“We are here to commit to expand the opportunity of an early start in education to every child in Davidson County and to make every pre-k, elementary, middle and high school a model educational home like the one we are opening today.”
On October 13, Metro Nashville Public Schools in partnership with Conexión América
s opened the new Casa Azafrán Early Learning Center. The Pre-K is part of a group of three model learning centers working with Vanderbilt Peabody Research Team to identify best practices in Pre-K education, especially for English learners.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony Mayor Karl Dean, Dr. Jesse Register, Will Pinkston, School Board member for District 7, Joana Espinosa, metro school parent, and Johanna Guerrero, Director of the Casa Azafrán Early Learning Center joined Renata Soto, executive director of Conexión Américas, in welcoming the families and students to the new center.
The Pre-K serves 80 students from the South Nashville community, including a majority of students from immigrant families that speak a language other than English at home. While the school ensures students are prepared to succeed in school speaking English, the curriculum also celebrates the students’ cultural heritage and staff members are available to help parents who speak Spanish or Kurdish.
As part of the partnership with MNPS, Conexión Américas also coordinates services to enhance the integration of these families into the Nashville community, including the Padres Comprometidos/Parents as Partners Program that helps parents engage in their children’s education and reclaim their role as their child’s first, and most important, teacher.
More information can be found at the MNPS Pre-K webpage and here at the MNPS blog.