Perfect Start Consulting
Chaos & Clarity
Media and Thought Leadership
Tessie Ragan is an Early Childhood Policy and Systems Strategist whose public work examines early childhood education through systems analysis, historical inquiry, and practitioner-informed scholarship.
Across podcasting, documentary projects, public commentary, academic development, and field convenings, she engages the structural forces shaping early education — including funding models, regulatory frameworks, professional standards, and public narrative.
This page houses the platforms where that work unfolds.
The Core Lens: Chaos & Clarity
Operates from several foundational commitments:
Early childhood education is both relational and structural.
This lens informs every project housed within the platform.
Platforms and Projects
At Its Roots
A documentary and podcast series investigating the historical and political foundations of early childhood education in the United States.
Through research, interviews, and narrative analysis, the series examines how funding structures, labor history, race, gender, and compliance culture have shaped contemporary systems.
Scholarship
& Expansion
Scholarship & Academic Development
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Chaos & Clarity extends beyond media production into long-form scholarship and higher education course development examining early childhood systems, policy design, and professional sustainability.
Current initiatives include:
• Book development analyzing structural patterns within U.S. child care systems
• College-level coursework focused on policy, history, and advocacy
• Curriculum frameworks integrating systems literacy into educator preparation
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This work contributes to ongoing academic and field-level discourse.
Field Dialogues & Convening
Convening the Field
Through virtual conferences, panel discussions, and structured advocacy dialogue, Chaos & Clarity creates space for collective examination of early childhood systems.
These convening prioritize informed analysis over reaction and long-term sustainability over short-term solutions.
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Engage
Join the Dialogue
Opportunities for podcast participation, academic collaboration, conference engagement, institutional dialogue, and media partnership begin with a structured consultation.