EEC details phased reprocurement of Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative; teachers and communities say program is boosting inclusion and workforce

At the Department of Early Education and Care's May board meeting, agency staff presented a redesigned, phased approach to the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) and described a reprocurement that would prioritize sustaining current grantees, create options for expansion and preserve planning opportunities as funding allows.

"CPPI is funding that really is designed to support the infrastructure building and the creation of the connective tissue that is essential if you want to work as a community to build a collaborative effort across the mixed delivery system to plan around expanded access to high quality preschool," said Jocelyn, a lead on the CPPI team at EEC. The team described three core priorities for grantees: expanding affordable access, aligning high-quality curriculum across community partners, and improving equitable access to special education and inclusion through itinerant services.

Public comments and local results Public testimony at the meeting reinforced the program's local effects. Laura Fragomeni of Northampton described classroom coaching and on-site special education consultations as "making an enormous difference" in inclusion and teacher…