Viewing Party Guide
for
LPB - October Louisiana Public Square
“Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities”
Wednesday, October 21
,2015
Airing: 7pm-8pm
What is a Viewing Party and why you may want to consider hosting a Viewing Party:
Viewing Parties are a great way to familiarize yourself and others with special television programming opportunities while gathering with friends and colleagues in a relaxed environment. Viewing parties are casual and encourage discussion among the participants. On Wednesday evening, October 21st, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) Louisiana Public Square will discuss the state policies, challenges and data associated with increased investment in Early Childhood Education (ECE) with comments from a diverse panel of stakeholders, supplemented by questions from the audience. You can help make the most of this exciting media opportunity to have statewide ECE policy better understood by all Louisiana citizens!
You may organize your “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Viewing Party in any manner that fits
you and your group of invitees. Here are a few suggestions that may be useful. Thank you for your support of and
commitment to the children of Louisiana!!!
Getting started: Invite Friends, Neighbors, and Colleagues
Start with people you know. Think about friends, family, colleagues, educators and neighbors. This is a chance to bring people together to jointly watch the “Louisiana Public Square Presentation” which is designed to focus entirely on the importance of increased funding for ECE. Your Viewing Party may be any size or place that works best for you and your guests.
You may also want to reach out to your larger community. You may feel comfortable inviting local elected officials, teachers, and clergy and you can reach out to these individuals by e-‐mail, phone or casual conversation prior to the event. You can create your own event flyers and post them at your local coffee shop, grocery store, or library.
You may wish to encourage all of your guests to RSVP for your event so you know how many people to expect.
Gather useful information for the event
Again, these are suggestions for some material that may be useful to organize before your “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Watch Party.
•
“Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Viewing Party "Agenda"
A suggested agenda is provided below or feel free to create your own.•
Sign-‐in Sheets
A sign-‐in sheet may be helpful for future community events relevant to Early Care and Education. Name, address, phone, email, organizational affiliation (optional)
• “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Neighbor to Neighbor Videos
You might consider showing the ECE video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6uffrELNg which was developed by United Way of Southeast LA and sponsored by Entergy Corporation. This tool is one way to assist your guests to better understand the importance of investing in ECE programs.
• “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Issue Flyers
“Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” has developed flyers and other information that will identify all members of the Coalition and provide important statistical data regarding the need to increase investment in ECE programming. The issue flyer is at the end of this document.
• Join the “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities”
Let folks know how they too can join the “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Coalition and share with them the Ready Louisiana Website. Membership forms are below and also can be found at www.readylouisiana.org.
“Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Viewing Party Agenda:
LPB “Louisiana Public Square” looks for answers on “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” airing Wednesday, October 21st at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on all local LPB stations to include WLAE in New Orleans.
0:00 Guest Sign-‐in
We suggest you encourage guests to arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. and ask them to sign in.
0:05 Welcome from Host
Introduce yourself and share your story. What inspired you to get involved in “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” and why are you hosting this Viewing Party?
As people gather at your home or your organization's office, business, school, or childcare center to watch the Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) Public Square presentation, let them know why you care so deeply about this issue and about how they too can help spread the "Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities" message to people in their respective neighborhoods, PTA, with colleagues, close personal friends and family.
0:10 Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities Group Introductions
It may be helpful to ask everyone to briefly introduce themselves and share their story about what inspired them to get involved in learning more about the need for increased investment in ECE programs as well as their motivation to attend the Viewing Party.
0:20 “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Neighbor to Neighbor
Introduce your guests to our “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Issue Flyer and Coalition Forms.
0:30 Start of “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Viewing Party
View the LPB – “Louisiana Public Square” programming which will begin at 7pm.
At the Conclusion of your “Funding the Future: Early Childhood Opportunities” Watch Party:
Afterwards—it would be great to have a discussion about the show:• What did each viewer in the group take away from the program? • What panelist(s) make the points I will remember?
• What information provided was surprising, disappointing, motivating?
• How can I engage in this issue? What can I do individually or as part of an organization?
o Some options: Sign up as an organization for Ready LA (Organization sign up below “Join the Ready LA Coalition: form below—you will need to make copies-‐-‐ or encourage them to go to ww.readylouisiana.org).
o Some options: Sign up as an individual for Ready LA (“Take the Pledge” form below—you will need to make copies-‐-‐ or encourage them to go to www.readylouisiana.org)
o Engage in social media such as Twitter Chat, Facebook on this issue
o Some options: Ask candidates for Governor, the Legislature or the state board of education what their position is on this issue. (See Talking Points and question below.)
• What else?
