and their families across the state."

Dr. Jones-Taylor previously served as an assistant professor-faculty fellow at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University. She is a cultural anthropologist with expertise in early care and education policy. Her research focused on the effects of early care and education reform on child care providers in low-income urban communities and the children and families who are intended to benefit from those reforms. She also currently serves as a member of the New Haven Board of Education.

She received her doctorate in American studies and anthropology from Yale University, where she also received two master's degrees: one in African American studies and the other in American studies. She is an Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy Fellow and a recipient of the Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship. She is also a former New Haven Early Childhood Council member and former Honorary Faculty Research Fellow at the Humanities Initiative at New York University.

Under executive order, the OEC will become the lead agency for the coordination and delivery of early childhood services. The OEC builds on the work done in 2012 when Connecticut invested $9.8 million in early childhood initiatives, created 1,000 new spots for early learners, invested $3 million for a tiered quality rating and improvement system, and sought collaborative partnerships for Office of Early Childhood Planning.

###

For Immediate Release: June 25, 2013

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy