Is your school ready?

That's one of the questions a gathering of more than 100 early childhood educators from 26 school districts around northeast North Carolina faced at Edgecombe Community College's Mobley Atrium on Wednesday.

Event speakers included Sharon Ritchie, a senior scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and co-director of UNC-Chapel Hill FirstSchool; Henrietta Zalkind, executive director of Down East Partnership for Children in Rocky Mount; Carolyn T. Cobb, N.C. Office of School Readiness executive director; facilitator Maggie McGlynn; and Edgecombe County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon.

Witherspoon shared an introductory message that acknowledged each school district's unique starting point in the Ready Schools program, but that all are en route to the same destination.

"You're a committed group ... from the schools and the community, we're all trying to connect the dots and accomplish the goal set in the Initiative; of making North Carolina students 'globally competitive for work, postsecondary education and preparing students for life in the 21st century,' " he said.

Sponsored by Down East Partnership for Children, the day-long seminar focused on many facets of pre-kindergarten to third grade curriculum called the N.C. Ready Schools Initiative. The Initiative provides ways that primary educators can guide schools toward the state mission of graduating every public school student from high school.

Adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education in June, the concept of a Ready School is one that, as outlined in its mission statement, "provides an inviting atmosphere, values and respects all children and their families and is a place where children succeed. It is committed to high quality in all domains of learning and teaching and has deep connections with parents and its community. It prepares children for success in work and life."

But a more protracted look taught newcomers that schools aren't the only components within the educational dynamic necessary for a successful outcome. "It's important to remember that although we may be ready for students, they may not be ready for us," Cobb explained. Proactively partnering with families and communities through Outreach strategies provides guidance and services that will aid child readiness.

The idea of parents and grandparents as stockholders was re-emphasized by "demand parents" versus "supply parents," Zalkind explained. The former demand information and accountability of the school, themselves and their children. The latter sees their role complete upon supplying the educational system as the scope of their demands.

Modeled after the SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) curriculum of Rockville, Md., the third-year Ready Schools program of N.C. hosts a budget of approximately $6 million dollars annually and is utilized by about 500 schools statewide.

In 2006, through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the N.C. Ready Schools Taskforce was convened by June Atkinson, State Superintendent; Karen Ponder, Smart Start president; and Cobb. A four-to-five-year action plan with a statewide goal of assuring that every elementary school in the state is working towards our ready school vision.

Through a show of hands at the seminar, many of the northeast region school districts indicated interest in launching rollout Ready Schools programs, prior to the state Department of Public Instruction mandate.

Stocks, Carver and Bulluck elementary schools within Edgecombe County that will have or will implement the Ready School program.