Opinion: The next county mayor must protect pre-K
A pre-K class meets at Shady Grove in 2023. (Aarron Fleming/The Daily Memphian file)
Kandace Thomas
Dr. Kandace Thomas is the executive director of First 8 Memphis, a nonprofit organization devoted to ensuring Shelby County children ages birth through 8 years have access to high-quality early childhood programs.
“The youngest members of this community did not ask to be born into a budget dispute. They arrived, as all children do, with the expectation that the adults around them would provide what they need to thrive.”
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Guest Columns Pre-K First 8 MemphisRelated stories
Some pre-K classrooms could close within 30 days without county funding
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners pushed Mayor Lee Harris to send more than $10 million in funding to local prekindergarten classrooms in a vote Monday, Jan. 12.
What a changing Head Start grant has to do with possible pre-K closures in Memphis
Instead of expanding pre-K access, classrooms may close if Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris doesn’t release local funding, prekindergarten organization First 8 says.
Universal pre-K money in Shelby County tied up amid ongoing negotiations
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ goals as he leaves office at the end of August include negotiating new terms for funding universal prekindergarten services across the county.
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