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Representatives Bill Heller and Ed Hooper Join Pre-K Children to Picture the Future

Clearwater, Fla. (Nov. 28, 2007) – Four-year-olds expressed their hopes and dreams for their future careers to Representatives Bill Heller (D-52) and Ed Hooper (R-50) as they celebrated Picture the Future week. The event was hosted by Martha Skelton, Executive Director of Community Pride Childcare, Inc. located in Clearwater.

Representatives Heller and Hooper were joined by parents, business leaders and pre-k teachers to talk about the benefits of degreed teachers and the improvements they are making in Florida’s early learning education system. Also attending was Rita Garvey, the former Mayor of Clearwater and current President of Community Pride Board of Directors.

Picture the Future is a statewide advocacy event created to focus the attention of Florida policy makers on the need for high quality pre-k, specifically degreed teachers in pre-k classrooms. Currently, although degreed teachers are required by law to lead each classroom during the summer session of the constitutionally mandated pre-k program, children enrolled in pre-k during the regular school year in Florida do not receive the same guarantee.

Representatives Heller and Hooper joined the audience to listen to the experts from the field talk about the benefits of degreed teachers, and the difference they would make for Florida’s education system.

Garvey spoke of the impact on economic growth and an educated workforce. She highlighted her personal support because it would benefit children and our state now and into the future.

She is in good company, chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke started the trend, and has been joined by countless business leaders from across the country (including a coalition of economists, business leaders, donors, children’s advocates and policy experts with the same goal, the Partnership for America’s Economic Success) stressing the need for the United States to provide quality pre-k to four-year-olds in order for the country to continue to compete in the global market, as well as gain the economic benefits.

Future goals are important, but Representatives Heller and Hooper also heard from professionals who are seeing the immediate difference being made in the lives of Clearwater four-year-olds. Alan Marinkovich, a teacher at Community Pride, stated that by having earned his BS in education, he feels prepared to lay the educational foundation for children in his care.

Parents were also on hand to show their support. Jacinta Wingfield, parent of a four-year-old, praised pre-k teachers for the success her older child is having in 4th grade, attributing it to the strong educational foundation that was built early on.

The event was highlighted by the pre-k students handing Representatives Heller and Hooper pictures of what they want to be when they grow up. Pictures of teachers, doctors, lawyers, and more were drawn by young hands with colorful crayons and dreams.

This event was sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Chapman Family Foundation, Inc., Voices for America’s Children, and Pre-K Now, and was organized in partnership with Spencer Ingram and Associates, LLC, Early Childhood Association of Florida, Generations United and Children’s Campaign, Inc.

Roy Miller, President and founder of Children’s Campaign, Inc. a statewide advocacy organization for children’s issues, says that the groups that put together this event are looking for more than verbal support for degreed lead teachers. “Florida has a responsibility to our children, our future, and the voters to make quality pre-k a reality,” states Miller. ”The only way that can happen is with a qualified degreed lead teacher in every pre-k classroom. It is time the policy makers of Florida step up and make this legislative change a priority for 2008 Session.”