Aventura Mall Hosts David Lawrence, Jr. at LEVEL THREE
From Miami’s Community Newspapers: “The impact Dave Lawrence has had on the early education landscape in Florida is immeasurable. This year, the inaugural VPK class is graduating high school. Dave’s vision, mission and leadership have paved the way providing a strong start for all Florida children.”
ReadingPals for kindergarteners needs volunteers
From The Lakeland Ledger: “The ReadingPals program is a fantastic opportunity to engage in students’ lives at a time when they are very impressionable and very much interested in that extra attention,” Barnett said.
The Movement helped bring the KidCare Coalition to Brevard
We’d like to share an example of how The Movement works with local partners to convene community members and spread the message of the importance of the early years. This article comes from Gerrit Van Lent, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Central Florida.
ReadingPals Volunteer Has Quite a Story of Her Own
From Citrus County Chronicle: “Betty Rowe has spunk and grit, and she brings it with her each week to Crystal River Primary School where she’s a United Way ReadingPals volunteer.”
The Gainesville Sun: The importance of early childhood education
From The Gainesville Sun: “Florida voters approved free voluntary pre-K for the state’s 4-year-olds in 2002, but lawmakers haven’t provided the funding and set the standards required to ensure the program is effective.”
David Lawrence Jr’s A Dedicated Life Book Tour
From WJCT News: “Lawrence discussed his book, The Children’s Movement, and the importance of journalism and how consuming the media has evolved over the years with us.”
Want to Leave a Legacy? Be a Mentor
From The New York Times: “Older people are uniquely suited for a mentoring role. The critical skills for nurturing relationships — emotional regulation and empathy — blossom as we age.”
Here’s why Florida’s conversation on early learning should focus on brain building, not babysitting
From The New Tropic: “The early years are a valuable and significant time because these connections form the brain’s foundation. It is easier and more effective to get things right the first time than return later to strengthen or shore up preventable damage to a child’s developmental process.”
Moral, practical imperative for prioritizing kids' early years
From The Palm Beach Post: “Beyond what is right, prioritizing Florida’s children’s early lives is also the most practical, effective and efficient solution to numerous challenges faced by our state.”
The moral, practical imperative for prioritizing Florida's youngest kids | Opinion
From South Florida Sun Sentinel: “As state legislators come together this spring to agree on Florida’s priorities and express them in budgets and agendas, these 100 mayors hope DeSantis and Florida legislators take appropriate action as stewards of Florida’s future prosperity and prioritize early childhood when they vote.”
Invest in early childhood education
From The Gainesville Sun: “Quality early-childhood programs may seem expensive to provide, but not providing them is even more expensive.”
101 Florida Mayors to Governor: Prioritize Early Childhood Learning
From Early Learning Nation: “The Children’s Movement of Florida has pulled together more than 100 Florida mayors and got them all to sign a letter to FL Governor Ron DeSantis with a clear message: Prioritize early childhood learning.”
Local mayors petition DeSantis for early education
From Northwest Florida Daily News: “We know that prioritizing early childhood development is a wise investment in Florida’s future prosperity. … We ask that you make this a priority in your administration.”
A Good Start For Children is a Top Priority
From The Miami Herald: “Enhancing quality in the sites that care for our youngest children cannot be done on the cheap, which is exactly what has been happening in our state. It is the long view, however, which should be driving our personal and political positions.”
Florida Mayors: Gov. DeSantis, Make Early-Childhood Education His Priority
From The Miami Herald: “Today, at least 30 percent of all children entering public school are significantly behind, and we know that most of those then fall further behind.”
ICYMI: Florida education news in review, week of Feb. 18, 2019
From Tampa Bay Times: “One hundred Florida mayors, from big cities to suburbia to small towns, have signed a letter asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to prioritize early childhood as he sets his agenda for Florida’s future.”
Florida mayors call for greater focus on early childhood development
From WCTV: “Most of the development, human development, takes place in the earliest years of our lives. So it’s important that we create the environment and we dedicate the resources so that all children can flourish.”
Column: The moral and practical imperative for prioritizing the early years
From Tampa Bay Times: “We spend less than $3,000 a year to educate a child in pre-K, but more than $50,000 a year to incarcerate a juvenile.”
Florida mayors ask DeSantis to make children a budget priority
From News 4 Jax: “Keeping them interested in learning can actually keep them out of prison. Early learning is the key … It is good for kids and is good for the community.”
100 Mayors Call on Gov. DeSantis To Make Investment In Young Children
From Florida Phoenix: “Whether this takes the form of support for early learning initiatives, more widespread health care for children under 5, or greater access to parenting support resources for all parents, the result is the same: a state that prioritizes children will reap rewards over time with a better workforce and lower crime.”