The First 30 Days with Senator Jesse Hamilton

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - April 6, 2015 - PRLog -- On Saturday, February 14, 2015, Senator Jesse Hamilton joined Inner Force Tots, along with state and education leaders, to lead an education panel at the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators 44th Annual Legislative Conference in Albany, New York. The panel was co-sposnored by Assembly Member Nick Perry and Assembly Member Latrice Walker. The panel called, Education – The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time: An Early Start for an Equal Opportunity, moderated by Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, pointed to the future and enforced the work that must be done on behalf of young children across the city and state. The panel addressed the chronic low performance of the nation's urban school systems – one of the most challenging issues facing educators and policymakers today.


To bring diverse perspectives to the discussion, the panel included Dr. Garey Ellis, CEO of Inner Force Tots, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (9th Congressional District-NY), Melanie Hartzog, Executive Director at the Children’s Defense Fund, Betty Holcomb, Policy Director at the Center for Children’s Initiatives, Andre Eaton at the Parent-Child Home Program, and Diane Richardson at Boys Town New York. The conversation focused on roles educators and policymakers can play in leveling the playing field and reversing negative trends; the under-utilization and underfunding of Universal Pre-K (UPK); changing the dynamics of early education; the School to Prison pipeline; and provisions for early education enrollment in New York City. The students we serve today are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty, more likely to have difficulty speaking English, less likely to live in a two-parent family, almost twice as likely to be assigned to special education, far more likely to drop out and more likely to move frequently, disrupting their education – such is the reality for many of the communities in Senator Hamilton’s district. “We cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age—a time when it may be too late to intervene. Learning is adynamic process and is most effective when it begins at a young age and continues through to adulthood,” James Heckmen once stated, a Nobel Laureate in economics at the University of Chicago.

Senator Hamilton represents 300,000 constituents in the 20th Senate district. As a way to provide assistance to all constituents the Senator created a mobile office; which provides constituent services in libraries throughout the district. As an attorney, he understands firsthand some of the legal issues within his district. He has partnered with NYLAG to provide mobile legal services. The Senator has created Health Fairs throughout the district that provide free screenings and information on healthcare and healthy living, with plans to expand efforts by working with local hospitals in the district. As a way to provide open lines of communication, Senator Hamilton created a “Know Your Rights” series. These forums address issues that constituents have within their communities. The kick-off started with a “Know Your Rights” Housing forum, which generated more than 300 residents. He has also been involved in efforts that would increase community engagement. Senator Hamilton has created a “Step Up, Speak Out” series which encouraged more than 100 people to speak out about issues within their community to their local elected officials. His Senate Committee membership includes Agriculture, Banks, Codes, Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, Education, Energy and Telecommunications, and Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. If you would like to contact Senator Hamilton’s district office, you can visit the following location, 1669 Bedford Avenue, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11225 or call 718-284-4700.