Milk party' rally aims to improve kids' lives

DAYTONA BEACH -- Fourteen-month-old AnnaMaria Petrelli stared wide-eyed as a member of the Mainland High School drumline stopped right in front of her stroller and beat out a rhythm on a set of four drums resting across his hips.

She continued munching on fruit puffs and sipping milk from a bottle as the drummers got Monday's "milk party" rally off to a rousing start, oblivious to the few hundred adults who had turned out to learn about the Children's Movement of Florida.

AnnaMaria's mom, Katherine Farrell of Daytona Beach, was among those who wanted to know more about the movement aimed at improving the well-being of Florida's children. Farrell said she's concerned because "they're cutting so much funding for kids."

The Daytona Beach rally is one of 15 planned around the state to educate the public about how Florida children are faring and enlist supporters to make improving their welfare a top state priority.

"It is clear as a state we are literally failing our children, most especially our youngest children," David Lawrence Jr., a former Miami Herald publisher who is president and co-chairman of the Children's Movement, told those at the rally at Mainland High School.

He pointed to research studies that show 90 percent of brain development takes place in the first five years of life and said it's imperative Florida's youngest residents have access to health care, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and screening for special needs.

"By every objective standard, Florida ranks poorly in measure after measure after measure of how we invest in our youngest and most vulnerable," he said.

About half of Florida's high school sophomores don't read at grade level, he said, and asked: "How are they going to compete in the 21st century?"

The Children's Movement is headed up by a bipartisan committee of influential Floridians who say they aren't asking for higher taxes but an adjustment in how the state spends its money. Lawrence cited the example of the $2 billion now spent on remedial education and argued less would be needed for that program if the state invested more in young children to get them ready to learn when they start school.

The state's future economic well-being depends on making such changes, he said.

The rally crowd represented a broad cross-section of Volusia and Flagler counties, from parents with young children in tow to senior citizens to employees of agencies involved with children's health and education issues. The speakers told people to pick up milk and cookies on their way out of the rally.

"I feel our youth are being cheated in the school system and after school care, and they're our future," said Karen Bishop of Ormond Beach, a retired Illinois teacher who now subs in Volusia classrooms.

Eleventh-grader Jessica Collins, who attended the rally after hearing about it at school, was encouraged by what she saw. "I think this is a good start (with) people paying attention to the young people in the schools," she said. "It's good how they're getting people educated so they can lead better lives."

Top priorities for the Children's Movement

• · Access to quality health care.
• · Screening and treatment for special needs.
• · Quality prekindergarten opportunities.
• · High-quality mentoring programs.
• · Support and information for parents.

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