Working for Each Child in Every Community
by Amy Cubbage
Last week, a new court order to fund the comprehensive plan was the latest development in the long-running Leandro case, which is aimed at ensuring all North Carolina students have access to a sound basic education. The case began in 1994, when school districts in Hoke, Halifax, Robeson, Vance, and Cumberland counties and families sued the state, saying their children were not receiving the same educational opportunities as students in higher-wealth counties.
The comprehensive plan confirms what educators and the early childhood community know: a high-quality early foundation for learning is critical for later success in school and beyond. Smart Start, NC Pre-K, and other high-quality early childhood education programs and services are among the most strongly evidenced, cost-effective interventions available to prepare students for future learning. To provide a sound, basic education for every child and ensure that children are on track for success, North Carolina can and must support a system of early education that provides high-quality learning opportunities to all students.
North Carolina’s parents, elected officials, and business leaders understand the value of investing early and know that children need and deserve a high quality education – starting at birth – to succeed. Those opportunities should be available in every corner of our state and even in the smallest communities – that’s why Smart Start is focused on strengthening early childhood learning in every county.
The Smart Start network looks forward to working with leaders across the state to take the critical steps needed to extend and expand early learning. The early childhood components of the Leandro comprehensive remedial plan include actions to scale up Smart Start, expand NC Pre-K, increase early learning opportunities from birth, improve access to early intervention services, strengthen the early childhood educator pipeline, and ensure smooth transitions into the early grades. The North Carolina Partnership for Children and the Smart Start network support these goals and are committed to doing our part to ensure that North Carolina provides a sound, basic education beginning at birth for each child in every community.
