Tennessee Alliance for Early Education: Legislative Updates June 16, 2009
On Tuesday, June 16, the state Senate will vote on a proposed budget alternative that shifts
$22 million in pre-K funding to "non-recurring" dollars. This means that after the 2009-2010 budget, a quarter of the pre-K funding is likely to go away. As a result, 250 pre-K classrooms serving 5,000 at-risk 4-year-olds would simply cease to exist in 2010-2011, if funding was not restored.
Pre-K in Tennessee has always enjoyed bipartisan support. But, if the Senate budget passes, it will open the door for pre-K critics to begin to dismantle the program during the next budget cycle. We need your help today to ensure that voluntary pre-K remains an option for our state's at-risk children.
Please take action TODAY :
• Call/contact your own senator and representative (click here to find your legislators).
• Call/contact any others legislators that you know.
• Call/contact all members of Senate and House Finance committees, as these individuals will most likely be appointed to the conference committee.
• Share this e-mail with your friends and ask them to help.
Pre-K works. Eighteen thousand of our state's children are benefiting from the nationally recognized, high-quality program. To lose a quarter of the classrooms would be tragic. That is why legislators must designate recurring funding for the pre-K program this year in order to ensure its future.
NEWS CONFERENCE – YOU'RE INVITED
The Department of Education will host a news conference about pre-K funding on Tuesday, June 16, at 1 p.m., in Room 30 of Legislative Plaza.
You are invited to attend and show your support for pre-K in Tennessee.
To join the Alliance, or for more information, please visit our Web site at www.prekfortn.comor e-mail us at prekalliance@mpf.com. We are also on Facebook.
Showing posts with label pre-k. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-k. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
WE NEED YOU TO HELP SAVE PRE-K FUNDING 6.16.09
Pre-K Leaders Need Support at Press Conference Tuesday June 16
Legislative Plaza
Dear TCSW and the ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WHOMEVER CARES ABOUT OUR YOUTH AND OUR FUTURE:
Below is an alert that went out this morning about the urgent need to support preservation of Pre-K funding. If you care about reducing poverty, make sure our children get the right start.
This email is in concern to the recent action of Senate Finance to dismantle pre-k by moving $22 million to a non-recurring funding source next year.
I am writing to advise you of a news conference to be held on Tuesday, June 16 (tomorrow) at 1:00 in Room 30 (tentative room number) of Legislative Plaza. We are requesting Pre-K leaders and advocates from across the state to join those legislators who are committed to fighting these cuts in this news conference. We especially would like the areas of Anderson, Knox and Rutherford Counties to be represented at the news conference.
Would you help us spread the word? We need LP 30 to be filled to capacity tomorrow with Pre-K supporters. We realize this is short notice but the budget is an urgent matter and will most likely be voted on this week.
The following is a message that needs to be diffused throughout the Pre-K community and state:
We've spent years trying to educate legislators about the value of early childhood education. Unfortunately, some of them continue to work to dismantle pre-K. Most recently, the Senate Republican Caucus is proposing to move $22M in pre-K funding to a dwindling source of non-recurring funds. In doing so, they are clearly setting up pre-K for future cuts. This move would jeopardize future funding for as many as 250 pre-K classrooms.
Bottom line: It's not just disappointing and ill-advised; it's reckless and short-sighted.
We hoped lawmakers would be statesmen this year. Instead, some seem intent on dismantling a nationally recognized pre-K program and undermining local efforts in some of the most forward-thinking education communities in our state -- places like Anderson County (which has perhaps the longest history of pre-K in Tennessee); Rutherford County (which now has the highest pre-K demand in the state); and Knox County (which plays a perennially pivotal role in advancing sound policies, partly because of UT but also because it's an intellectual capital that takes pride in its thoughtful approaches to education).
Thank you for your support of our state's youngest learners!
This email is in concern to the recent action of Senate Finance to dismantle pre-k by moving $22 million to a non-recurring funding source next year.
I am writing to advise you of a news conference to be held on Tuesday, June 16 (tomorrow) at 1:00 in Room 30 (tentative room number) of Legislative Plaza. We are requesting Pre-K leaders and advocates from across the state to join those legislators who are committed to fighting these cuts in this news conference. We especially would like the areas of Anderson, Knox and Rutherford Counties to be represented at the news conference.
Would you help us spread the word? We need LP 30 to be filled to capacity tomorrow with Pre-K supporters. We realize this is short notice but the budget is an urgent matter and will most likely be voted on this week.
The following is a message that needs to be diffused throughout the Pre-K community and state:
We've spent years trying to educate legislators about the value of early childhood education. Unfortunately, some of them continue to work to dismantle pre-K. Most recently, the Senate Republican Caucus is proposing to move $22M in pre-K funding to a dwindling source of non-recurring funds. In doing so, they are clearly setting up pre-K for future cuts. This move would jeopardize future funding for as many as 250 pre-K classrooms.
Bottom line: It's not just disappointing and ill-advised; it's reckless and short-sighted.
We hoped lawmakers would be statesmen this year. Instead, some seem intent on dismantling a nationally recognized pre-K program and undermining local efforts in some of the most forward-thinking education communities in our state -- places like Anderson County (which has perhaps the longest history of pre-K in Tennessee); Rutherford County (which now has the highest pre-K demand in the state); and Knox County (which plays a perennially pivotal role in advancing sound policies, partly because of UT but also because it's an intellectual capital that takes pride in its thoughtful approaches to education).
Thank you for your support of our state's youngest learners!
Bobbi Lussier
Executive Director
Office of Early Learning
TN Dept. of Education
9th Floor Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson ParkwayNashville, TN 37243ph.
615-253-3167 fax: 615-532-4989
Thank you for acting on your values.
Please contact Carol Westlake (carol_w@tndisability.org) or TCSW (shelby.tabeling@tcsw.org) if you have any questions.
With all good hope - TCSW
TN Conference on Social Welfare
2008 8th Ave. S
Nashville, Tennessee 37204
615.313.9980
TN Conference on Social Welfare
2008 8th Ave. S
Nashville, Tennessee 37204
615.313.9980
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