Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled her plan to ensure that every 4-year-old in Nashville has access to quality Pre-K.
"If you're not ready for school, if you're not ready to read, then you're already on the wrong path," said Mayor Barry.
It's a path many students were struggling to get off - two out of three students don't meet the Third Grade reading expectations, and that's something the Mayor is hoping to change with the "High-quality Start for All" roadmap.
"We need it because the research shows that it gives Nashville's youngest residents the success and the readiness that they need in order to be able to read and then to succeed," said Mayor Barry.
It's a five-year plan that has timelines, and partnerships needed to make sure all 10,000 prekindergarten students receive a quality education.
Sara McNelis, a Pre-K teacher at Casa Azafran Learning Center, said a quality Pre-K education can give students a huge advantage before entering Kindergarten.
"You can tell such a difference with a kido who's been in a high quality program. They already have language skills, they have math skills they have reading," said McNelis.
The Mayor hoped to provide that huge difference for every child in Nashville.
"It's a staggering statistic and it is something we the adults in this room have to change," said Mayor Barry.
This 5-year roadmap aimed to improve Pre-K education for not only Metro Public Schools, but private schools, and head start programs as well.
