Members of the Kiwanis Club of Baytown got a firsthand look at an innovative early childhood education model during a tour of Sheila C. Liles Early Learning Academy on Dec. 4, highlighting hands-on learning, community partnerships and academic successes amid funding challenges.
Led by Christi Lackey, M.S. Ed, coordinator for early childhood education and outreach at Goose Creek CISD, and Susan Jackson, the district’s deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction, the group explored the academy’s thematic classrooms designed to foster both academic and social-emotional development for pre-kindergarten students.
Lackey emphasized the program’s real-world connections.
“Once a month, community outreach comes into the thematic rooms,” Lackey said. “Today, the Houston Zoo is here for the Amazing Animals classroom with live animals. They bring an animal, such as a snake or giant tortoise, for a real-life experience.”
Lackey said other outreach partnerships include Dr. Wendy Crouse (Heal House Call Veterinarian), the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center, Baytown Nature Center, the Baytown Fire Department and more.
“These monthly visits spark curiosity, support the classroom theme, and help students better understand the community around them,” she said.
The academy features 16 immersive classrooms grouped into four color-coded pods — green, yellow, blue and red — where students rotate monthly. Each pod includes left-brain rooms for direct instruction and right-brain spaces for exploratory, theme-based activities. Themes range from “Here We Grow,” focusing on plant cycles, to “Amazing Animals” and “Pet Vet,” incorporating live animals like a rabbit named Nibbles.
Jackson addressed the program’s origins and challenges, noting it stemmed from former Superintendent Randal O’Brien’s vision after being exposed to new research on brain development in young children. She highlighted training costs and state funding limitations.
“The state of Texas isn’t really recognizing pre-K,” Jackson said. “Texas funding goes toward K–12, while the rest of the world funds P-16. Texas only funds pre-K a half day.”
Kiwanians raised questions regarding the programs success matrix and student outcomes as well as whether the district has plans for expansion.
Jackson shared that pre-K students outperform peers who didn’t attend, with 90% from low-income families. Data from the Children’s Learning Institute’s Circle Progress Monitoring showed end-of-year on-track percentages improving. Rapid letter naming rose from 55% in 2022-2023 to 69% in 2024-2025; phonological awareness rose from 47% to 64%; early writing rose from 68% to 86%; and mathematics held steady around 74%.
When asked again about the cost of the program and making it affordable for families, Lackey responded that the program opened paid slots at $550 monthly this year.
“It’s always a financial challenge because the state only pays for half a day of pre-K, and we have to fund a full day of pre-K,” Lackey said.
The tour showcased family-style meals, where the students serve themselves from bowls at their tables. Plus, the students do not have worksheets or individual iPads, but are instead taught through hands-on exploration in workshops that focus on topics like technology use and healthy habits. Jackson stressed the role of community outreach, crediting coordinator, and fellow Kiwanian, Kami Johnston for fostering partnerships despite budget cuts.
Lackey concluded by urging word-of-mouth promotion, saying the academy hosts tours year-round and attracts visitors from across Texas and beyond.
“The more people that really understand what we’re doing, the more outreach we can get and the more kids we can put in the building,” Lackey said.
The visit underscored the academy’s commitment to executive function skills, such as working memory and impulse control, preparing students for kindergarten success. As Jackson put it, “experience matters.”
Photo:
The Kiwanis Club of Baytown paid a visit to the Liles Learning Academy and toured the facility, including the Build Zone, where children learn about how construction methods are implemented.
Sun photo by Matt Hollis