Reflecting on her work, Lisa Brooks said the three most important parts of her job are to love, cherish, and educate every child that comes through her doors. She also explained to the members of the Florida House of Representatives Education Committee how hard it can be to find and maintain teachers fully qualified for the job because there is not enough per-pupil funding coming in from the State to retain the talented members on staff.
Brooks, the director of the Saint Rita Pre-School Program in Santa Rosa Beach (located in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee) came to Tallahassee on September 17, 2019 to participate in an early learning panel. This discussion occurred during a committee meeting held in advance of the 2020 Legislative Session. Brooks was one of three preschool directors who joined three early learning coalition officials on the panel. They were asked to discuss ways of identifying and rewarding quality providers in the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness programs, which could be addressed by future legislation.