HUFFINGTON
08.26.12
SMART START?
filed back out into the hall.
On September 4th, Nawal will
start kindergarten. A few months
after that, the state’s Supreme
Court justices are expected to rule
on an appeal of the Leandro decision. What they decide could
determine the fate of preschool
not only in North Carolina but in
every state where advocates and
educators are looking to North
Carolina for examples of how to
educate young children.
Even if the court allows the
state to continue cutting back on
the program, as some advocates
fear, it’s not entirely clear what
would be lost. A comprehensive
study of the system would cost
millions, so advocates have mostly
relied on those studies of “extraordinary” preschools like the
Frank Porter Graham center to
make the point that preschool is
important. As of August, however,
they’ve also had another piece of
evidence to point to. For the first
time ever, according to the State
Board of Education, North Carolina’s high school graduation rate
climbed above 80 percent. Although it’s hard to pinpoint the
precise reasons for this, many educators are quick to note that the
17-year-olds who donned caps and
The argument against
making sure that
4-year-old children
have quality childcare
comes down to this:
Is it worth it?
gowns in the spring of 2012 were
four-year-olds around the time
that Governor Jim Hunt’s administration was laying the foundation for the current pre-K system.
So who will put on a cap and
gown in 2025? Will Nawal be
among them? Afel thinks so. Sabrena does too, but she doesn’t
think it will be easy. As Afel and
Nawal walked down the hall to the
front door, Ms. Sabrena took Afel
aside and said something about
“selective mutism.” She encouraged Afel to take Nawal to a doctor. Afel, the doctor, said she didn’t
think that would be necessary. The
two women looked at each other
for a moment, and then Ms. Sabrena bent down to try one last time.
“Nawal?” she said.
Nawal didn’t look at her. As she
walked away with her mother, Afel
turned and made a promise. “When
she opens up,” she said,
“we will come back.”