Early Edge California Executive Director Patricia Lozano Joins Parents as Teachers Board of Directors
Two decades as an expert in the field of Early Childhood Education led to her selection.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Patricia Lozano, executive director of Early Edge California, a state-wide early learning policy and advocacy non-profit organization, has been elected to serve on the board of directors of Parents as Teachers (PAT), the nation’s leading and most replicated parental education program, specializing in early childhood development through home visitation.
PAT is a non-profit headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its board of directors sets the organization’s strategic planning and policies and helps fulfill its mission to ensure that all children will develop, learn, and grow to realize their full potential.
“I am honored to join the board of directors of Parents as Teachers to support the critical work of this national organization in empowering parents to focus on school readiness and healthy development to give their children the best possible start, so they can achieve future success,” said Lozano, a 20 year veteran in the early learning field, who is based in Los Angeles.
“I am pleased to represent an organization like Parents as Teachers, which shares the same values I have of uplifting our youngest learners. I look forward to working alongside other early learning champions to give children all that they need to have the brightest future.”
Lozano was elected to the board during its June 12, 2020 meeting. She joins three other new board members who live throughout the country. They will serve three-year terms beginning on July 1, 2020.
PAT President and CEO Constance Gully, said: “I am excited to welcome Patricia to our board of directors. She has a passion for helping children and families, and the desire to envision an ambitious future for Parents as Teachers.
“She brings a wealth of experience and we are confident she will add valuable perspectives to our board. We look forward to her contributions and are glad that she has chosen Parents as Teachers.”
Lozano began her career as a preschool teacher at a child development center, where she attained a passion for supporting the needs of early learning teachers and improving the quality of education for young children.
As Early Edge California’s executive director, Lozano’s mission is to ensure that all children in California have access to high-quality programs and education as well as have experiences of increased parental involvement during their earliest years. She is well-suited for the job with a stellar career as an early childhood learning professional.
Her accomplishments in California are many. She spearheaded projects at UCLA’s Center for Improving Child Care Quality, First 5 LA, and the RAND Corp. She was involved in the selection and adaptation of child assessments measures for Dual Language Learners across various research studies and has expertise in developing instruments to assess kindergarten readiness. She also was a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, working on their national early learning strategy.
She is fluent in spoken and written Spanish and is a published author of the industry-leading book, Assessing Spanish-English Bilingual Preschoolers: A Guide to Best Approaches and Measures.
“One of my strongest qualifications for doing this work is being a mom to two amazing kids,” Lozano said. “Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to connect with many amazing individuals and have had the privilege of working with several of them as mentors.”
Some of those mentors included her first boss, Helga Lopez, who inspired her to relocate to the U.S. from Colombia and influenced her decision to work with children; Catherine Atkin, former president of Early Edge California, current chair of its advisory board, and a staunch advocate of early learning; and Libby Doggett, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy and Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education and a long-time PAT board member.
“Libby introduced me to this wonderful organization, Parents as Teachers,” Lozano said. “She always inspires me to take risks and develop as a leader. Like Catherine, she has been incredibly supportive of Early Edge California’s work.”
Lozano holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Los Andes University in Colombia and a Master’s in Psychology (M.A.) degree with an emphasis in Child Development Concentration from California State University, San Bernardino. She is also certified in Early Care Quality Rating scales such as the ECERS and the CLASS.
###
Parents as Teachers builds healthy communities, thriving families, and children that are healthy, safe, and ready to learn. It matches parents and caregivers with trained professionals who make regular personal home visits during a child’s earliest years in life, from pregnancy through kindergarten. The internationally-recognized evidence-based home visiting model is backed by 35 years of research-proven outcomes for children and families. PAT currently serves nearly 200,000 families in all 50 U.S. states, 115 Tribal organizations, six other countries, and one U.S. territory. Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., is a non-profit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Early Edge California is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving access to high-quality Early Learning experiences for all California children so they can have a strong foundation for future success.