TNFirefly · Newsletter
The Beam
No. 13
Thu · 20 Aug · 2026
Our Thursday deep dive. We take one Tennessee education or policy story and unpack it in full — how it started, who's involved, and what it means for you.
 
From the Editor

Good afternoon.

This week we're looking at a Nashville solution to a problem that's impacting teachers across the country, child care. Little Wonders Early Learning Center runs daycare sites inside three public charter schools, letting teachers work steps away from their own kids.
Local Education

Nashville Daycare Helping Keep Public Charter School Teachers in the Classroom

Little Wonders Early Learning Center serves teachers by providing convenience and peace of mind.

By Jacob Holley
A child's mother reading to children at a Little Wonders Early Learning Center location. (Photo Courtesy of Little Wonders Early Learning Center)
A child's mother reading to children at a Little Wonders Early Learning Center location. (Photo Courtesy of Little Wonders Early Learning Center)
Little Wonders Early Learning Center was founded in 2020 by public charter school leaders to address teacher retention caused by unreliable or unaffordable childcare services. The organization currently operates three sites at Nashville public charter schools: STEM Prep Academy, Nashville Prep Charter School, and Aventura Community School.
"Many of them would not have stayed in the classroom if it weren't for us."
— Dr. Colleen Melchiorre, CEO of Little Wonders
Read the Full Story →
By the Numbers
$3,500–$4,500
Annual savings for teachers using Little Wonders discounted childcare.
60%
Share of Little Wonders enrollees who are children of educators.
Reader Poll
Should more public schools offer on-site daycare for teachers?
Yes, it helps retention
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That's it for this week's Beam. Be on the lookout for our Friday Flicker On the Fly podcast tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

The Beam
Our Thursday deep dive. We take one Tennessee education or policy story and unpack it in full — how it started, who's involved, and what it means for you.
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