Helen Blank
Director of Leadership and Public Policy
National Women's Law Center
Tel: 202-588-5180
Fax: 202-588-5185
hblank@nwlc.org
www.nwlc.org

Helen Blank is director of leadership and public policy at the National Women's Law Center. She led the coalition that helped enact the first, federal, comprehensive childcare legislation and developed a guide for its implementation. She currently works to improve federal and state early care and education policies. She has authored numerous major studies, articles, and papers on state pre-k and childcare policies.

Dr. Carolyn T. Cobb
Executive Director
More at Four Pre-K Program
Tel: 919-715-0040
Fax: 919-715-0554
carolyn.cobb@ncmail.net

Dr. Cobb was hired as the director of the North Carolina Governor's More at Four Pre-K Program in November 2001 to initiate the pilot program and has shaped the program from a pilot to a statewide program in less than four years. In 2004-2005, More at Four will serve over 12,000 children. Carolyn has over 30 years of experience in education and psychology with increasing leadership and management responsibilities in educational reform, school improvement, and best-practices research and evaluation. She has also published extensively. She received her BA and MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in Psychology from North Carolina State University.

Stephanie Fanjul
President
The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.
Tel: 919-821-7999
www.ncsmartstart.org

Stephanie Fanjul is the President of the The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC), the organization that leads Smart Start, the state's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative. In this role, Fanjul is responsible for operations of NCPC and for providing oversight and technical assistance for 79 local Smart Start partnerships statewide. Smart Start’s National Technical Assistance Center, funded by national foundations, provides leadership on early childhood issues and provides technical assistance and support to other states in sharing Smart Start’s lessons learned.

Ellen Frede, Ph.D.
Co-Director
National Institute for Early Education Research
Tel: 732-932-4350, ext. 237
Fax: 732-932-4360
efrede@nieer.org

Dr. Ellen Frede is a developmental psychologist who focuses on the relationship of program quality to child progress. As the administrator of pre-k in New Jersey, she oversaw the implementation and expansion of high-quality programs in more than 150 districts serving over 50,000 children.

Karen Hill-Scott, Ed.D.
President
Karen Hill-Scott & Company
Tel: 310-216-2928
Fax: 310-216-2929
khs@karenhillscott.com
www.karenhillscott.com

Dr. Karen Hill-Scott is an award-winning child-development expert whose start as a preschool teacher evolved into a wide-ranging career blending university teaching, research, consulting, and public service. She co-founded Crystal Stairs, one of California's largest non-profit child-development agencies. She teaches at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Policy and School of Management, and she contributes to child-development policy through consulting and public service. Her consulting firm recently developed and launched the Los Angeles Universal Preschool system, widely regarded as a prototype for a private-public, mixed-delivery system.

Dr. Graciela Italiano-Thomas, ED.D.
Education Consultant
Tel: 202-550-4434
gift@gracielaitaliano.com

Dr. Italiano-Thomas, an education consultant based in Washington, DC, has extensive experience as an educator, administrator, and community builder. Before joining Thrive by Five, she served as CEO of Los Angeles Universal Preschool from 2004-2006. Prior to that, she was CEO of Centro de la Familia de Utah, a non-profit organization based in Salt Lake City, which works to strengthen the Hispanic family by promoting self-sufficiency. She also served as a senior consultant to the National Head Start Bureau on issues relating to English language learners within the Head Start system. Dr. Italiano-Thomas holds a doctorate in education and institutional management from Pepperdine University and a master of sciences degree in education from Southern Illinois University. She received undergraduate degrees from Albion College in Michigan and the Instituto A. Vazquez Acevedo in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Anne W. Mitchell
President
Early Childhood Policy Research
Tel: 518-966-4585
Fax: 518-966-5503
awmitchell@aol.com
www.earlychildhoodfinance.org

Anne W. Mitchell has conducted national studies of state and local pre-k policy and early care and education finance and has written widely on childcare and early education policy and practice. She co-directed the first national study of state-funded pre-k programs in the mid-1980s. She received her B.S. degree (1972) in astronomy from Wellesley College, her M.S. degree (1988) in early childhood education leadership from Bank Street College of Education, and an honorary certificate in early childhood leadership development (1995) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jan Parish, M.Ed.
Author, Trainer, and Consultant
Early Childhood Education
Tel: 407-831-0776
Fax: 407-830-7137
jparish4@embarqmail.com

