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Pre-K Now Conferences
"Raising the Profile of Pre-K" (2007)
Pre-K Now's 2007 national conference broadcast, "Raising the Profile of Pre-K," featured best practices for moving pre-k to the top of local, state, and national agendas with policymakers, candidates, and the public.
Here are additional resources and information about the topics and people featured during the broadcast. If you have a question or comment about the conference, please feel free to send us an email at conference@preknow.org.
View the Conference Broadcast
An on-demand webcast of the entire national broadcast is now available. Click on a link below to view the webcast.
Get more out of the webcast by organizing a group to watch it together and using our conference materials to stimulate discussion and planning.
Featured Campaigns & Practices
For more on the local strategies from New York City's campaign, check out:
- Advocacy organizations
- News articles
- "Growing pains for city pre-K, despite funding,"New York Daily News, August 28, 2007
- "Getting the money was just half the battle," Queens Ledger, March 15, 2007
- "Pre-k competition gets in-tents," New York Post, March 12, 2007
For more on the statewide candidate education strategies used by Kentucky advocates, check out:
- Advocacy organizations
- News articles
For more on the national strategies and emerging leadersship in Congress, check out:
- Advocacy organizations
- Speeches and testimonies
- News articles and press releases
Featured Panelists
- Nancy Kolben, Executive Director, Child Care Inc. (website)
Nancy Kolben heads Child Care Inc. (CCI), a leading early care and education policy and advocacy organization in New York City. CCI is working to promote quality early learning, healthy development, and care for children birth through school-age. Nancy is a co convener of Winning Beginning NY, a statewide coalition to promote quality early learning opportunities for all preschool children. She is a coordinator of the Early Childhood Strategic, a New York City based partnership of 20 organizations and individuals working in partnership with the public sector to expand early education opportunities across the city. She also served as President and Founding Board Member of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Nancy has guided the development of numerous publications on all aspects of early childhood policy and has spoken extensively on a comprehensive vision for early care and education.
- Robert Sexton, Executive Director, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (website)
Robert Sexton
has been the executive director of the Prichard Committee since its creation in 1983. A Louisville native, he has also been the deputy director of the Kentucky Council on Higher Education, an administrator at the University of Kentucky and a professor of history.
Robert has been recognized widely for his efforts to improve public education, receiving the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement and honorary degrees from Berea College, Georgetown College, and Eastern Kentucky University. He was a founder of Kentucky's Governor's Scholars Program and the Commonwealth Institute for Teachers. He was also the founder and president of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues and publisher of The Kentucky Journal. He chaired the board that created the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington. He is on numerous boards, including the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, the School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council, and the New Opportunity School for Women. He was a founding board member of the Kentucky Institute for Education Research and served on the Governor's Task Force on Early Childhood.
His book, Mobilizing Citizens for Better Schools, was published in early 2004 by Teachers College Press of Columbia University.
- William Bentley, President & CEO, Voices for America's Children (website)
Bill Bentley leads Voices for America's Children, coordinating a nationwide network of state and local child advocacy organizations in the United States.
Improving the lives of young people has been a consistent theme throughout Bill’s career, from his first job in juvenile justice to his volunteer work as a board member of CampFire USA.
An exceptional leader with skills honed in a distinguished career that includes non-profit, government and private sector experience, Bill joined Voices after serving as the Executive Vice President & COO of the Points of Light Foundation, a premier national organization that promotes volunteer service and coordinates a network of 335 volunteer centers throughout the country. Prior to that, Bill served on the leadership team at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that coordinates the AmeriCorps program. He has also held leadership posts in the Florida state government and for seven years was the Executive Director of the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services.
- Kathy Patterson, Federal Policy Director, Pre-K Now
Kathy Patterson serves as federal policy director for Pre-K Now, advancing the pre-k agenda on Capitol Hill and working closely with other national organizations to pursue shared early education goals.
Kathy was elected to the District of Columbia Council in 1994 and held her seat for 12 years. On the Council, she advocated fiscal responsibility, stronger public schools, and accountability from District officials, and was a key player in the city’s financial recovery. As chairman of the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation, Ms. Patterson was instrumental in gaining passage in 2006 of legislation to fund major renovation of D.C. Public Schools. She fought to provide incentives for public schools to recruit and retain quality teachers by helping teachers receive national board certification, and helping cover the costs of classroom supplies and training. Her other legislative accomplishments range from making D.C. smoke-free to landmark legislation protecting the First Amendment rights of individuals demonstrating in the nation's capital.
Ms. Patterson came to Washington, D.C., from Kansas City, Missouri, in January 1977 to become a Washington correspondent for the Kansas City Star. She previously served as communications director for the American Public Welfare Association from 1986 through 1994, working with state and local public human service administrators on effective national policy to benefit low-income Americans.
Feel free to re-use these conference materials for any future webcast viewing sessions. The dates on the documents are old, but the content is still fresh.
- Sign-In Sheet Template (8.5"x11")
This template can be customized by site organizers and used as a sign-in sheet on the day of the conference. After the conference, please mail or fax completed sign-in sheets to: Pre-K Now, Attn: Conference Coordinator, 1025 F Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20004. Fax: (202) 862-9870.
 Download the sign-in sheet template
- Local Site Agenda Template
This document includes an agenda for the conference broadcast program, to which you may add any pre- or post-broadcast activities planned at your site.
Download the site agenda template
- Discussion Leader Guide
This document is meant to help volunteer site facilitators understand and carry out their responsibilities before, during, and after the conference. A checklist of important tasks is included.
 Download the discussion leader guide
- Worksheets for Local Discussion
The worksheets in this document pose questions to promote discussion following each of the major segments in the conference broadcast. Site organizers or discussion leadersshould make copies for each participant at their sites and distribute them on the day of the conference.
Download the worksheets for local discussion
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"Redefining ESEA" Webinar
Looking for resources from our Webinar, "Redefining ESEA: The Critical Role of Pre-K and the Early Grades in School Reform Efforts”?
Access our PowerPoint presentation from the March 17 call here.
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Recovery Round-up
You've got questions? We've got answers -- and when it comes to pre-k and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we've got lots of them. Courtesy of Pre-K Now's federal team, here is our great collection of resources to help you navigate and apply ARRA funding.
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Tips & Tasks for State Advisory Councils
While reauthorizing Head Start in 2007, Congress added a new provision requiring every state to create or designate a State Advisory Council to better coordinate early education and care services. Pre-K Now has two new resources designed to help policymakers and advocates navigate the process of setting up Councils and seize the opportunities offered by them.
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Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
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Compare and Contrast
Pre-K Bills in Congress
A number of proposals supporting state-funded high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten have been introduced in the 111th Congress. Pre-K Now has analyzed four of the most promising bills: "The Prepare All Kids Act"; the "The Ready to Learn Act"; "The Providing Resources Early for Kids Act"; and "The Universal Pre-Kindergarten Act."
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Fact Sheets
