Thank You

Thank you for everything you have done to support pre-kindergarten in Tennessee during the 2008 legislative session. Many of you contacted your legislators, wrote letters to the editors of your local newspapers and attended meetings to show your support for the program. Your advocacy efforts brought attention to the importance of high-quality, voluntary pre-K.

On Wednesday night, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a scaled-back budget, concluding the 2008 legislative session. As you know, Tennessee like many other states is facing significant budget shortfalls. As a result, Gov. Phil Bredesen was forced to make a number of very difficult decisions, including appropriating no new money for the state's pre-K program. Even though this is not what we had hoped for, the good news is that the existing program classrooms will continue to be fully funded.

Looking Ahead in Tennessee

There is still much work to be done to promote pre-K in Tennessee. In this upcoming election we urge you to take the time to know the candidates and to question them closely on where they stand on pre-K.

It is also vital that we continue to grow the Alliance membership and strengthen our presence across the state. If you are not already an Alliance member, you can fill out a membership form by clicking here. Please invite your friends and colleagues to do the same.

The 2008 Early Childhood Summit

Another opportunity to show your continued support is to attend next month's 2008 Tennessee Early Childhood Summit: Building Early Learning Foundations Together. Pre-kindergarten educators, experts and advocates from across the state will gather in Nashville for the two-day conference, scheduled for June 26 and 27 at the Sheraton Music City. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 29 (registration forms and payments must be postmarked by Thursday, May 29 there will be no online or on-site registration for the conference). Spots are still available you don't want to miss this chance to train and network with fellow pre-K advocates. Click here to download a registration form.  For up-to-date conference information, please visit www.prekfortn.com.

On a National Level

Pre-K is receiving widespread attention on the national level from presidential candidates to the media. National opinion leaders are talking about how high-quality, voluntary pre-K will help prepare children to be successful in school and in life. To view a recent story about pre-K that ran on ABC World News, click here.

Thank you again for your unwavering dedication to pre-K in Tennessee and the future of our children.

To join the Alliance, or for more information,
please visit our Web site at www.prekfortn.com
or e-mail us at prekalliance@mpf.com.

List of important links for public policy:

www.tennessee.gov   – For information on the state’s pre-k programs

www.prekfortn.com     – for information on the Tennessee’s Alliance and new pre-k legislation for all 4 year olds.

www.votesmart.org – this website will help you identify your elected officials List of important links for public policy:Tennessee.Gov – For information on the new pre-k legislationWWW.TNPreK.org – for information on the Governor’s new pre-k legislation for all 4 year olds.http://results.gpponline.org/ – The Government Performance Project—this site shows the state’s report card

www.TNDisabilityMegaConference.org – The third annual Disability Mega Conference to be held

back to top