Advocate for education: Let your voice be heard NC Senate budget

The legislators for the state of North Carolina are in the process for planning the 2013 – 2014 budget and the component for this article is the area of early childhood education (ECE).  Presently, the Senate budget is out for review and urgency to contact district and sponsors to have your voice heard how the suggested budget is going to affect children and their families. 

Here are some of the highlighted components relating to Education and Early Childhood Education.

1.       K-3 teacher assistants will be eliminated (-$142 M);

2.      Classroom teacher allocation slashed (-286 M);

3.      Additional cuts to instructional support staff, supplies and buses;

4.      Eliminate the maximum class size requirement

5.      The DCDEE budget transfers 2,500 NC Pre-K slots ($12.4M) for FY 14 and 5,000 NC Pre-K slots ($24.9 M) in FY15 to the Child Care Subsidy program.  Special provisions require that all Child Care Subsidy dollars must be administered by local department of social services (DSS) agencies, which means Smart Start would no longer have the ability to use Child Care Subsidies to boost quality and serve different children. 

North Carolina has been a state given recognition nationally and internationally for innovative programs for early childhood education (birth to grade 3).  Viewing these proposed budget cuts one must wonder will our children be prepared for the job market of the 21^st century. 

As you start your advocacy work, if this issue is one you support remember you must be truly passionate about it due to you may have to stand alone and articulate key points.  Advocacy starts with knowledge and learning everything you can and share with everybody because these are all our children. Conduct an online search for other advocacy groups that have your same passion, join the group(s) and stay involved.  Remember, having a support system will reenergize you for the cause when you feel like nothing is working or you are not being heard.  It is important to get information out through meetings, seminars, fliers and rallies for others to understand why they to need to contact district and state representatives.  Write letters to the newspaper and legislators (www.ncleg.org) to know what and why support or not support proposed bills before voting.   

These children cannot vote so they are depending on us to do what is best for them on this issue of education and others.  Advocate and let your voice be heard on their behalf.