This Fort Worth Public Library program aims to inform parents about pre-K options

When Keishla Rosas first struck out to find a preschool program for her 4-year-old son, she had no idea what to expect.

“I didn’t even know that there were different types of preschools,” Rosas said. “I was kind of lost. I’m a single mom, it was just me and my son at the time.”

That was before Rosas got a call from the Fort Worth Public Library about a free pre-K 101 class for parents to learn the ins and outs of selecting the first school for their child.

“It just kind of fell in my lap,” she said. “I was supposed to sign up for something else, but the lady that called me was one of the instructors and said she would love for me to join.”

The class, which is being held virtually for the second time this year due to COVID-19 precautions, guides parents through common questions about finding a preschool, the costs associated with different programs and more.

“The idea behind preschool 101 is that it is a program that is designed in equal parts presentation and conversation,” said Michele Gorman, the assistant director of public services for the library. “It allows for parents or caregivers to come together to create a support community, and over a 10-week period … learn about things like the difference between high and low quality preschools, reputable resources, common language, what to expect when your child goes to preschool, types of programs and costs.”

Since the program was first introduced in March, 122 parents have joined in sessions held virtually every Wednesday for 10 weeks.

“They have topics where they help you find schools in your area,” Rosas said. “It helps you knock down what kind of school you want and the rating system. It really helped me go from not knowing anything, to knowing that I kind of have a choice in any school in any type of environment that I want for my son.”

Previous iterations of the public sessions were cumulative, Gorman said, requiring interested parents to be present for most or all of the sessions. After the pandemic, the library shifted to “drop-in” style classes that still give parents the opportunity to build community while learning about early education options.

The program has attracted a range of parents, from those that held their kids back from attending preschool amid the pandemic, to those who are looking to get their children in as young as possible.

“I think one of the biggest things we’ve seen is there’s a real hunger for this information,” Gorman said. “So whether their kid is enrolled in the program or not, what we’re seeing is people getting ready, they’re coming to us, they’re looking for information so that they’re prepared for whatever comes next.”

Bilingual program welcomes all parents

Trevor Naughton, the Youth Services Manager for the library, said the program, which is offered in both English and Spanish, is available and targeted to all parents.

“The target audience really is any caregiver that has a child that they’re trying to set up for a path for learning success,” Naughton said. “I think we have seen over the last 16 months that families are juggling a lot of responsibilities, and a lot of variables in their family worlds and their outside world.”

In this program 72 parents have participated in Spanish and 50 in English, according to Naughton.

The library will provide programming for new parents in the Fall with a class called Baby 101 “designed to help guide expecting and new caregivers through the beginning stages of creating a path for life-long learning.”

The dates of the next iteration of pre-K 101 are yet to be determined.

With the continuing health concerns related to the coronavirus, the library will continue to provide virtual classes, even as they plan to open up more opportunities for in-person classes

“I think in the library as a whole, what we’re seeing is that there is ... a desire to get out and to do things,” Gorman said. “But there’s also a desire, especially with young children to be as safe as possible. We know that kids under 12 can’t be vaccinated yet.”

Rosas said the program, along with others provided by the library, go beyond selecting a preschool.

“I think it is important to know that your community helps you, that they do care,” she said. “It isn’t really just about finding a great preschool for your kid. It really is to ensure that your child has a great beginning.”

Outreach efforts for pre-K

The resource comes at a pivotal time for both public pre-K options at local school districts, and other childcare centers which both saw massive drops in enrollment over the course of the pandemic.

Fort Worth ISD officials are hopeful, as a growing number of parents are enrolling their children in preschool after a 1,400 student enrollment drop last school year amid virtual learning and health concerns related to the pandemic.

“We lost about 6,000 students, and about 5,000 at the elementary age,” said Jerry Moore, the district’s chief academic officer. “About half of that came from pre-K through first grade.”

Statewide, pre-K enrollment dropped 22% last year, according to a January report by the Texas Education Agency, spurring outreach efforts by the district starting fall of last year.

“We started late fall, early winter with needs assessments … looking at a lot of the student loss,” said the Fort Worth School District Director of Early Learing, Olayinka Moore-Ojo. “We had some parents that completed the application, but didn’t enroll students, so we reached out to them.”

The district has used community feedback to target their approach to engaging parents of young children.

“We created marketing needs based specifically on specific pyramids, and schools,” Moore-Ojo said. “So as before we took the approach of a district-wide recruitment effort, we’ve personalized it, because each area of the district has different needs and different challenges.”

The personalized approach, along with visits to vaccine sites, food banks and other community events is paying off, Moore-Ojo said.

Rebounding enrollment

As of last week, 3,680 students had enrolled in pre-K. The number is still shy of the 4,029 that enrolled in the 2020-21 school year, but higher than the enrollment at this time last year, according to school officials.

In the 2019-20 school year, 5,430 students enrolled in pre-K, more than any other time in the last 10 years, according to Texas Education Agency data.

While the district has been declining in enrollment since the 2016-17 school year, pre-K enrollment had been steadily growing before the pandemic. Unlike many other districts, pre-K is available to all students who wish to enroll in Fort Worth ISD, not just those required under state law.

Beyond outreach events, the district is bringing language assessments and other support directly into the community, so families don’t have to find the time to physically go to a campus in order to register.

As concerns about the ongoing coronavirus threat continue to circulate throughout the community, Moore said the district is projecting a message of confidence and safety.

“We feel like the outreach that we have moved forward with at the end of the spring semester and into the summer is really going to show to our parents: We’re ready, we’re coming back in person, we’re safe school environments and we want your child,” Moore said. “You belong here.”

Pre-K 101 courses are available for free through Aug. 18, with classes in both english and spanish on the Fort Worth Public Library’s website.