Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Shannon NickinsonOctober 13, 2015

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that poor children benefited from the academic boost that the state voluntary prekindergarten program gave them. But the benefit didn’t last when they moved through elementary school. The researchers who conducted the five-year $6 million study had conclusions about why poor kids who got a boost from VPK didn’t […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 20, 2015

The Florida Children and Youth Cabinet recently voted to write state leaders urging them to prioritize early education and child services for “the first 1,000 days” – from pregnancy to age 3. Based on data from the Pensacola Metro Dashboard, only 66.2 percent of Escambia County’s 5-year-olds are ready for kindergarten; in Santa Rosa County […]

Shannon NickinsonJune 1, 2015

For many children, Escambia County is a hard place to grow up. A story in The New York Times, based on data gathered by the Equality of Opportunity Project, highlights the impact that a child’s ZIP code can have on his or her economic prospects. (Read UWF economist Rick Harper’s thoughts on the study here.) […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 17, 2015

They are a bright bunch, the class of 2028. The students in Emily Ellis’ VPK class at Lincoln Park Primary School are as warm and bubbly as any crop of 4- and 5-year-olds you are likely to meet, quick with a hug and big on teamwork as they work to “keep the Earth clean” raking […]

Shannon Nickinson: Kids need more than pre-K to overcome poverty's obstacles

Shannon Nickinson: Our children need more than a letter

Shannon Nickinson: Support from Escambia business community is key to creating Children's Services Council

Shannon Nickinson: Early Education Summit's goal is tax money to create Escambia Children's Services Council