Vance County Schools Opposes Privatization of NC Pre-K Program


The North Carolina State Board of Education has reported that there are recommendations in the N.C. General Assembly to eliminate participation of public schools in the N.C. PreK program (formerly More at Four program) and to reduce access of poor children to the program. The N.C. House Select Committee on Early Childhood Improvement has draft recommendations that will be voted on at its next meeting this Thursday, March 1! The recommendations prohibit school systems from serving as the local contractor and requires the immediate phase out of pre-kindergarten programs in public schools in order to reach the desired intent to provide N.C. PreK exclusively in private child care centers. It also will drastically change the poverty indicators, making the program inaccessible to many children living in poverty.

It is time now for everyone to speak out against such a recommendation. Share this information with families in our local public schools. Encourage everyone to contact members of the N.C. General Assembly, including our local representatives Sen. Doug Berger, Rep. Jim Crawford and Rep. Michael Wray. Contact information for all state legislators and members of the N.C. House Select Committee on Early Childhood Improvement can be found online at www.ncleg.net.

Pre-kindergarten programs are extremely important to Vance County, a low-wealth county with a high poverty rate. Statistics indicate that pre-kindergarten programs are most effective for children from low-wealth families or those living in poverty. Pre-kindergarten programs are designed especially for children who have not had the opportunity to participate in pre-school programs before entering kindergarten. These children typically come from low-wealth families who cannot afford to pay for private day care or pre-school programs. Transportation also is not provided for these children to attend a private day cares or pre-schools and most of their families have little or no means of transportation.

The proven and most effective way to educate pre-kindergarten children is to have them attend a structured and accountable program such as in a public school setting. Teachers and the public schools they work in are held accountable for their work with pre-kindergarten students by both state and national education programs. Pre-kindergarten students receiving services in a public school setting also receive free transportation by public school bus. Thus, eliminating the problem of transportation barriers for poor children and their families.

If the state pre-kindergarten funding, through N.C. PreK or any other created program, is taken away from public schools and given to private day care or pre-school centers these centers and their staff members must be held accountable for their work with the children and the children’s resulting performance. Public schools and their teachers are held accountable, so the same must apply to private day care or pre-school centers which receive these public funds! As schools are held accountable, so should day care centers.

It is absolutely foolish of the state, including the governor and the N.C. General Assembly, to simply throw money at private day care and pre-school centers to educate pre-kindergarten children without requiring that they follow an established curriculum, established staff performance standards and established student performance standards. If this is not done, then the true losers in such an endeavor will be the children who most certainly will receive a sub-standard education that will not prepare them for kindergarten. Furthermore, if transportation is not provided for programs in private day care or pre-school centers this will disenfranchise children from low-income families from receiving services that are provided with public funding. This will be in direct violation of the N.C. Constitution and a recent finding by Judge Howard Manning calling for equal educational opportunities for all children.

All state legislators should be discouraged from supporting placing state funded pre-kindergarten programs in private settings. And, if such a move is approved by legislators without making the private settings accountable for student performance, public school systems across the state should pursue filing legal action against the N.C. General Assembly to block such action from becoming reality.

Don’t hesitate to let your voice be heard now, especially before the committee meeting on Thursday!

It is time for public education and its supporters to say enough is enough.

Terri Hedrick
Public Information Officer
Vance County Schools