Cincinnati – Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice

Cincinnati Preschool Expansion, Issue 44: For our children and their teachers

Guest Contributor: Clement Tsao, (Cincinnati Law ’12), Labor Attorney, Cook& Logothetis, LLC

Much has been written about the benefits of preschool and quality early learning programs. Significant investments in preschool have been linked to improved kindergarten readiness, future academic success, a reduced achievement gap for students of color, as well as long-term savings on government and taxpayers. If you’re not yet convinced, you can check out some good research and writing on the arguments for preschool investment here, here, here and here.

But, high quality preschool isn’t just about education and economics; investment in preschool is also about labor policy. After all, it’s people, i.e., the teachers, who engage with our children and can be a determinative factor in a quality learning environment. That’s why investing in preschool also requires investing in our current and future preschool teachers.

This fall, Cincinnati voters will have the opportunity to do both, thanks to Issue 44.

Black Girls and Zero Tolerance: A Call to Action

Guest Contributor: Barbara Perez, President and CEO of the YWCA Greater Cincinnati

In Cincinnati, African-American girls are five times more likely to be suspended from school than white boys and nearly nine times more likely to be suspended than other girls. Nationally, black girls are suspended from school more than any other group of girls and at a much higher rate than white, Asian and Latino boys.

This is one of the consequences of “zero-tolerance” policies which use suspension, expulsion and even arrests in response to a range of school-based incidents. While originally enacted to address cases of violent behavior and drug use, the Department of Education recently reported that 95 percent of out-of-school suspensions are now passed out for nonviolent, minor disruptions such as tardiness or disrespect.