On Tuesday January 5, 2010, the Council of the District of Columbia voted unanimously to pass the Pre-K Acceleration and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2010. This emergency act will fast track the implementation of the landmark Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2008 that ensures that all three- and four-year-olds in the District of Columbia have access to high-quality pre-k programs by September 2014.

The impetus for this action was, in large part, a result of a November oversight hearing where a wide and diverse range of stakeholders testified that many targets of the original pre-k legislation had not been met. The emergency bill, introduced by Chairman Vincent C. Gray, is three-fold: 1) to bring the District into full compliance with the federal Head Start Act of 2007 by establishing a State Coordinating Council for Early Childhood Education; 2) to accelerate the implementation of critical program enhancement provisions to ensure that public schools, public charter schools, and CBOs receive quality improvement grants and; 3) to establish a DC Higher Education Collaborative, convened by the University of the District of Columbia, to craft a higher education initiative program.

 Click here to read the Pre-K Acceleration and Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2010 and the Pre-K Acceleration and Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2010.

 On March 31, 2010, a public hearing was held on the on the Pre-K Acceleration and Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2010 was held by the DC Council Committee of the Whole. Click here to read the testimony of Carrie Thornhill, Pre-K For All DC's President and CEO.