Ashley Hopkinson
Ashley Hopkinson reported on early education for EdSource until December 2018. Ashley earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism from Auburn University while writing for The Birmingham News and The Gadsden Times. Several years later, she earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was an instructor in the UC Berkeley Film and Media Department and a senior reporter and producer for Richmond Confidential, a hyperlocal news site in the Bay Area. Ashley has also worked for The Associated Press Bureau in Atlanta and The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Prior to joining Ed Source, Ashley was the Storytelling Editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs.
All articles by Ashley Hopkinson
Preschoolers take on math with the help of college students
Preschool Counts, a program piloted by Stanford University in 2013, is boosting early math skills by pairing undergraduate students with preschoolers to practice math through games and other activities.
Ashley Hopkinson
November 19, 2018
Building relationships with preschool parents, one conversation at a time
To help preschoolers who are learning to speak in more than one language, one California school district is focusing on parent engagement through in-person interviews that are boosting parent participation in class activities.
Ashley Hopkinson
October 30, 2018
Amidst teacher shortage new funds help districts train more bilingual teachers
New state funds, available through The Bilingual Teacher Professional Development grants, are helping more school districts and county offices of education to increase the number of bilingual teachers in the state.
Ashley Hopkinson
October 2, 2018
Parent involvement in early years grows with help from community groups
Unlike California’s K-12 public school system, not all programs that serve infants and toddlers have formal systems in place to engage parents
Ashley Hopkinson
August 28, 2018
Baby and toddler storytime can create a lifetime love of reading
Local libraries help parents to learn early literacy skills through storytime. Children's librarians say storytime is one of the best ways to cultivate a young child's interest in books and encourage lifelong reading.
Ashley Hopkinson
August 9, 2018
California districts can renovate, build kindergarten classrooms with help from new funding
There is $100 million in new state funds to help districts build and renovate classrooms to expand full-day kindergarten. The funds are available to all districts but priority will be given to districts that are struggling financially.
Ashley Hopkinson
August 1, 2018
Low pay for child care workers puts more than half at poverty level, study finds
A national study on the early childhood education workforce found that many child care workers are struggling to support their families on low wages and that policies and resources fail to address the economic well-being of those who teach infants and toddlers.
Ashley Hopkinson
July 5, 2018
California budget includes increase for infant and toddler care but not enough to meet demand
The budget will fund the creation of 13,407 new child care slots for low-income families.
Ashley Hopkinson
June 14, 2018
Many teachers favor a more integrated early education system, national survey finds
A national survey reveals that many teachers support a unified preschool and K-3 system and also believe higher wages and professional preparation are key to keeping teachers in the classroom.
Ashley Hopkinson
June 12, 2018
More states expanding preschool programs but quality still lags
In a national report that measures access, quality and investment in public preschool programs, California ranks high for the number of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds enrolled in programs, but low on quality standards.
Ashley Hopkinson
May 15, 2018
Educators face new challenges in 'superdiverse' classrooms where multiple languages are spoken
Researchers focused on classrooms where more than five languages are spoken.
Ashley Hopkinson
May 2, 2018
Focusing on the language skills of English Learners key to boosting math scores
An Education Trust–West report highlights successful strategies some California districts implemented to improve English learners' performance in math.
Ashley Hopkinson
April 16, 2018
Facing unprepared kindergartners, a rural school district restores preschool for all
This school year the Lindsay Unified School District, in a small farming community in Tulare County, implemented universal preschool, meaning every child from birth to 4 years old, regardless of family income, can attend a program in the district for free.
Ashley Hopkinson
April 4, 2018
Federal funding for after-school programs intact, despite threatened budget cuts
The federal budget includes $1.21 billion for programs to help children in high-poverty areas with reading, math and science homework after school.
Ashley Hopkinson
March 29, 2018
With increased focus on students' social and emotional skills, teachers turn to class pets to help lead the way
In some schools, class pets do more than help children learn about animals. They are also being integrated into teachers' efforts to help young students learn social and emotional skills, such as self-awareness, responsibility and empathy.