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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
101 Florida Mayors Join Forces with The Children’s Movement of Florida
From Capital Soup: “These local government leaders, who represent millions of citizens in blue and red districts, have embraced the universal, overarching importance of prioritizing the state’s youngest children.”
Florida mayors urge DeSantis to prioritize early education | Commentary
From Orlando Sentinel: “Getting children off to a good start is sound policy and wise investment in the future of a state we all love.”
Mayors urge Ron DeSantis to prioritize early learning
From Florida Politics: “Mayors from across the state are urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to double down on early childhood education so the state’s generation-in-waiting can achieve higher high school graduation rates and have access to a full slate of employment and postsecondary education opportunities.”
Welcoming Older Adults into the Head Start Classroom
From Medium: “Encourage volunteers to share their skills and hobbies. Invite volunteers to connect their lives to children’s interest and your curriculum.”
Bridging more than just a reading gap
From Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “The mission of the Literacy Lab is to provide low-income children with individualized reading instruction to improve their literacy skills, leading to greater success in school and increased opportunities in life.”
Educating homeless parents on the importance of early childhood education
From The Philadelphia Inquirer: “According to child experts, early experiences of homelessness are associated with higher rates of developmental delays, poor academic achievement, asthma, attention problems, poor social and emotional functioning, acting out, and other difficulties.”
Acts of Kindness: Foster Grandparents Volunteer To Teach Students
From Star-Herald: “After dedicating their day to teaching the students, the foster grandparents feel a sense of pride as they watch the students interact with others in public for years.”
It Only Takes One Dedicated Mentor to Shape a Child’s Future
From Boca Raton Tribune: “If children are truly our future, then we adults owe them a helping hand in shaping it. We can do so through mentoring.”
Foster Grandparents Program Gives Children Love, Attention
From Reflector: “The children know these seasoned adults are not their teachers; they are their grandmas who take up extra time with them, teach them, give them hugs and welcome them onto their laps to read books.”
How San Antonio educators are bridging cultural gaps to involve parents
From San Antonio Express-News: “Educators across the country have emphasized parental engagement, because studies show students whose parents are involved outperform those whose parents do not appear engaged.”