Harriet Dichter was named the director of the Delaware’s Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge. She will lead the efforts to implement the state’s plan to improve the state’s plan to improve access and quality of early learning programs. To learn about Delaware’s winning Early Learning Challenge plan, click here.
Dichter has extensive early learning leadership experience. She formerly held leadership positions with Ounce of Prevention and the First Five Years Fund, for which she established the Washington, D.C. office to lead national policy work and consulting with 17 states. She established the Early Learning Challenge Collaborative to support states in planning applications, advance systemic reform in early learning and child development, and inform state and federal policy. As the Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development and Early Learning in the Pennsylvania Departments of Public Welfare and Education, Dicther initiated major new initiatives including the Commonwealth’s first pre-kindergarten initiative; the full-day kindergarten initiative; state-based Head Start; and early childhood mental health consultation; and she moved Keystone STARS from pilot to full implementation. In addition, Dichter serves on a number of national committees, including those associated with the National Governors Association and Center for American Progress. She holds a JD from University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Yale.
Dan Rich, Chair of Delaware’s Early Childhood Council and member of the Vision 2015 Implementation Team commented on the announcement, saying “Harriet Dichter is an outstanding choice to lead Delaware’s Early Childhood Race to the Top program. A nationally recognized expert on early childhood, she has an extensive record of accomplishments as an energetic, outcomes-oriented, and highly effective policy and program administrator. Her appointment greatly strengthens the statewide team committed to dramatically improving the education and care of Delaware’s young children.”