Jan Parish, M.Ed., is a national early childhood consultant for preschool and primary educators and parents. Jan has over twenty years experience as an author, teacher and early literacy specialist at the preschool and elementary school levels. She conducts popular presentations on best practices in early literacy for both parent meetings and teacher training. She is coauthor of Doors to Discovery, a comprehensive Pre-K literacy program published by Wright Group/McGraw-Hill and is also coauthor of Peak With Books: an Early Childhood Resource for Balanced Literacy (Delmar/Thomson, 2002). Jan is a contributing author to training manuals in preschool education and early literacy development. In addition to her work in early childhood education, Jan is immersed in hands-on learning experiences as the mother of four young children.

Ramona Paul, Ph.D.
Assistant State Superintendent
Professional Services Division
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Tel: 405-521-4311
Fax: 405-521-6205
ramona_paul@sde.state.ok.us
http://sde.state.ok.us

Dr. Ramona Paul's educational career has included service as a faculty member at Oklahoma State University, Texas Woman's University, and Purdue University. Her administrative assignments include the Center for Developmental and Learning Disorders, University of Alabama in Birmingham; middle school, Edmond, Oklahoma, and human resources, Oklahoma City Public Schools. She is a member and/or officer of many related professional organizations including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Southern Early Childhood Association, past president. She is the author of 35 books for children.

Karen W. Ponder, B.S.
Early Childhood Consultation Services
Tel: 919-389-5934
kponder@nc.rr.com

Karen Ponder is a past president of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), the non-profit that oversees and gives technical support to Smart Start, the state's early childhood funding and planning initiative. At NCPC, she also oversaw the work of Smart Start's National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC), providing advice and support to other states and communities in developing early childhood initiatives. Her expertise includes community and policy development and grassroots advocacy.

Tonya Russell
Director
Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Tel: 501-682-4891
Fax: 501-682-2317
tonya.russell@arkansas.gov

Tonya Russell is the director at the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education at the Arkansas Department of Human Services with administrative responsibility for the following programs: childcare licensing, the Child Care Development Fund, Special Nutrition, and the Arkansas Better Chance (state pre-k) program. Tonya has served as an early childhood teacher, Even Start/HIPPY coordinator, Head Start collaboration director, and Head Start director.

Nancy Strohl
Executive Director
Child Care Law Center (CCLC)
Tel: 415-394-7144
Fax: 415-394-7140
nstrohl@childcarelaw.org
www.childcarelaw.org

Nancy Strohl is executive director of CCLC, an organization that uses legal and policy tools to make high-quality childcare and pre-k accessible to every child, family, and community. CCLC's work addresses various childcare-related issues, with a focus on children with disabilities, low-income children, and others facing barriers.

Susan K. Urahn
Director of State Policy Initiatives
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Tel: 215-575-4755
Fax: 215-575-4939
surahn@pewtrusts.org

Susan Urahn oversees the Trusts' work in early education as well as other state-based projects. Sue joined the Trusts in 1994 and in 2001 developed the Trusts' pre-kindergarten initiative. Under Sue's leadership, the Trusts has invested more than $50 million in projects that educate policymakers, media, business leaders, law enforcement officials and the public on the benefits of pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds. Prior to joining the Trusts, Sue worked at the Research Department of the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she staffed the House Education Committee and Education Finance Division and conducted higher education policy research at the University of Minnesota. She has authored several technical reports on educational programs and issues. Sue holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a doctorate in education policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.

Valora Washington, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Children, Families and Public Policy
Lesley University
Tel: 781-956-4141
Fax: 781-721-5552
valorawashington@aol.com

Throughout her career, Dr. Valora Washington has worked in the United States and abroad to improve child development outcomes through the integration and application of knowledge, through community engagement and education, and through the support and development of professionals and parents in understanding children's rights. The author of more than 50 publications, Dr. Washington earned a Ph.D. at Indiana University's School of Education and completed her undergraduate education with honors at Michigan State University.

