Stacey Peoples and the Early Childhood Education team are opening doors and creating pathways to bright futures for thousands of CCSD’s youngest learners by implementing free Universal Preschool in Cherry Creek Schools.
“We are play-based, we focus on the kids and what they individually need,” Peoples explained. “We have exceptional staff; we partner with parents and there isn’t a better place to have your preschool-aged child.”
Peoples and her team have added or converted 54 new preschool classrooms, built 17 new playgrounds, and unloaded and set up tons of tiny chairs and supplies across the district. They worked tirelessly to get the program up and running to ensure our littlest learners would have all that they needed to have the best preschool experience.
“I’ve never seen so many people work so hard,” she said. “They set up classrooms, sometimes in rooms that weren’t air conditioned, they categorized, and organized hundreds of pieces of equipment.”
Early Childhood Education added more than a hundred preschool educators and staff focused on special education and speech development. Research consistently shows that early childhood education sets the stage for lifelong learning and achievement.
“If we can start kids early with communication skills, language, literacy, and math skills, we are setting them up to be successful,” Peoples added.
“The staff’s unwavering commitment, even in the face of challenges from the state, demonstrates their belief in the transformative power of quality preschool education,” Dr. Tony Poole, Assistant Superintendent of Special Populations said.
Peoples has been with the district since she was a kindergarten student herself and is very proud of what her team has accomplished.
“I hope I am representing the excellence we have in this district, and I am honored to be a part of it,” she said.
