Monthly Archives: February 2021

Early Childhood Education in Alabama

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This morning, I joined City of Southside Mayor Dana Snyder for Monday Morning Coffee & Conversation; Dr. Barbara Cooper Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education discussed the importance of Pre-K programs for Alabama children and the initiatives of 2021.

Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program promotes school readiness in our children by providing a social learning environment that nurtures a child’s enthusiasm for discovery and success, while implementing learning activities which develop the communication and problem solving skills necessary for success throughout their educational journey.

Secretary Cooper stressed a strong focus on a continued effort to increase exposure of the programs available for our children, highlighting the importance of “mitigating poverty” and its effects on children. She also emphasized that “Early Childhood workforce is a priority.” As well as being stage one of Governor Kay Ivey’s “Strong Start, Strong Finish” initiative, the “Pre Through 3” plan prioritizes policies and procedures which support education from pre-K through the third grade level, with an emphasis on literacy skills.

Classes highlighting the importance of Early Childhood Education, and featuring the documentary, “Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America” will be available for city mayors beginning March 30th.

Secretary Cooper also briefly discussed the advantages of having a centralized data base for parents where they can utilize services that aid their children.

What We Do

Help Me Grow, “…provides a free, confidential, centralized telephone access point that links every family in Alabama to a care coordinator that will answer questions and concerns about their child’s development, connect them with services in their community, and follow-up to ensure a connection is made.”

#ElizabethMozley #WeShareTheSameSky #ChildhoodLiteracy

DANCING ALONG THE FRINGES TO THE SIGN OF SILENCE is now available on AMAZON in paperback & Kindle editions:

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How much disappointment and hardship does it take to get to the truth of who a person is?

This is Marilyn Abbot’s story. A once small town, Southern girl, poor and neglected, forever tied to a childhood love – Frank Livingston, now sheriff of Shelby County; a man who represents all that is good in the world, yet a man who refused to claim the woman he loves and the child they conceived.

The novel opens in Memphis, Tennessee. Marilyn’s husband, Hudson Donati – born of old money and a powerful name- has died. In an attempt to retain the family estate, Marilyn has become a keeper of many men. She and her loyal friend Odessa Barnes are set to experience a passage they never expected.

There are lessons in everything, every situation. It does not matter if one is following the path they are meant to or not; there are always difficulties, opportunities for learning the lessons well. And it’s just this- the further one strays from what is ‘right,’ the longer it takes to get back to what is ‘good.’

THE FRINGES is the collective story of five women – white, biracial, and Creole -and the loyalty between them, a bond which allows strength against an often heinous and brutal world. Together, they move against the expectations of society.

The novel is harsh. It is meant to make one uncomfortable, and begs the reader to question ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ And yet, I hope you will join me in ~Dancing along THE FRINGES to the Sign of Silence.

ELIZABETH MOZLEY