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W. Steven Barnett
Director
National Institute for Early Education Research
Tel: 732-932-4350, ext. 228
Fax: 732-932-4360
sbarnett@nieer.org
www.nieer.org

W. Steven Barnett is a Professor of Education Economics and Public Policy and Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. His work includes research on early education and child care policy, the educational opportunities and experiences of young children in low-income urban areas, the long term effects of pre-k programs on children’s learning and development, and benefit-cost analysis of pre-k programs and their long-term effects. Dr. Barnett earned his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Michigan. Recent publications include Lives in the Balance, a benefit-cost analysis of pre-k education based on a 25 year study, and, with co-editor Sarane Spence Boocock, Early Care and Education for Children in Poverty.

Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Council for Professional Recognition
Tel: 202-265-9090, ext. 320
Fax: 202-265-3755
sueb@cdacouncil.org
www.cdacouncil.org

Sue Bredekamp currently works part time at the Council for Professional Recognition and also serves as a consultant on early childhood curriculum and professional development. From 1981 to 1998, she served as director of professional development and accreditation for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She developed and served as on-air faculty for HeadsUp! Reading, a satellite, distance-learning course on early literacy. She has been a consultant for RISE Learning Solutions, a distance-learning organization, and the Head Start Bureau. She is co-author of several influential NAEYC publications including Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, the 1987 and 1997 editions, and Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, 1998.

Mary Beth Bruder, Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and Educational Psychology/Director
University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service
Tel: 860-679-1500
Fax: 860-679-1571
bruder@nso1.uchc.edu
www.uconnucedd.org

Mary Beth Bruder has been in early intervention for the past 28 years. She has been involved in the design, provision, and evaluation of early intervention services in a number of states and across a variety of agencies including early intervention, special education, childcare, and Head Start. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and is currently director of the University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, and professor of pediatrics, at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She directs a number of federally funded pre-service, in-service, demonstration, and research projects.

Linda M. Espinosa, B.A., Ed.M., Ph.D.
Professor of Early Childhood Education
University of Missouri-Columbia
Tel: 573-882-2659
Fax: 573-884-2917
espinosal@missouri.edu

Linda M. Espinosa is currently a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and most recently the co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. She has had experience as a preschool teacher, childcare center director, elementary school principal, central office administrator, state program director, and corporate vice president of education. Her practical experience and research interests focus on the design and evaluation of optimal learning environments for young children who are at risk for school failure. Her current research interests include professional-development and teacher-preparation systems and their relationship to effective early childhood teaching practices. Dr. Espinosa has worked extensively with low-income Latino children and families throughout the state of California. She completed her B.A. at the University of Washington, her Ed.M. at Harvard University, and her Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of Chicago.

Eugene E. García, B.A., Ph.D.
Vice President for University-School Partnerships
Arizona State University
Tel: 480-965-3306
Fax: 480-965-9144
eugene.garcia@asu.edu
http://prek12partnership.asu.edu/
* disponible para entrevistas en español

Dr. Eugene García has published extensively in the area of language teaching and bilingual development. He chairs the National Task Force on Early Education for Hispanics and conducts research in the areas of effective schooling for linguistically and culturally diverse student populations. From 1993-95, he served as a Senior Officer and Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs in the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. García is currently the Vice President for University-School Partnerships at Arizona State University, where from 2002-06 he served as Dean of the College of Education. His most recent books include, Hispanic Education in the United States: Raíces y Alas and Teaching and Learning in Two Languages: Bilingualism and Schooling in the United States, both from Teachers' College Press.

Stacie G. Goffin, Ed.D.
Independent Consultant
Goffin Strategy Group
Tel: 202-986-1661
Fax: 202-986-1661
sggoffin@aol.com

Stacie Goffin is the founder of Goffin Strategy Group, which improves services for children by effecting strategic change. Stacie was responsible for overseeing the reinvention of NAEYC's early childhood program accreditation system between 2000-2005. She also co-founded the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, serving for four years as its first chair. Stacie has taught at the preschool, undergraduate, and graduate levels. Her publications include over 50 books, articles, and edited volumes, and she sits on numerous national advisory and editorial boards.

Barbara Kaiser, B.Ed. and MA in Educational Administration and Policy Studies
Author, early childhood consultant and family counselor
Tel: 902-542-4526
Fax: 902-542-7726
kaiser.hallett@ns.sympatico.ca
www.challengingbehavior.com

Barbara Kaiser has been working in childcare for the past 25 years. She is the co-author of Meeting the Challenge: Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviours in Early Childhood Environments and Challenging Behaviour in Young Children: Understanding, Preventing, and Responding (Allyn & Bacon, 2003). Barbara offers keynotes and workshops on topics related to children's challenging behavior.

