April 24, 2016
The week of April 17-23, 2016 was perhaps one of the greatest weeks of my life!
I am going to share with you the email that I sent to some superintendents, school districts leadership officials, supporters of our 27 - 67 Constitution projects and stakeholders.
I will explain in my next blog why I was so upbeat this week and believe that we will accomplish the mission of getting those Constitution booklets to the youth of Florida before the end of this school year.
The message in it entire format:
Many have asked how is the
progress of getting those Constitution booklets in the hands of our 200,000
fifth grade students in Florida coming along.
Since, I just celebrated the
Anniversary of the start of the “Journey Across Florida” to promote the
Constitution on April 20, 2016.
Thus, I decided to keep
everyone abreast of the progress until the last school district in Florida
closes for the 2015-2016 school year.
I am very happy to report with
the help of the wonderful supporters of Gilchrist County and especially
Superintendent Rob Rankin and Captain Sheryl Brown, Sheriff Department of
Gilchrist County, along with the Steering Committee and the Rotary Club Naples
Collier we were able to get Constitution booklets in the following locations so
far in the month of April:
Update as of April 24, 2016
- Levy
County - 418
- Suwannee County –
438
- Columbia
County – 785
- Dixie
County -
123
Total 1,764 more students
with United States Constitution booklets.
With the support of Dr. Sean
Forman and Barry University and the Steering Committee members of the Florida
Liberty Day Institute 300 Constitution booklets were donated to the elementary
schools of the Miami Dade Public Schools District. Those hard working Steering
Committee members decided to adopt three of the seven elementary schools near
Barry University; which now allows the college students to work with the
educators and fifth grade students of the seven elementary schools.
It is our hope that others
will step up and join in helping the Miami Dade Public Schools District reach
their goal of getting those 25,666 Constitution booklets in the hands of their
fifth grade elementary students.
1.
Benjamin Franklin K-8 Center
2.
Gratigny Elementary
3.
Hubert O. Sibley K-8 Center
4.
Lakeview Elementary
5.
Miami Shores
Elementary
- 110 fifth grade students (Adopted by Joseph Cofield and Steering Committee of
Florida Liberty Day)
6.
Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary
7.
William J. Bryan Elementary
The other 190 booklets will
be donated to two other elementary schools adopted by the Steering Committee!
I deeply appreciate all the
support of everyone and I especially want to give a very special thanks to
Dorothy Spradley, District Volunteer/Education Marketing Coordinator Columbia
County School District, for coordinating getting those 785 Constitution booklets
to the educators and fifth grades students of the Columbia County School
District.
In addition, I want to thank
Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd and her Personal Secretary Edwina Hall, Polk
County Public Schools District, for the great support during my visit to Polk
County on Thursday, April 21, 2016. It is this type of wonderful support and
commitment to their students which makes me continue to believe that we will
achieve the mission of getting those Constitution booklets in the hands of the
entire 200,000 fifth grade student population in Florida.
We now have over half of the
67 Counties which have made the commitment and I am very happy to say that
Collier County and the neighboring Counties of Lee, Charlotte, Henry, Glades,
Okeechobee, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto have made the commitment for the
entire region.
It is indeed with great pride
each of these school districts have put up a unified front in their commitment
to the students in the entire region. I am now equally proud to say because
Gilchrist County led the way many of the other neighboring counties are
attempting to say the same about their commitment within their region.
A very thanks to Lawana
Walden, Bethune Cookman University, and Superintendent James Russell for
implementing the same type program as Barry University as the college students
are going out in May and work with the educators and students of the Volusia
County Public Schools District. I do hope that this becomes a model for the
other school districts across Florida as truly this is a great concept of K-12
and the Higher Educational Institutions working hand in hand for the total success of all
the students.
This is truly a great day to
be excited about the future of our students and the mastery they are having
with the United States Constitution. I believe and I hope that you share this
belief as well with great progress on the start of their life-long journey in
being productive citizens.
Again thanks for the support
of each of you for making a difference.
I wish you a great week
because you each made my past week one of the greatest in my life.
Joseph
