The Readers' Forum: Wednesday letters

Political agenda

When it is said "Everything is political," think Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board and the board's vote to allow the Civitas Institute to hold a workshop here, split along ideological lines despite school-board elections that are nonpartisan ("Officials OK Civitas workshop," March 9). No self-respecting nonpartisan member or even moderate would have voted to allow the Civitas Institute to hold a rally — oops, I meant workshop — here. I went to the Civitas Institute website and could not find one item that does not promote its very conservative political agenda.

Those who are teachers in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system should beware. Those who have children in the public school system should beware. Think Wisconsin for a snapshot of the agenda.

This action by the school board is reprehensible and without defense. That is why John Dornan with the Public School Forum of North Carolina withdrew from the workshop once he learned that Civitas is co-sponsoring this event.

I am very sorry to say that this action bodes a dismal future for our local public schools. Again, teachers and parents — beware!

JO ANN MOUNT

Winston-Salem

Positive impact

As a general pediatrician who has provided medical care to underserved children for nearly four decades, I'm alarmed that the consolidation or elimination of Smart Start and More at Four were announced as spending targets by the North Carolina General Assembly. I've seen the positive impact of these programs by preparing children for school, by supporting educators and by enabling families to achieve a nurturing and stimulating home environment.

Smart Start and More at Four have been carefully evaluated and are shown to be successful in achieving their goals. By providing quality child care, they enable parents to work. By enhancing education, they ensure a better educated and taxpaying workforce for the future. Every dollar invested in these programs is returned several times over as gains in future taxes and savings in costs of future unemployment and other support services.

North Carolina has made significant strides in improving childhood education in the past two decades. Elimination or serious cuts in Smart Start and More at Four, combined with other proposed cuts in education budgets, could effectively dismantle those successes, leaving the next generation of children unprepared for gainful employment. Such shortsighted budgetary policy endangers the opportunity for the next generation of children to reach adulthood prepared to support themselves and their families.

DR. MICHAEL R. LAWLESS

Winston-Salem

The best start in life

I want to thank the Journal for its March 8 editorial, "Don't eliminate early childhood programs." As the director of Imprints, one of Smart Start's largest programs here in Forsyth County, I want to speak further to the importance of the early years and our evidence-based program. Imprints is a small private nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen families.

Decades of research reveal that most of a child's brain development takes place before age 5. When young children miss out on experiences during this critical time, achievement gaps emerge. Parents are the prime influences on their children, so it is extremely important that parents receive the knowledge needed to help their children develop and grow.

Research also shows that young children learn best in the context of loving relationships and parenting quality is a much more important predictor of school success than child care.

Imprints provides parents with well-researched information on child development and parenting strategies to support parents to be their child's best as well as first teacher. Without Smart Start and More at Four funds, over 900 families here in Forsyth County will be potentially at-risk for not being ready for kindergarten, adding to the achievement gap because children who start school behind often stay behind.

The odds of many children being ready for kindergarten are not good. Parents need support during the early formative years to ensure that their children will get the best start in life.

At Imprints, we shift those odds.

NIKKI BYERS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IMPRINTS

Winston-Salem