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