February 27, 2014

 

It's Official! California Has Its First Kid Governor

Kid Governor Gets Priorities Straight   

California's first "Kid Governor" (well, Jerry Brown was considered "Kid Governor" his first time around, but he was 37-years-old!), 8-year-old Celeste Elena Umaña delivered a stirring speech on the steps of the State Capitol last Friday. Poised and on point, "Governor" Umaña thrilled the crowd along with a large television and radio audience with her passionate endorsement of quality childcare and pre-school education. She insisted that all California kids need to "start out right" in order to avoid falling into the achievement gap-and that the only way to accomplish that is by offering quality early education programs.

 

"I had to do something."  
"When I first heard that kids as little as five years old were already starting school below grade level, I knew in my heart that I had to do something," said the Kid Governor.  "Yes, it's true that I'm only 8 years old and still not allowed to stay up later than 9 pm at night. But it's also true that I know in my heart that every kid - it doesn't matter if they're rich or poor, if they're brown, black or white, if they speak English, Spanish or any language, all children should have the opportunity to go to a child care, day care or preschool and have a chance to succeed. Do you agree?"

  
Leads California "Gapbusters Tour"

The Kid Governor led a three-day statewide tour called "Gapbusters: Closing the Achievement Gap," a group of child care providers, early childhood education advocates, and parents and their children that travelled by bus up and down California to demand a solution to the achievement gaps that affect our children at the youngest of ages. The group was joined in San Diego by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. Alameda County Supervisor and First 5 Commissioner Wilma Chan, and First 5 Alameda County CEO Mark Friedman spoke at the Oakland Gap Buster's event at Laney College. For more information about the tour go to:http://raisingcaliforniatogether.org.

 

But back to Kid Governor Umaña. "As Kid Governor, I want to make sure that all of our child care providers and pre-school teachers are appreciated and valued.  I'm here to call on Adult Governor Jerry Brown to join us and make sure that we continue this fight for children 0-5 years that they go to proper day care and preschool before they go to kindergarten!" You can watch Celeste Elena Umana's speech here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox5XVrkuZT4.  And if you can, forward the link to ABC-TV in Sacramento so they hear this important message: desk@news10.net 

.