August 8, 2023
From Bob Powers, Board President, Alabama School Readiness Alliance
It is with gratitude that the Board of Directors announces Allison Muhlendorf’s departure as Executive Director of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, effective August 8, 2023. Since joining ASRA as executive director in 2012, Allison has worked with ASRA’s Pre-K Task Force to launch and advocate for a visionary set of recommendations for expanding high-quality, voluntary pre-k to all Alabama families.
Since the 2012 release of the Task Force’s recommendations, state investments in Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program have grown from $19 million to $182 million and the percentage of children enrolled has grown from six percent of four-year-olds statewide to a projected 47 percent in 2023-2024.
Allison’s leadership has also been critical in securing the passage of the state’s first-ever child care investment, $18 million, for Alabama Quality Stars, in 2022, which lawmakers increased to $48 million in the 2023 Legislative Session.
Over the next few months, leaders from ASRA’s partner organizations A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Partnership for Children, and VOICES for Alabama’s Children, with support from their respective organizations, will be handling the day-to-day operations of ASRA. These organizations have been founding and active partners of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance since 2006. The board and I will continue in our oversight role. We will share updates on a future direction for ASRA as soon as they become available.
Again, we cannot thank Allison enough for the dedication, passion, enthusiasm and results she has given ASRA over the past 11.5 years. She will be greatly missed by the board, advocates and partners alike. We look forward to collaborating with Allison in her next chapter at TOOTRiS, where she will be working with the business community to make quality child care more affordable and available across the country.
We are excited for the next chapter of ASRA as we continue to work to ensure that all Alabama children enter school ready to succeed. If you have any questions or concerns during this transition process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at powers@eufaula-agency.com.
From Allison Muhlendorf, Executive Director, Alabama School Readiness Alliance
I am excited to share that, after 11.5 years as executive director of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, I have accepted a new position as director of outreach and government relations with TOOTRiS. Read on for more information about TOOTRiS, an innovative tech company that administers employer-sponsored child care benefits, and provides free software and marketing tools to licensed child care providers. I am working with ASRA’s partner organizations and board of directors on a smooth transition as I prepare to join TOOTRiS on August 9, 2023.
It has been the honor of my lifetime to work with you and all of ASRA’s stakeholders to exponentially increase the number of Alabama students entering Kindergarten ready to succeed. Thank you for your mentorship, collaboration, tireless advocacy, resources and support.
I look forward to continuing to work with you in my new role at TOOTRiS. I will be working remotely from Montgomery, Alabama to help TOOTRiS accelerate its fast-paced growth in key markets across the country. Employer-sponsored child care is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to solving America’s child care crisis. ASRA’s friends at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and the Huntsville Chamber rave about the impact that TOOTRiS child care benefits have had in reducing employee turnover, and more.
In addition to introducing TOOTRiS to new employers, I will be connecting TOOTRiS with national and state-based early childhood organizations and advocates, and government agencies and officials. I will also be developing partnerships in key communities to increase the supply of child care.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at my personal email address, allison.muhlendorf@gmail.com (any time) or my new email address with TOOTRiS, amuhlendorf@tootris.com (after August 9).
