Everything old is new again
Early Bird readers, hello again. Newcomers, welcome! If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up here to receive it every two weeks, and join our conversation on issues facing North Carolina’s young children and those who support them. If you’re already a subscriber, please help us reach more people by sharing this with your friends and co-workers interested in early childhood education.
If you feel as if the news about early childhood care and education is a constant cycle of questions about whether the federal or state government will make the investment needed to heal this broken market, I’m here to validate and affirm those feelings.
In the most recent cycle, the response was a $67.5 million investment to partially extend, for six months, the pandemic-era stabilization grants that expired June 30. DHHS says this amounts to about two-thirds of what would be needed to continue the grants at their former level. This is a meaningful cross-partisan action. But it’s also another temporary, partial solution to a persistent, holistic problem.
So what comes next? We’ll find out together in the coming months.
Another story I’ll be following in the months ahead is also about something old coming back in a new form — Pasquotank Elementary School in Elizabeth City. I was sad to learn last spring that my alma mater would close its doors as a K-5 school at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the victim of demographic shifts that have led to decreased enrollment in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools.
But instead of letting this be the end of the story for a school more than 70 years old, Superintendent Keith Parker and his team are making it the district’s new hub for NC Pre-K.
Last week I visited Pasquotank Elementary for the first time since 1997 — when I graduated from elementary to middle school. I had the honor of joining the school’s most recent principal, Simona White, as she and Parker gave a tour to Dani Morris-White, the district’s pre-k coordinator. (Fun fact: Dani and I attended high school together and worked as teachers in Wake County at the same time!)
Over the next year, one wing of the building will be updated to meet the requirements of NC Pre-K classrooms. The rest of the campus will serve as a family and community engagement hub, plus new office spaces for the folks who currently work from trailers behind the district’s central office.
Stay tuned as I bring you updates from my hometown and the folks who made Pasquotank Elementary School what is was — and from those making it ready for a new era of students and families.
In the meantime, check out this video Liz produced that gives you an inside look at early childhood leader Kate Goodwin’s empowerment model in action at Kate’s Korner Learning Center. This model might just be part of the answer to the question of what’s next for early childhood care and education.
More from EdNC on early childhood
Annual KIDS COUNT® Data Book is out. What does it say about North Carolina?
The 35th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book was released in June 2024, and it continues to show...The state 'child care crisis,' the Transylvania 'child care desert,' and the impending 'fiscal cliff'
An acute shortage of child care and preschool education in the county is draining workers from the economy and depriving...Kate Goodwin wants to heal child care
Mornings at Durham Bulls Athletic Park tend to be a quiet time, but if you listen closely, from behind the...The big picture for little kids
Legislative Updates
As y’all may know, Liz is on sabbatical, which means it’s up to me to update you on legislative happenings. The big news in the weeks after the legislature extended stabilization grants at a reduced rate is the resignation of an early childhood champion, Rep. Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford.
Clemmons is leaving the legislature in August to take a position as associate vice president of P-12 strategy and policy for the UNC System. She’s made early childhood care and education a major component of her time in office (which you can read about here and here and here and here), and we know she’ll bring that same energy to her new role. Best wishes from EdNC, Rep. Clemmons!!
News & Research
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Paid or unpaid, child care is vital to the economy. This program recognizes that - From NPR
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4 Trends in Early Care and Education Quality Rating and Improvement Systems - From Child Trends
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Family child care is vital, but declining. Massachusetts is reversing the trend - From WBUR
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Infant & toddler homelessness across 50 states: 2021-2022 - From Schoolhouse Connection
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Payment backlog leaves Missouri child care providers desperate, on the brink of closing - From Missouri Independent
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Care is no ordinary good - From Early Learning Nation
Taking flight! Opportunities to spread your wings
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Child Care Stabilization Grants - From NCDHHS DCDEE
If you have questions about the extension of stabilization grants, this is the best place to find answers.
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LEARN Conference 2024 Virtual Experience - From ZERO TO THREE
From the organizer: ZERO TO THREE invites you to the LEARN Conference 2024 Virtual Experience — the premier professional development event for early childhood professionals. This exclusive opportunity allows you to dive into the latest advancements in early childhood development and connect with peers nationwide — all from your preferred space.
Join us virtually for four content-rich main stage sessions broadcast live to your device, ensuring you’re at the forefront of field innovations – and inspirations. Earn up to four contact hours (.4 CEUs). Keep your credentials current and meet continuing education requirements.
Participate actively through real-time facilitated chat with fellow virtual attendees. Share insights, swap ideas and forge valuable connections with like-minded professionals.