Thank all viewers for participating. If you did not have the discussion above, please consider asking them to join Ready Louisiana (make sure you have some membership forms on hand) either by having their coalition join or taking the pledge individually. You can make copies of the forms below or encourage them to go to www.readylouisiana.org.
Thank Your Guests
You may wish to send thank you emails to all of your guests and encourage them to stay tuned for future opportunities to support greater investment by our state in early care and education.
Congratulations!
You’ve just helped Louisiana citizens better understand the economic importance of increased investment in early care and education serving all of Louisiana’s children. Thank you so much for your generous contribution!
Join the Ready Louisiana Coalition
(For Organizations)
Organization's Name:
Parish(es) Represented:
Your Name:
Phone Number:
Your Email:
About Us
Ready Louisiana is a coalition of businesses, advocacy organizations, early care and education
professionals, parents and citizens seeking sufficient investment in quality, affordable early care and education
in Louisiana.
Agenda for Children
Capital Area United Way
Child Care Association of Louisiana
Childhood & Family Learning Foundation
Citizens for One Greater New Orleans
Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.
Education’s Next Horizon
Entergy
Kingsley House
League of Women Voters of Louisiana
Louisiana Association of United Ways
Louisiana Budget Project
Louisiana Association for the Education of Young Children
Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families
Monroe Chamber of Commerce
National Council of Jewish Women, GNO Section
New Schools for Baton Rouge
Northwestern State University Child and Family Network
Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN)
Policy Institute for Children
St. John United Way
St. Landry-Evangeline United Way
St. Landry-Evangeline United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council
Stand for Children Louisiana
United Way of Acadiana
United Way of Central Louisiana
United Way of Iberia Parish
United Way of Northeast Louisiana
United Way of Northwest Louisiana
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
United Way of Southwest Louisiana
Urban League of Greater New Orleans
Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge
Please return this form to Ready Louisiana c/o Policy Institute for Children;; P.O. Box 13552;; 3400 South Carrollton Avenue;; New Orleans, LA 70185-5025. Questions? Contact: Melanie Bronfin, mmbronfin@policyinstitutela.org.
Take the Pledge
(For individuals)
I believe that setting our students up for success starts well before they enter elementary school. I know the
importance of a smart start for our youngest learners and I commit to working to ensure that all of Louisiana’s
children are well prepared for their academic journey by making sure every child experiences high quality early
learning and care.
Your Email Address:
Your First Name:
Your Last Name:
Your Zip Code:
Please return this form to Ready Louisiana c/o Policy Institute for Children;; P.O. Box 13552;; 3400 South Carrollton Avenue;; New Orleans, LA 70185-5025. Questions? Contact: Melanie Bronfin, mmbronfin@policyinstitutela.org.
Issue Flyer-‐Talking Points for Ready Louisiana
• What happens to a child between birth through age 4 can have a profound impact on his or her performance in school
and in life.
• These early years are the most rapid period of brain development, and set the foundation for all future learning, health
and success.
• Approximately 70% of young children in Louisiana spend a significant time in care because they have both parents,
or their only available parent, in the workforce.
• Act 3, the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Act, was passed in 2012, mandating a total reform of early care and
education for children birth through age 4.
• Act 3 is intended to ensure that every child enters kindergarten ready to learn. Currently that is not the case for
almost half of Louisiana's children.
• According to figures provided to the Legislature by the state board of education (BESE), the cost of just the first
phase of Act 3 implementation is estimated to be $80 million.
• Louisiana appropriates* $0 in state general funds or federal TANF money to early care and education slots** for
children under age 4.
• In addition, overall funding for Child Care Assistance in Louisiana has been cut by 60% over the last six years.
• Child care in Louisiana costs almost as much as a public college tuition.
• Ready Louisiana, a coalition of over 30 private and nonprofit organizations statewide, believes $208 million is
required by 2020 to address the early care and education needs of Louisiana's working families.
Recommended Question for Candidates to learn their positions on these issues.
If elected, what is your plan for funding early care and education so that working parents can access high quality
care for their young children and all at-risk 4 year olds can attend public Pre-K?
_____________________________________________________________________________
*Note: It is important to use the word “appropriates” because Louisiana does spend state general funds on child care through the School Readiness Tax Credits. However, we do NOT include any state general funds or TANF for child care through the state budget (that is, through appropriations). We used to appropriate substantial TANF and state general funds to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Overall spending on CCAP in Louisiana has dropped from $111 million in 08/09 to $35 million in 14/15.
**Note: We use the word “slots” because the state is spending a small amount, about $6 million, in state general funds on the Act 3 Community Networks (for administration, training etc.), which, in theory, benefit all publicly funded children birth through age four. NONE of these funds, however, go for slots/seats, i.e. to pay for the children themselves or increase the number served.
