When our smallest students
shine, Cleveland thrives.
MEDIA CENTER
If you are a member of the press and would like to speak with us, please contact Katie Kelly, Executive Director:
BREAKING NEWS
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PRE4CLE STATEMENT ON COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FOR CLEVELAND EARLY LEARNING SPACES IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET
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TV20 News Update 05.04.22
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Press Release: PRE4CLE LAUNCHES UNPRECEDENTED, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EFFORT TO RENOVATE EARLY LEARNING FACILITIES IN CLEVELAND
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Major initiative launches to improve early childhood education in Cleveland
News5 Cleveland | April 25, 2022
On Monday, PRE4CLE kicked off the next phase of its effort to expand access to high-quality preschool to all 3-and 4-year-olds in the city, aiming to level the playing field for the littlest learners in Cleveland.
The Lexington-Bell Community Center is among the first sites to benefit from the new Cleveland Early Learning Spaces Initiative.
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New PRE4CLE initiative aims to improve early learning classrooms in Cleveland
Crain’s Cleveland Business | April 25, 2022
PRE4CLE has launched an initiative designed to improve early learning facilities in the city. While the program is starting fairly small, PRE4CLE has big plans to expand it across Cleveland going forward.
The Cleveland Early Learning Spaces program launched Monday, April 25, at the Lexington-Bell Community Center in Hough, one of the first six sites in the program. Through the program, PRE4CLE will offer “grants, technical assistance, and professional development to complete facility renovations that support the health, safety, learning, and development of young children” to child care and Head Start providers, a news release said. The Cleveland Early Learning Spaces initiative is being launched with a $1 million grant from The George Gund Foundation, as well as a matching $1 million donation from Gordon and the late Llura Gund.
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PRE4CLE launches initiative to renovate early learning facilities in Cleveland
ideastream | April 25, 2022
Cleveland’s PRE4CLE program launched a new multimillion dollar initiative Monday with the aim of renovating early learning facilities in the city.
PRE4CLE, which has a goal of expanding high quality preschool for Cleveland children, debuted the Cleveland Early Learning Spaces initiative at an event at the Lexington-Bell Community Center in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood.
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PRE4CLE Annual Report
Ideas | September 4, 2018
PRE4CLE made a promise to Cleveland’s youngest students. The 2018 annual report is out. How are they doing on their guarantee of high quality early education for all? (Beginning at 14:08)
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More preschool kids in Cleveland are ready for kindergarten than in previous years, study says
News 5 Cleveland | September 3, 2018
Inside the Salvation Army at the corner of West 44th Street and Clark Avenue, a classroom of four-year-olds are hard at work. On one half of the room a group is reading with their teacher developing emotional skills, and on the other half, a group is making apple pie. The teacher on that side is incorporating math and social skills.
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2015 Annual Report
PRE4CLE officially began its work in March of 2014, guided by The Cleveland Early Childhood Compact, a public-private leadership body. This first annual report of PRE4CLE reflects accomplishments between March of 2014 and June 2015.
Download Printer-Friendly Version or Download PRE4CLE Annual Report_Spreads.
RESOURCES
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Important Action Needed This Week!: Advocate for Quality Child Care in the State Budget
Earlier this month we shared an update on the state budget process and disappointing removals of critical funding opportunities to support Ohio children and families (read more here). This includes new language to limit Step Up To Quality further.
Step Up To Quality provides a standard for excellence for child care programs in Ohio, and more importantly, it gives families a tool to help them make informed choices about the child care they choose. Step Up To Quality helps families know that programs follow best practices for quality- including hiring qualified teachers and using a research-based curriculum.
What would this proposed change mean? Fewer children will have access to high-quality early learning opportunities, and families will have fewer quality choices when choosing care. Let your legislators know that Ohio’s children and families deserve more.
What can you do?
Reach out to your representatives now- we are weeks away from a signed budget.
Call the Legislative office for your home or child care center and deliver this message to the staff member that answers the phone; leaving this message in a voicemail is also fine if you don’t get a live person.
“Hello, my name is ____________, and I live/work at (your address or address of your early education center/home)_. I am calling today to urge you to invest in Ohio’s early childhood education system by replacing the funding removed from the Governor’s budget proposal for child care eligibility, child care scholarships for critical workers, and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, as well as remove the harmful provisions that would weaken Ohio’s early education system by further eroding Step Up To Quality. Quality.
