Assemblyman Colton & Councilman Mark Treyger to Host Pre-K Enrollment Specialist in Community
August 5, 2014
Dear Friend,
Assembly Member William Colton (47th Assembly District – Brooklyn) and Council Member Mark Treyger (47th Council District – Brooklyn) are hosting a Pre-K Enrollment Specialist on Monday, August 11, 2014. The Pre-K Enrollment Specialist will be available on August 11 in Council Member Mark Treyger’s District Office, located at 2015 Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
The Pre-K Enrollment Specialist, from the New York City Department of Education, will help parents enroll their children for free Pre-Kindergarten programs in local public schools or community based organizations for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. Residents of the community will be able to meet with the Pre-K Enrollment Specialist who will direct parents on how to enroll their children into one of the City’s Pre-K programs.
In addition, in order to serve all the groups of the community, interpretation services will be available for residents who speak Spanish, Russian, or Chinese. All children who live in New York City and were born in 2010 (they must turn four years old by December, 31, 2014) are eligible for the universal Pre-K program.
Date: Monday, August 11, 2014
Time: 4:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Council Member Mark Treyger’s District Office, 2015 Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223
Assembly Member William Colton was instrumental in securing the $300 million in State funding in the 2014-2015 NYS Budget to provide universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs for New York City children. This past March, Assembly Member Colton spoke at the State Assembly’s Budget Debate, strongly urging support for the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Plan. In addition, this past year, Assembly Member Colton was appointed by Speaker Sheldon Silver to the Higher Education Budget Conference Committee.
In addition to being a vocal advocate for public education as an elected official, Assembly Member Colton previously worked as a NYC public school teacher for eleven years, serving as a UFT Chapter Chairperson for six of those years. Also prior to serving in public office, Colton worked as a family assistant in the Head Start Program, a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development, for two summers.
Colton asserted, “With my experience in education, including as a public school teacher, I strongly believe that Pre-Kindergarten programs greatly help children learn in their early years. Working in education convinced me of how crucial pre-k is in the producing a sound educational foundation for our children.” Colton added, “Scientific studies and educational experts have agreed that pre-k classes greatly improve the quality of learning for young children, and will provide a foundation that will continue to benefit students throughout their school careers. Pre-kindergarten programs increase children’s ability to function at school, gives them the foundation that they need in order to be successful, and that will help them in the later years of their education. Investing in our children with education is the best investment we can make in securing a bright future for our city, state, and country. I urge all parents to take advantage of this historic initiative to provide universal Pre-K for New York City children, and please stop by Councilman Treyger’s office to speak to the Pre-K Enrollment Specialist.”
For more information, please contact Assembly Member Colton’s office at 718-236-1598 or ColtonW@assembly.state.ny.us. You may also contact the Council Member’s staffer, Dilyora, at 2015 Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223, 718-307-7151, or drahimova@council.nyc.gov.
