On Thursday, 3/1, the House Early Childhood Education Improvement Committee is expected to vote on a proposal that would drastically restrict access to NC Pre-K. In advance of the hearing, Committee chairs, Rep. Justin Burr and Rep. Rayne Brown, have put out a call for public comment:
"Representative Rayne Brown and Representative Justin Burr, Co-Chairs of the House Select Committee on Early Childhood Education Improvement, invite and welcome public comment on the following attached 2012 draft of the Early Childhood report.
ttp://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102310221357-176/2012+Early+Childhood+Education+Draft+Report.pdf
Click this link to view a Fact Sheet by our Friends at the Childcare Coalition:
http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102310221357-177/Fact+Sheet+-+NC+PreK.pdf
You may submit comments by either
or
The earlier you submit your comments, the better, but they must be submitted by COB Wednesday, 2/29."
KEY POINTS:
1. The proposal would narrow the financial eligibility of NC Pre-K to include only children from households that earn less than the federal poverty line (FPL). If these rules were applied to all children currently enrolled in NC Pre-K, over 9,400 children would no longer meet the financial requirements for the program.
2. The proposal would privatize all NC Pre-K classrooms. Privatization of all NC Pre-K could have a number of negative impacts:
- Loss of local decision-making authority;
- Fewer slots as a result of higher reimbursement rates for private providers;
- Lack of capacity in rural areas;
- Loss of connection between NC Pre-K and school system.
3. It appears that Limited English Proficiency (LEP) would no longer qualify a child for NC Pre-K. If this is correct, then we are concerned that non-English speaking children will enter school with a significant disadvantage.
