Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
December 4, 2015 |
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Reflecting on our Similarities to Israel / Mary Ronan on Early Childhood Education
Six thousand miles from Cincinnati, Israel seems, initially, to be a world apart. It is a place with ancient names and holy sites where one feels as if he or she could touch history. Paradoxically, it’s also a relatively young, modern nation the size of New Jersey with a network of educational and social services that attracted a recent visit of a Greater Cincinnati delegation co-funded by a Jewish Federation endowment and by the Jewish Foundation, and designed with the United Way’s “Success by 6” initiative.
I was grateful to be part of that November delegation. Reflecting upon my impressions, what strikes me most is not the differences between Israel and Cincinnati, but the ways in which we are similar in caring deeply about our children and their needs.
The chief purpose of the visit was to learn about Israel’s approach to preschool, which, unlike most places in the U.S., is fully subsidized by the state. Cincinnatians are exploring ways to expand families’ access to preschool, including the Preschool Promise. As superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, which has 80 preschool classrooms, I can vouch for the value of quality preschool as a foundation that positions students for success beyond graduation – skills CPS is developing through our My Tomorrow initiative.
Beyond preschool, we witnessed other Cincinnati connections in Israel.
Near the Gaza Strip, we saw a huge indoor recreation center built with contributions from several prominent Cincinnatians, a welcome respite where kids develop through enrichment activities and play.
The center is reminiscent of CPS’s 42 Community Learning Centers, which offer recreational, art, civic, cultural and academic enrichment opportunities, as well as health resources and social services. Deliberately, they were established first in the district’s most challenged schools and neighborhoods.
As Cincinnati Vice Mayor David Mann noted in his recent column, Cincinnati children are not immune from the trauma of violence, another similarity we share with Israel. In Cincinnati, violence takes less sectarian forms, yet its impact on children is also traumatic.
Researchers are now studying the correlations between adverse childhood experiences – such as exposure to violence – and negative behaviors and performance in school, as well as mental and physical health.
In response, our district has partnered with Dr. Robert Shapiro of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and fellow Israel trip participant Dr. Rob Kahn, also of Cincinnati Children’s, to identify and implement ways to reduce the impact of traumatic stress on our students.
One final observation about the Israelis we met: They are determined to surmount challenges where children are concerned.
I believe we are blessed with that same spirit in Cincinnati, and that despite the challenges of poverty and violence, we will collaborate to ensure that all our children thrive.
Mary Ronan is superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools. This is the third and final in a series of columns about Cincinnati’s “Success by 6” exchange trip to Israel.
