Item:
Title
Quarterly Update on Durham Pre-K (30min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: September 3, 2019
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive the update on Durham Pre-K and ask any questions they wish.
Durham Pre-K has just begun its third year of expansion, with the eventual goal to make high-quality pre-K accessible to all four-year olds in Durham. Child Care Services Association is Durham County’s agent in this work and has also formed a Governance Committee to help provide expert guidance and assistance to this important community project. The expansion work includes expanding the talent pipeline, improving quality in both existing and expansion classrooms through a variety of means, including teacher professional development and close observation, and raising teacher pay.
County staff are in constant communication with staff from CCSA, meet in person at least monthly to review contractual goals and troubleshoot issues that arise, and CCSA also provides the Board of County Commissioners with an in-person quarterly update and discussion on the program’s progress.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: A successful, universal pre-K program in Durham will be a critical part of reducing the achievement gap and improving both educational and, ultimately, other sorts of outcomes for all Durham’s young people. As such, it is strongly tied to Goals 1-3 of the Durham County Strategic Plan.
Resource Persons: Linda Chappel, Senior VP at CCSA; Drew Cummings, Chief of Staff
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board receive the update on Durham Pre-K and ask any questions they wish.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________