NEW BEDFORD — Rep. Stephen R. Canessa, D-New Bedford, has been appointed by House Speaker Robert DeLeo to serve on the Early Education and Care Advisory Council. This body, made up of eight legislative appointments — including three from the House of Representatives — and members of 30 organizations dedicated to improving early education programs, is charged with providing feedback, input, and recommendations to the Department of Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins.
“Educational concerns — ranging from encouraging full-day kindergarten statewide to preventing students from dropping out of school and promoting the pursuit of higher education — have been a primary focus of my work as a state representative,” Canessa said. “I appreciate the Speaker providing me with this opportunity to channel my deeply-rooted interest in meaningful and productive education reform and participate in this larger, vital discussion on how best to prepare our children for the future that lies ahead of them.”
In a press release, Canessa said he currently serves on the Joint Committee on Education and has been a board member for the National Dropout Prevention Center since 2007. He was instrumental in establishing a regional location of the center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; last year, his Dropout Prevention & Intervention bill was incorporated into legislation creating a Recovery Commission whose duties include exploring the causes behind high school dropout rates.
The Department of Early Education and Care is dedicated to creating opportunities for all preschool children to have access to quality pre-kindergarten programs. Members of its advisory council serve three-year terms and meet monthly to discuss strategies for achieving kindergarten readiness.