State senator visits P.H. Miller Elementary School in Plano

P.H. Miller Elementary School in Plano hosted State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, who currently serves as the minority spokesperson for the Senate Early Childhood Education Committee, for a tour of their preschool classrooms, STEM lab, library and playground facilities. The tour was led by Principal Laurel Mateyka, according to a press release.

During her Oct. 9 visit, Rezin spoke with students about the importance of voting. She also spoke with school officials about preschool expansion, the new Department of Early Childhood, and the importance of community partnerships to ensure the greatest funding for early childhood education, according to the release.

Mateyka made a presentation to Rezin about the school's partnership with Western Illinois University's Parent Engagement Institute, which provides paid parent mentors to assist in the school's classrooms. The program is designed to mitigate shortages in the early childhood labor force, without increasing the local school district budget.

The school also supports a scholarship program for ten paraprofessionals to earn their teaching certification in early childhood education. Rezin met with four of the scholarship recipients who are currently student teaching at the school, according to the release.