Cambridge, MA, May 22, 2008 – MA Governor Deval Patrick recently announced the appointment of Lynson Beaulieu, The Schott Foundation’s Director of Programs and Strategic Leadership, to the state’s Board of Early Education and Care. Governor Patrick also announced the appointment of Orlando Isaza and Mary Pat Messmer to the Board.

“Lynson, Orlando and Mary Pat bring to the board diverse experiences in the education and health and human services, and I am delighted to have them and at the table,” said Governor Patrick.

Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to create a Department of Early Education and Care to coordinate and consolidate the range of education and human services focused on youth. A strong focus on early education and care is a cornerstone of Governor Patrick’s vision for the future of education in Massachusetts.

“We are extremely proud of Lynson and believe her appointment will help further Massachusetts’s efforts to provide the most effective universal high quality early care and education programs for all children.” said Dr. John H. Jackson, President and CEO of The Schott Foundation.

For more than a decade, The Schott Foundation has been an advocate for the creation of universal high quality early childhood education for all children, with an emphasis on society’s most underserved children.

In the late 1990’s, The Schott Foundation provided seed funding to start the Early Education for All campaign in Massachusetts. Convinced that all children need quality early education programs to flourish in public school, The Schott Foundation saw this as a way to create a movement to promote quality early education programs for all children in Massachusetts. Until the inception of Early Education for All, insufficient focus and leadership kept this critical cause from moving forward in Massachusetts.

Prior to joining The Schott Foundation, Ms. Beaulieu was a senior consultant at the National Black Child Development Institute in Washington D.C. Beaulieu has served in numerous roles across the nation in which she has been dedicated to providing leadership and expert knowledge on early childhood education and care including research, program development, scholarly writing and federal and state policy analysis with a focus on multicultural issues and children underserved by the current public school education system. Beaulieu holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development from California State University and is currently working towards her masters and doctorate degrees in Community Economic Development Policy at Southern New Hampshire University.

“I am eager to start my work with the Board of Early Education and Care and join these three new extraordinary members,” said Paul Reville, Secretary Designate of Education. “Together, with the existing members of the board, we will work towards building a statewide birth-to- five infrastructure that ensures every child is able to start school genuinely ready to learn.”

“There is tremendous amount of momentum within the field of early childhood development and behind this new department,” said Board Chair Sharon Scott-Chandler. “We are very pleased to complete the Board with these new members, who bring enormous expertise working with the children, families and communities we serve, and continue moving ahead with our work.” Sharon Scott-Chandler is a former Schott Fellow.

About The Schott Foundation for Public Education

Founded in 1991, The Schott Foundation for Public Education seeks to develop and strengthen a broad-based and representative movement to achieve fully resourced high quality preK-12 public education.