Contact the Governor's office NOW - Call toll free or send an e-mail!
Call toll-free number, which connects directly to the Governor's office, will be available for Parents as Teachers advocates until Wednesday 2/2/2010. Alternatively you can call the Governor's office direclty at 573-751-3222. Keep your call short and to the point:
* Give the receptionist your name and home town
* Identify yourself as a supporter of Parents as Teachers
* Ask that they inform the Governor that you are very disappointed about the $4.1 M cut
* Please feel free to add a short personal story
* You do not need to talk to another staff member - leaving a message at the desk is perfect!
Send an e-mail through the Parents as Teachers Action Center Just visit the Parents as Teachers National Center website, scroll down to the bottom of the screen, fill in your email address and other information, follow the prompts and personalize the email to the Governor's office and hit "send". h ttp://www.parentsasteachers.org/SAVEMOPAT
Please forward this email on to the families that you serve and other Parents as Teachers supporters in your community. It is critically important that Governor Nixon hear from people across the state about the value of Parents as Teachers. The number of people that speak out on behalf of Parents as Teachers makes a real difference! Please make your call or send your email by next Wednesday 2/3/2010.
Thank you on behalf of Missouri's children and families.
Parent as Teachers National Center
314-432-4330
A bad day at the beach, is better than a good day at work.
Okay peatotters.......After you call and e-mail and do all you can to pursuade Nixon to do the right thing for Parents as Teachers you need to continue on......I've done the work for you......Take what you want from my letter that I sent and add your own personal stories and fire off a letter to everyone on THIS LIST (There is a legislator look up on the right put in your zip code (you'll need the +4 zip but there is a link to click and look up)) and send everyone on that list your e-mail!!
Here is my letter
Who are you kidding by letting Nixon get away with cutting thousands of Missouri's children off from services from Parents as Teachers? If he's not going to do something You Better! Something has to be done to stop cuts in education! Why is it that there is always money to send to other countries for aid and money to send to rebuild countries that our country blows up and money to continue fighting in a pointless war when there are THOUSANDS of children right here in Missouri who need help?
My children have been participating in the Parents as Teachers program since birth and because of our participation their lives have been enriched by taking part in various community activities. We have had the opportunity to visit with park rangers and explore nearby parks with their expertise. We have also had the opportunity to participate in various events the school district holds on their grounds.
My parent educator found a slight speech delay in my daughter, Isabella, who will enter kindergarten in 2010. Because the delay was found so quickly all of her speech therapy will occur before she enters kindergarten and her teacher feels that once she completes this year of speech, no more lessons will be needed. Therefore she will have the ability to go to school ready to learn and participate during the entire day, instead of being pulled for speech class during other important class times. How far do you think her grades would fall if she was pulled from class for speech? How low do you think she would score on standardized tests as a result of being pulled for speech?
I have a son who won't enter kindergarten until 2012. Our parent educator found many delays in his development. He is currently receiving speech therapy, developmental therapy, and was just released from physical therapy. All of his services are provided by First Steps so please do not cut funding to this MUCH needed resource either!!! Because he will be 3 soon and First Steps hands care over to the school district at the age of 3 we need a strong parents as teachers program along with a solid pre-kindergarten program in the schools here in Missouri. My son, Joey, is counting on you. He needs the funding for good teachers and great schools so he will have the same opportunity as other children. He too, needs to start school ready to learn!
With so many people in government saying that schools need to be held accountable and that schools need to bring up scores on standardized testing along with schools should leave "No Child Left Behind" we need now, more than ever, the funding to keep these valuable programs in place. Why do people in government find it necessary to cut off the youngest most vulnerable children? For every dollar you invest in a child, I promise you, that child will give you back at least double that.
You were voted into the position in which you hold and you can just as easily be voted out. Unless you do something to prove to me that you value my children, and the children of Missouri, then I will do my best to find someone who will take my concerns seriously!
A bad day at the beach, is better than a good day at work.
Well said. I couldn't agree more. Both of my kids were a part of Parents as Teachers and PAT helped find a speech delay in my youngest too. There's so much waste in government at the state and federal levels, you'd think more cuts could be made in other areas besides education. I guess we'll get more casinos and lottery money to solve our education problems. I seem to recall we were told that 10 or 15 years ago. Looks like that's worked well. Now we have more lottery games than I can count and more casinos than this metro area can or should support. All in the name of education!
I loved our Parents As Teachers Educator. She was friendly and gave us great ideas of games to play with Jess to develop her fine and gross motor skills. I am sadden to know that they will be cutting this great program. Again, the future lies in our children, why do we continue to sabatoge it? Maybe they should be drug testing all those on Welfare and Disability. Those who test positive for illegal drugs should be removed, that would save a fair penny!
Hopefully, Governor Nixon will realize how important this program is for many families. Early intervention through PAT helps discover kids at risk of a developmental delay.
A bad day at the beach, is better than a good day at work.
