Are the little kids alright? With pre-K educator Meredith Hairston

Early childhood learning is pretty fraught at the moment. The lingering effects of Covid-era learning challenges, an epidemic of teacher burnout, and a rise in autism spectrum diagnoses have all contributed to a simmering crisis in education that we're probably not talking about enough. But there are bright spots. One is the Tioronda Learning Center, a longstanding pre-K program serving Beacon, led by executive director Meredith Hairston. Meredith talks about her journey from Vermont to New York City to the Hudson Valley, TLC's place in the community over many decades, and how to help kids thrive creatively, emotionally and cognitively.