East Ridge City Councilwoman Esther Helton has received the endorsement of early education advocates, Tennesseans for Quality Early Education – Political Action Committee (TQEE-PAC). Helton, a nurse for more than 35 years, won the support of TQEE-PAC for her views on supporting quality education for young children.
“Councilwoman Helton is a model public servant in that she brings common sense and efficiency combined with compassion from years as a nurse to her role in government,” said TQEE Executive Director, Mike Carpenter.
“Esther understands that many of our young children in Tennessee start from behind academically and never catch-up. She is committed to fighting for Tennessee students, teachers and parents.”
The Helton campaign said, "Ms. Helton, a grandmother of five and a product of East Ridge public schools, supports investing in training and professional development for early grades teachers to ensure they have the age-appropriate skills to teach young children. She wants to continue the momentum in our state around early literacy, so children can read on grade-level by third grade. Because of her healthcare background, she understands the impact of childhood trauma, like opioid addiction and domestic violence, on the brain development of young children."
Mr. Carpenter said, “Like the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans, Councilwoman Helton agrees that early education is the building block of all future learning. As a conservative, she knows investing in early education leads to a return on investment that taxpayers cannot achieve by investing in prisons and social programs.”
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE) is a statewide advocacy organization focused on education policy from birth to third grade. Our bi-partisan coalition is comprised of business, law enforcement, faith, education and civic organizations and individuals in communities across Tennessee. The group’s members support high quality early education to improve academic achievement, boost workforce development and enhance quality of life in our communities. Learn more by visiting our website at www.tqee.org