The Playbook
The WEPOWER community believes that every child deserves a powerful, affordable education experience. That’s why we’re proud members of the Ready by Five St. Louis campaign to increase public education about the opportunity to invest in early childhood education across public schools and community-based centers.
Ready by Five was launched in response to the voices of more than one thousand community members – mommas, grandmas, women of color who care for our babies (ECE educators), K12 educators, advocates, elected leaders, philanthropists, and policy wonks – who designed The Playbook together, an action plan to transform the early childhood education (ECE) system to be just and equitable for all.
Years of research proved that there are not enough affordable, high-quality ECE seats for 0-5-year-olds in STL City and County and that it would require a massive influx of funding to increase access and quality. The vast majority of public schools do not serve 0-3-year-olds, so a mixed-delivery system that includes collaboration between public schools and community-based providers, often run and staffed by women of color, is necessary.
These findings led community members to research many funding models. Together – through many meetings, tons of public conversations, deep reflection, and centering our values – we COLLECTIVELY determined a modest sales tax with an equitable allocation board is the quickest, most-viable path to ensuring more children 0-5 have access to high-quality, affordable ECE. Recently, Ready by Five has been an integral part of pandemic relief efforts for the families and educators of young children, this is also a central part of our mission. We’re excited to see our community-led campaign gain so much traction and grateful for the support of the STL City Alderpersons like Shameem Clark-Hubbard and also STL County Councilwomen like Lisa Clancy, Kelli Dunaway, and Rita Heard Days who are putting this decision before the broader public.
This work is urgent and change can’t come quickly enough. When we choose to unflinchingly put our children at the center and value those who deeply and selflessly care for them, we will become a region that thrives, we will create a narrative rooted in justice, love, and liberation. This requires sacrifice, tough decisions, and the will to make a collective commitment this November and beyond to nurture ready children, ready parents, and ready communities. We can win. We will win. We have to win for our babies.
These folks have already signed on in support of The Playbook, will you be the next supporter?
UMSL CIAC
SouthSide
Ready Readers
SkipNV
LinkStL, Inc.
Youth In Need
Missouri Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (MOAIMH-EC)
Ready by 21 St. Louis
Kirkwood Area Every Child Promise
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Unleashing Potential@Caroline Mission
Child Care Aware of Missouri
Great Circle and MOAIMH-EC
Generate Health STL
Washington University Undergraduate & Graduate Workers Union (WUGWU)
Little Precious Angels Childcare 2 LLC
Ready Readers
S.T.A.R. For Early Childhood Educators and M.O.M.
Child Care Aware of Missouri
Youth In Need
WashU Cognition & Development Lab
United 4 Children
Good Shepherd Preschool & Infant/Toddler Center
Little Precious Angels Childcare
Metropolitan Congregations United
Family Care Health Centers
Turn the Page STL
Generate Health
Youth In Need
RISE
Walker McKinnis, Tamitha
Lancaster, Adelaide
Newell, Amber
Payano, Edgar
Thurman, Atia
Bednar, Kiley
Noblot, Lindsey
Steele, Nora
Chung, Saras
Garmendia, Cristina
Witthaus, Michelle
Langley, Paula
Eller, D
Vineyard, Tricia
McAfee, Julie
Boyd, Tracey
Heger Smith, Margo
Rose, Mandy
Galleberg, Krista
Kaufmann, Katie
Anderson, Sandy
Stewart, Danielle
Medley, Nzinga
Snowden, Lovely
Chastain, Penny
Pullen, Jacqueline
Treece, Sharon
Serwin, Angela
Levine, Marlene
Hayes-Harris, Marcia L
Rathore, Gurlovleen
Lang, Beth Ann
Kessen Lowell, Anne
Willis, Amber
Harville, Abbie
Lin-Schweitzer, Anna
Pennington, Adrienne
Phillips, Robin
Adams-McNeal, Jazmine
Wulff, Gail
Scates, Harriette K.
Blackmon, Janice
Brown, Janice
Cannon, Carolyn
Bailey, Sonya
Martin, Shadrach
Hudaon, Linda
Bell, Holly
Schauman, Elissa
Anderson-Rice, Rose
Lister, Carol
Sandbothe-Sylvia, Melissa
Sanders, Albert J
Wallace, Asia
Hogan, Brittany
Katz, Sara
Polokonis, Kate
Grangeno, Krysta
Horwitz, Laura
Brothers, Pamela Lynette
Cross, Samantha
Stern, Laura
Voss, Jenna
Pattin, Lorine
Holmes, Myisha
Clark, Maxine
Elkana, Maia
Lang, Beth Ann
Wright-Jones, Lauren
Shatz, Crista Carr
Richardson, Andrea
Oliveri, Sheila
Rahn, Katie Morrow
Idleburg, Justin
Dahm, Angela
Booher, Katherine
Mosley, Tina Kennell
Long, Angela
Hill, Morgan
Hall, Karen
Lyonfields, Jake
Beckering, Melissa
Klonsky, Maggie Dougherty
Torbitzky, Sally
Liss, Allie
Riddle, Yolanda
Miller, Lakeysha
Boston, Jennifer
Figley, Emily
Bondy, Jenny
McCoy, Stanley
Sporleder, Beverly
Goldsby, Shantell N
Marshall, Anne
Collins-Muhammad, John
Sansone, Victoria
Church, Lauren
Danzo, Kathy
Horwitz, Michelle
Markson, Lori
Heaton, Zoe
Mohs, Megan
Kaefer, Stephanie
Finch, Deanna
George, Elizabeth
Marshall, Jasmin
Huebner, Daniel
Lageose, Allison
Guthrie Eads, Laura
Wilson, Starsky
Collins, Cortaiga S.
Smith, LaDonna
Bryant, Barbara
Thompson, Lisa
Roam, Rebecca
Jones, April
Locey, Casey
Mosley, Tina Kennell
Greening, Lisa
Gulley, Lora
Gale, Bridgit
Thien, Denis
Holterman-Hommes, Pat
Schenck, Katie
Voelkel, Linda
Carr, Shannon
Cunningham, Grace