The time has come for Forsyth County to take this step on behalf of its youngest children. Because our future is currently four years old—and how it grows depends on us.
There’s much to do. To make high-quality Pre‑K available for every four-year-old child in Forsyth County, we’ll need to improve quality in existing classrooms, create additional facilities, hire more teachers and help all teachers become more qualified, better compensate teachers, and establish an administrative structure to ensure uniform practices and positive outcomes in every corner of the County.
We know what needs to be done and how to do it. But to make this vision a reality, we need to call for support from elected officials, business and civic leaders, and people committed to the well-being of our community.
Years of research show that it takes many different factors, all working together, to create a high-quality Pre‑K classroom. To create more high-quality Pre‑K experiences for our children, we’ll need to:
Standardize education credentials for Pre‑K teachers and administrators
Use teaching tools and curricula that address the whole child (social, emotional, academic and physical development)
Support transitions to kindergarten
Actively involve families in their children’s learning and wellbeing
Support compensation practices for Pre‑K educators that reflect their importance
Encourage high school and college students to pursue a career in Pre‑K education
Provide incentives and supports for current Pre‑K teachers to earn academic degrees or advanced credentials
Increase the number of high-quality Pre‑K classrooms
Establish a plan for increasing local and state investments in high-quality Pre‑K
Design an effective model for administering, managing and evaluating an expanded high-quality Pre‑K system
To do all of this, we’ll need the support of Forsyth County elected officials, civic leaders, and concerned citizens. We know what needs to be done. We just need to work together to make it happen. You can help by getting involved today.
