SLS 182ES-137 ORIGINAL
2018 Second Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 19
BY SENATOR APPEL
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Jenna Conway for her service to Louisiana as assistant
superintendent of early childhood care and education.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Jenna Conway for her years of service with the state Department of Education
3 and to the children of Louisiana.
4 WHEREAS, in 2012, the Louisiana Legislature passed the Early Childhood Care and
5 Education Act (Act 3) which consolidated all early childhood care and education programs
6 in the state under the state Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and
7 Secondary Education, with the goal of ensuring that all children served in publicly funded
8 settings become ready for kindergarten and successfully transition to elementary school; and
9 WHEREAS, soon after the passage of Act 3 of 2012, Jenna Conway was appointed
10 to serve as assistant superintendent for early childhood care and education at the state
11 Department of Education, tasked with implementing the new law and providing leadership
12 and support for all early childhood care and education programs in the state, including those
13 operated by child care centers, public and non-public schools, Head Start grantees, and other
14 individuals and organizations receiving public funds; and
15 WHEREAS, Ms. Conway faithfully and diligently worked with stakeholders,
16 policymakers, providers, educators, and families to successfully implement Act 3 and other
17 subsequent early childhood care and education laws, including but not limited to the
18 transition of numerous child care licensing staff from the Louisiana Department of Children
Page 1 of 3 SR NO. 19
SLS 182ES-137 ORIGINAL
1 and Family Services to the state Department of Education, streamlining and strengthening
2 child care licensing regulations, enacting a state definition of kindergarten readiness,
3 developing Louisiana's Birth to Five Early Learning and Development Standards, adopting
4 nationally recognized assessments to evaluate and support quality child care and education,
5 increasing and redefining School Readiness Tax Credits to more effectively support quality,
6 creating an ancillary teaching certification for early childhood educators, expanding the
7 Child Care Assistance Program to serve more Louisiana children and families, and unifying
8 enrollment processes for publicly funded early childhood care and education programs
9 within communities around the state; and
10 WHEREAS, during her tenure, Ms. Conway led the creation of a first of it kind,
11 nationally recognized online tool designed to help families more easily locate and evaluate
12 the quality of child care centers and prekindergarten programs by publishing performance
13 profiles for all publicly funded early childhood programs in the state; and
14 WHEREAS, Ms. Conway's direction and unwavering commitment to improving
15 early childhood care and education for Louisiana's children and families have led to the
16 creation of the nation's most focused, innovative, and results-oriented early childhood care
17 and education systems and the strongest such system in Louisiana's history; and
18 WHEREAS, Ms. Conway is exceedingly deserving of commendation and
19 appreciation for her outstanding achievements and service, which have set Louisiana's
20 children on a better lifelong path and a brighter future.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
22 does hereby recognize and commend Jenna Conway for her outstanding service with the
23 state Department of Education and to the children and families of Louisiana, and does
24 hereby extend to her appreciation and best wishes for continued success and happiness in all
25 future endeavors.
26 BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Ms.
27 Jenna Conway.
Page 2 of 3 SR NO. 19
SLS 182ES-137 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 19 Original 2018 Second Extraordinary Session Appel
Commends Jenna Conway for her outstanding service with the state Department of
Education and to the children and families of Louisiana.
Page 3 of 3