Author: Lydia Carlis

Lydia Carlis, Ph.D., is an education researcher, visual artist, and the chief learning and impact officer for Acelero, Inc., a national for-profit early learning organization. Her work sits at the intersection of art and science, as she strives to create innovative solutions that empower children to see the world as it is, envision a better future, and work creatively to make their vision reality. With over two decades of experience in early childhood education, Carlis brings a unique perspective to critical conversations about research, policy and practice in early learning. She is a public voices fellow for racial justice in early childhood with The OpEd Project and The National Black Child Development Institute.

Invest in Black and Latina Early Childhood Educators. Our Students Deserve It.

The latest Head Start reauthorization bill and President Biden’s 2025 fiscal budget include much-needed funding increases to raise educator wages. However, these gains are fragile, as evidenced by a recent Washington, D.C., budget proposal that would eliminate the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, a program created in 2021 to achieve pay parity between early childhood educators and their K-12 counterparts.

As at-large Councilmember Christina Henderson pointed out, “It feels like we’re balancing the budget on the backs of Black and brown women in the childcare sector.”