Will Bright Beginnings Survive? We'll Find Out Tomorrow.

by Megan Cottrell · 2011-05-09 15:53:00 UTC
Topics:

Tuesday, May 10th is an important day for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district. It's the day where the school board will decide whether or not to ask for an additional $45 million from the county - money that would keep the school district from shutting down one of it's most successful early learning programs - Bright Beginnings.

Three months ago, Bright Beginnings teacher Michelle O'Reilly bravely stood up and asked her school district to save the program, despite budget cuts. Bright Beginnings serves thousands of Charlotte's most vulnerable students - kids who live in poverty, have learning disabilities and speak English as a second language.

"Without this program, these children are not going to become responsible citizens because they're going to be struggling," said O'Reilly.

She didn't stop there. O'Reilly gathered over 900 online signatures at Change.org and even more in her community. She's asked local groups and churches to come together on the issue and even stood up at a recent school board meeting to talk about how much the community needs Bright Beginnings.

All her efforts have certainly gotten the attention of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board. While many members initially seemed indifferent towards the program, school board chair Eric Davis said he will ask the county for $45 million more dollars than the school superintendent, Peter Gorman, initially requested. That money would allow the district to continue Bright Beginnings and other programming.

At the beginning of the school year, Michelle O'Reilly says she meets students who are shy and confused, very unfamiliar with a school classroom. But every year, by the last day of school, she says those same students have grown - becoming confident, speaking clearly and proudly and ready for school. After seeing that kind of transformation, she knows it has to continue.

"When a society invests wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship," said O'Reilly "I want to live in a world- class Charlotte that truly showcases the best of American living for all of its citizens."

Let Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools know that you want Bright Beginnings to continue. It's not too late to sign Michelle's petition. You never know - your signature just might remind a school board member how important this program is and help save Bright Beginnings for the kids of Charlotte.

Image credit: The Children's Alliance

Megan Cottrell is a reporter and writer living in Chicago.

RELATED PETITION

Tell the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners: Please Fund Bright Beginnings
VICTORY!
925 People
PREVIOUS STORY:
Activists Call For Firing Of Prosecutor In Tanya McDowell Case
NEXT STORY:
Student loans got you down? Start a petition.

COMMENTS (0)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.