Sunday, April 3, 2016

Advocating for child-centered curriculum and play


To: News and Record of Greensboro

200 East Market Street

P.O. Box 20848

Greensboro, NC 27420

 

Attn: John Robinson, Editor

 

Dear John,

My name is Temeka Thatch and I am currently working towards my masters at Walden University. While studying Early Childhood I have come across an important legislation that impacts the families and children of our city, state, and nation. “The No Child Left Inside” Act of 2007 is an act that many people do not know about and I am writing you to inform our city of what it is all about. “The No Child Left Inside” Act of 2007 was initiated due to the lack environmental instruction and the time children spend outside, that the “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001 was pushed out of our children’s school day. The “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001 was introduced to ensure every child receives the best education possible from the most qualified teachers which is great, however what are they  learning by being in the classroom all day and getting little or no time outside. “The No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001 has reduced environmental education as well as outdoor opportunities for children. As an educator who is a strong advocate for outdoor play, I am pushing for “The No Child Left Inside” Act of 2007 to be signed into law. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island introduced this act and I am urging our senators to get on board and support this act. If this Act is signed into law our schools would receive funding for high quality environmental instruction, it would support outdoor learning activities both at school and in environmental educational centers, further more the highly qualified teachers the “The No Child Left Behind” Act pushes for, would also be highly qualified in environmental education, and be trained and certified to model and operate environmental education programs, which include outdoor learning. If you believe that this is something we need for our children, better yet your children, then stand with me. Write letters to your legislators urging them to co-sponsor, speak with the education staff person, and visit the website www.eenorthcarolina.org to find out what more you can do. If we just sit around and do nothing, then nothing will get done. Lets’ stand together, our children’s future is at stake.

Fighting the cause,

Temeka Thatch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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