Durham PreK has enjoyed significant gains over the last several years, specifically through its heightened capacity to serve more Durham County preschool-aged children than ever before in a growing number of high-quality programs. The support of the Durham community has been essential in these efforts, and it continues to grow. 

Much of this success is due to the exemplary leadership and authentic engagement among members of the DPK Governance Committee. Comprising proponents of early childhood education from diverse backgrounds, the Governance Committee is moving full steam ahead, well into its eighth year of informing DPK’s work through developing solid strategies, continuously raising standards, and implementing more effective policies to support children and families across Durham County.

Meaningful advocacy for early educators, higher quality programs

Jason Rutherford is one of 16 members of the DPK Governance Committee. He first got involved with DPK through his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma. 

“I’m part of an association of men who have the human capital and the tools to help the community,” said Rutherford, Group Sales Manager for Total Quality Logistics.

Rutherford learned about Early Years through a friend. He attended a workshop with DPK at Durham Technical Community College in 2021. This sparked in him a newfound interest in supporting preschool teachers and teacher assistants. Rutherford and his fraternity brothers raised funds to donate to preschool employees with a “Gas to the Finish Line” fundraiser.

“This was when the price of gas had shot up to $5 a gallon,” said Rutherford. “I didn’t want teachers to have to pull up to the pump and decide between gas and food.”

Soon thereafter a Governance Committee seat became available, and Rutherford was happy to fill it. He has committed much of his time toward putting forth strategies and solutions that will elevate teacher and teacher assistant pay.

“When we were advocating for the budget we decided to create subcommittees to develop talking points and to attend (Durham County) Commissioners’ meetings and Durham City Council meetings and decide who would speak about teacher pay and other issues,” said Rutherford. “It has become a priority for me … the teachers and the students and the families. This is real life.”

Committee member Brittany Gregory is a former Director with Durham’s Partnership for Children who joined the Committee as a parent representative. They have two young children, one of whom will be entering preschool soon.

“One of the benefits of the Governance Committee is that it is a group of distinct voices that represents early education and education in general,” said Gregory. “Having a different perspective, it’s very heartening to see that behind the scenes there is a group of people who volunteer and take the time to really think about issues.”

Gregory is also proud of the Governance Committee’s role in advocating for DPK early educators. They said that during the COVID-19 the Governance Committee was able to dedicate available funds to provide bonuses for teachers and to continue that commitment by supporting higher levels of compensation beyond the pandemic. 

“That comes from the value of knowing there would not be a DPK without teachers,” said Gregory. “And to be able to recognize this in an industry where we often hear in the public square of wages that typically fall behind, we must be able to show goodwill and invest and help with teacher retention.”

Serving more students with a higher set of standards

Gregory is also proud of the fact that the number of locally funded seats has increased dramatically since 2018, from 90 locally funded seats to 635. Local funds are braided with state and federal funds to now serve more than 1,700 students, or 42 percent of the 4-year-old census. While that’s quite a way to go before achieving the goal of serving 75 percent, it represents a vast improvement and a significantly higher percentage than the North Carolina average.

“This is a shining example of the positive impacts of the local investment in DPK,” said Gregory. “The Governance Committee takes that role seriously – of being good stewards of what the county has invested, but also working with our recommendations and new policies to move forward with the resources we have.”

The Committee has ensured more high-quality programs by imposing higher standards for educators’ credentials and providing support they need. Results from setting such standards include:

• Among DPK’s lead teachers, 98 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 31 percent statewide. 
• Also among lead teachers 86 percent hold a Birth-through-Kindergarten (BK) license, compared to 12 percent statewide.
• 78 percent of DPK instructional assistants have obtained associate degrees or higher, while 47 percent of their counterparts statewide have done so.

In addition, DPK teachers and administrators are required to participate in professional development activities above and beyond state requirements. These include additional coaching and consulting, professional development plans, attending conferences and webinars, participation in Professional Learning Community (PLC) activities, and much more.

Gregory said the work of the Governance Committee is driven by ensuring quality in professional development activities. 

“We must constantly be considering what professional development looks like for our teachers,” said Gregory. “ What ways are we supporting adult learning? What are we able to support with the teachers and help them perfect their craft?”

Working together to plan for success in the future

Both Rutherford and Gregory agree that continuing along the current trajectory as the Committee plans for the future is essential. Increasing capacity to serve more students; hiring, supporting, and retaining more credentialed teachers; and increasing the number of highly-qualified child care centers are all priorities.

“I would like to see more sponsored seats at the centers we already have as well as bringing additional centers online,” said Rutherford. “We want to have more financial support for staff. We want to make sure we fill every seat that we have and that (the students) are doing well.”

“The Governance Committee does a good job not only for what is happening in the program today, but also what is coming down the pike,” said Gregory, adding that increasing seats and strengthening support for early educators are top priorities.

“But also it is our job to help tell the story of DPK, of how it is beneficial for families,” said Gregory. “To let parents know that they are able to have an opportunity to send their kids to an educational space that will help them get ready for kindergarten.”