4 Year Old to Present Pre-K Champion Award at Gala Dinner
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Nearly 300 education leaders will join tonight to honor Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott for his support of high quality Pre‐K Reforms at the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) Gala at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. The Texas Association of Business is proud to be a Pre‐K Champion because we believe in reforms that reflect Texas commitment to prosperity and economic growth. Key among those are the pre‐k reforms implemented on Commissioner Robert Scotts watch" said Bill Hammond President & CEO of the Texas Association of Business.
Four‐year old Emiliano Guerrero was selected among hundreds of his peers to present the Commissioner with the Texas Pre‐k Champion Award a Texas‐themed piece of artwork drawn by Emiliano himself.
Emiliano will be joined by his parents as well as his teacher and principal from
Lucy Read Pre‐kindergarten Demonstration School.
Thousands of Texans Coming to Austin to Fight for Prek
Model Classroom in Rotunda Rally on South Capitol Steps Legislative Visits Appearances by PBS Character The Cat in the Hat" are all Components of the Day
The day will showcase a number of activities including:
- A Rally and Press Conference at 10:00 AM on the Capitol South Steps.
- Speakers Senator Judith Zaffirini Representative Mark Strama Bill
Hammond of the Texas Association of Business and Dr. Juliet Garcia President of the University of Texas at Brownsville.
- A Model Pre-K Classroom set up in the Ground Floor Capitol Rotunda (basement level): the classroom includes four components including math and science English Language Learners children with special needs and 21st Century Technology.
- Legislators have been invited to see firsthand what a high‐quality environment looks like for young learners and to take a tour read and interact with visiting pre‐k students.
- Legislative Visits conducted by 100s of advocates from all across Texas.
- Surprise appearance from PBS Character the Cat in the Hat to entertain an expected 750 children coming to Pre‐k Day.
Advocates will be seen in all corners of the Capitol wearing Pre‐K Works" buttons. Legislators will hear from advocates on the following revenueneutral high quality policy options:
- Continued investment in proven pre‐k reform programs including the Prekindergarten Early Start (PKES) Grant Program and Early Childhood School Readiness Models (Texas Early Education Model Texas School Ready Project and the Texas School Readiness Certification System)
- Improving the child care subsidy system in Texas through the existing federal allotment (legislation is in the process of being filed by Representative Mark Strama)
Quotes from Texas Leaders:
The Coalition is honored to present Commissioner Robert Scott with the Texas Pre‐K Champion Award" said Kara Johnson President & CEO of the
Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition.
Under the Commissioners leadership more than 100000 preschoolers have entered reform classrooms leading to an accountable pre‐k system where children are entering kindergarten school ready" she added.
Through TEAs reformed pre‐k grant weve transformed teacher behavior in the classroom by focusing them on activities proven to prepare children for academic success. And were requiring them to demonstrate strong accountability for results" Hammond said.
TECEC Gala Sponsors:
- Brewer Educational Resources
- Early Care & Education Consortium
- Hatch Early Childhood
- H‐E‐B
- IBM
- Imagine Learning
- Kaplan Early Learning Company
- Lakeshore Learning Materials
- National Educational Systems Inc.
- OZ Systems
- Pearson
- Scholastic
- School Specialty
- Teaching Strategies and
- Teachscape
