Erica Phillips introduces herself and NYCPS early childhood team

Thank you, and good afternoon, Chair Gutierrez and members of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education.

My name is Erica Phillips, and I serve as the Deputy Chancellor for Early Childhood Education at New York City Public Schools.

I am joined today by Dr.

Georgette Branch, Chief of Learning and Partnerships, Dr.

Brenda Garcia, Chief of the Office of Multilingual Learners, and Dr.

Arabelle L.

Pembroke, Senior Director of Inclusion and Support for Emergent Multilingual Learners.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here and for your continued partnership in supporting New York City's youngest learners.

I come to this role with more than 20 years of experience across early childhood and K-12 education, business, and nonprofit leadership.

Much of my career is focused on building systems that support young children and families while assisting the educators and caregivers who serve them.

Before joining New York City Public Schools, I served as the executive director of the National Association for Family Child Care,

where I worked at the federal level to strengthen early learning programs, advance child care policies, and elevate the voices of the early educators and providers who have served as the backbone of the early childhood system.

Previously, I spent eight years at All Our Kin, an early childhood organization focused on supporting home-based child care providers, where I helped to bring its family child care network to New York City.

This work is deeply personal to me as the daughter and granddaughter of early educators and caregivers.

I am honored to bring those experiences.

to New York City public schools and to lead our work to strengthen early care and education for children and families across New York City.