Catherine Scott-Little, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Tel: 336-256-0132
Fax: 336-334-5076
mcscottl@uncg.edu

Catherine Scott-Little is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and works with SERVE at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has conducted studies on early-learning standards, child assessments, and program evaluations and is an advisor to numerous states on accountability-related issues.

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Clive R. Belfield, BA, MA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics
Queens College, City University of New York
Associate Director
National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
Tel: 212-678-3351
Fax: 212-678-3474
belfield@qc.edu

Clive Belfield is an economist working on the economics of early childhood education. He has conducted state-level economic analyses of pre-k programs and was lead author of the most recent cost-benefit analysis of the Perry Pre-School Program. He is also the editor of a forthcoming collection of articles, The Economics of Early Childhood Education. He has published extensively in Economics of Education, and his most recent book is Privatizing Educational Choices in America's Schools (Paradigm Publishers, 2005).

Dominic M. Calabro
President and Chief Executive Officer
Florida TaxWatch
Tel: 850-222-5052
Fax: 850-222-7476
dcalabro@floridataxwatch.org
www.floridataxwatch.org

Dominic M. Calabro is president and chief executive officer of Florida TaxWatch, a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan government watchdog and research center for taxpayers. Before joining TaxWatch in the early 1980s, Calabro served as an analyst with the Florida Senate Ways and Means Committee (later split into Appropriations and Finance and Tax). He has received many business and civic honors for his work. Calabro graduated with high honors from Broward Community College, later receiving his Bachelor's degree with highest honors form Florida International University. Calabro also holds a master's degree from Florida State University and will soon be receiving a second master's degree in public finance and budgeting.

Barbara Gault, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Institute for Women's Policy Research
Tel: 202-785-5100
Fax: 202-833-4362
gault@iwpr.org
www.iwpr.org

Barbara Gault has led and co-authored studies on the costs of state pre-k expansions, best practices for increasing childcare worker wages, and access to pre-k and childcare at the state level. She received her doctorate in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dennis K. Winters
Vice President & Director of Research
NorthStar Economics, Inc.
Tel: 608.279.6216
Fax: 608.441.8064
dwinters@northstareconomics.com
www.northstareconomics.com

Dennis Winters has been a practicing, consulting economist for 25 years. Recent work by Mr. Winters has been on the economic value of early education, including, "The Economic Returns to the Education System from Investments in Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin", with Clive Belfield, January 2005. Mr. Winters is currently working on defining the early childhood development sector for the Invest in Kids research initiative to benchmark the depth and breadth of the socioeconomic service and support sector for children birth to five years of age. He serves as an advisor to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction on early childhood education research, policy, and advocacy issues, including supporting early childhood development initiatives before the Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance.

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Jay Campbell
Research Analyst
Peter D. Hart Research Associates
Tel: 202-234-5570
Fax: 202-234-5710
jcampbell@hartresearch.com
www.hartresearch.com

Jay joined the Democratic polling firm of Hart Research in 1996. After working for two years at Rob Reiner's I Am Your Child Foundation (now Parents Action for Children), Jay returned to Hart and has been a research analyst since 2000, specializing in work related to children. His current and past clients include Pre-K Now, Prevent Child Abuse America, the Pew Foster Care Commission, Parents Action for Children, Preschool California, and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. He has conducted opinion research among voters on early education issues nationally and in six states, as well as among specialized audiences such as parents and education leaders.

Gary Ferguson
Senior Vice President
American Viewpoint, Inc.
Tel: 800-684-4410
Fax: 703-684-9295
info@amview.com
www.amview.com

Gary Ferguson is the senior vice president at American Viewpoint, Inc., and specializes in healthcare and public policy research. He has examined health issues at the national, state, and local levels and has directed more than 1,000 research studies. He has also conducted polling for numerous congressional and statewide campaigns and advised a diverse clientele including trade and professional associations, government agencies, educational institutions, public affairs companies, corporations, and national advocacy groups. Mr. Ferguson holds a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia and a M.S. in communications from the University of Tennessee.

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