Superintendent Johnny Rowland of the Webster Parish school district was the guest speaker at the noon Lions Club on August 31. He was accompanied by several members of the school board as well as administrative staff from the district office including Janene Corley who presented information on the Webster Ready Start program.
The topic was the importance of early childhood education and, specifically, the Webster Ready Start program which provides access to high-quality learning experiences and programs for children from birth through age 5.
Superintendent Rowland started out by listing a number of goals he wanted to accomplish before he eventually retires, and said, “Early childhood education and its importance is at the top of that list for me…Our young people are who we’re all going to be depending on.” He also stated that it is our responsibility to make early childhood education better so that students will be more prepared for success in school.
Studies have shown that, when children have experienced these high-quality learning experiences and enter kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, they are less likely to repeat a grade, have fewer discipline problems, are more likely to graduate high school, and are more likely to become contributing members of society.
The Webster Ready Start program helps fund childcare centers and trains childcare workers to use a Tier 1 curriculum that will prepare young children for kindergarten. Studies show that 90% of brain growth happens before kindergarten, so it is critical that very young children be exposed to the knowledge and skills that they will need to be successful in school before they get to school.
The students who are most at risk for being unprepared for school are the children of low-income families, who frequently cannot afford child care.
“70% of our children in Webster Parish come from economically disadvantaged households,” said Rowland. “I did not say that their parents don’t care about them. I did not say their parents don’t want good for them. I didn’t say that they’re going to be sent to school equipped to do the best they can.”
Rowland stated that the reason children from low-income households are typically not as prepared as children from families who are economically secure is because those parents are simply trying to survive.
“When you’re trying to survive and trying to figure out where that next meal is coming from or if the lights are going to stay on, some other things become more secondary instead of primary.
“It’s incumbent upon us to make sure that these kids, who are very, very capable of being educated, are put in a position of being able to rise above where they may currently be. That’s our job. The more we invest in our young, young children and equip them and their parents to be ready for school in those most critical years — birth to 3rd grade — the more set they will be to succeed.”
Information from the Webster Ready Start program states that 91% of at-risk 4-year-olds are currently served by the program, but the numbers drop sharply from there with only 48% of 3-year-olds and a bare 3% of infants being served. They would like to increase those numbers but need more funding to do so. Webster Ready Start is seeking donations for their programs. Donations are eligible for tax credits, and the program will receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the state on contributions.
Webster Ready Start also makes the point that helping this program will not only create a more capable workforce in the future but will also help employers immediately by reducing employee absences due to a lack of child care.
“It’s a proven fact that when you invest in a child’s early-childhood educational journey it only yields positive results,” said Rowland. “Not just for the schools, but later on for the community. For all of us.”
For more information on the program or to make a donation, visit their website at WebsterReadyStart.com or call (318) 377-3099.
The Lions Club has interesting speakers every Thursday. They meet at noon in the American Legion Memorial Hall at 119 Pine Street, and they are accepting new members to help serve the community of Minden.