Optional:
Child care matters to me because ________________Thank you for your consideration.”
Also, consider sending an email as well through Groundwork Ohio’s email campaign at www.groundworkohio.org
FIND YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE: https://www.ohiohouse.gov/members/district-map
FIND YOUR STATE SENATOR: https://ohiosenate.gov/members/district-map?home-address-entry=
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2021 Annual Report
This year’s annual report—ABC: Advance Kindergarten Readiness, Build a Strong System, Champion Cleveland’s Future—details the way 2021 was another challenging year for the preschool system in Cleveland. Yet this year also brought exciting opportunities and changes to our community and to PRE4CLE.
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2020 Annual Report
This year’s Annual Report, “Preschool Reimagined” details the ways in which early education, like most industries, has been hit hard by COVID-19. Widespread closures, safety concerns, staffing shortages, and changes in parental employment have caused unprecedented disruption within early education, and are threatening the viability of a system that is critical to our community’s ability to recover.
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July 9th Build Back Stronger Press Briefing
View the recording of our July 9th Press Briefing about the Build Back Stronger plan.
Featuring:
- -Katie Kelly, Executive Director, PRE4CLE
- -Michelle Curry, Executive Director, Merrick House
- -Jacklyn A. Chisholm, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, The Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland (CEOGC)
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2019 Annual Report
We are pleased to share the PRE4CLE Annual Report with you. Five years ago, we started with the goal of making high-quality preschool available to every child in Cleveland, a detailed plan on how to get there, and a community committed to that plan’s success. Today, we’re excited that we have increased enrollment in high-quality preschool by 72 percent since 2014! Overall, more than 19,000 children have received a high-quality preschool education since PRE4CLE began.
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2018 Annual Report
PRE4CLE continues to meet and exceed its goals to expand high-quality preschool to all Cleveland children, according to PRE4CLE’s 2018 Annual Report. Thanks to the community investment in the PRE4CLE approach, more Cleveland children than ever before attend high-quality preschools, more neighborhoods have quality options for families, and children enrolled in high-quality preschools are making significant strides in being ready for kindergarten. Download 2018 PRE4CLE Annual Report.
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2018 Gubernatorial Meetings
Over the next few months, PRE4CLE will be meeting with the candidates. You can learn more about these meetings on Facebook and Twitter. The document below outlines our research that shows why high-quality preschool is a smart investment for Ohio’s children and is being provided to all candidates at their meetings. Download 2017 Governor Research.
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The PRE4CLE Plan 2016
Since PRE4CLE developed its original Plan, there have been both policy and funding shifts in the early childhood landscape in Cleveland and at the state and national levels. Along with those external factors, several of the initial benchmarks set for PRE4CLE expired at the end of 2016.
PRE4CLE, under the guidance of its governing body, the Early Childhood Compact, has thoroughly reviewed the original PRE4CLE Plan and refreshed its strategies, goals, and benchmarks based on these dynamics and the work done during the past three years.
In this document, we highlight the major changes that are reflected throughout the updated Plan, share our new benchmarks, and provide detailed goals and strategies for all of PRE4CLE’s Ten Plan Elements.
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2016 Annual Report
PRE4CLE made significant strides in the past two years to increase the availability of high-quality preschool in Cleveland neighborhoods and the number of children enrolled in those preschool seats. This second annual report outlines these accomplishments.
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2015 Annual Report
PRE4CLE officially began its work in March of 2014, guided by The Cleveland Early Childhood Compact, a public-private leadership body. This first annual report of PRE4CLE reflects accomplishments between March of 2014 and June 2015.
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Media Kit
If you are a member of the press and would like to speak with us, please contact:
Katie Kelly
Executive Director, PRE4CLE
kkelly@pre4cle.org | 216-901-4208 -
FAQs
Have questions about PRE4CLE? View some of the most commonly asked questions here.
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PRE4CLE Logo
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Media Kit
If you are a member of the press and would like to speak with us, please contact:
Katie Kelly
Executive Director, PRE4CLE
kkelly@pre4cle.org | 216-901-4208 Download Media Kit Update 2019. -
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will mail your child a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book every month they’re enrolled from birth until they turn 5.
To register or learn more, visit: www.literacycooperative.org
Questions? Call 216-776-6180
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PRE4CLE Plan
In November 2013, CMSD and key partners in the community began a process to create a comprehensive implementation plan specifically for achieving the Cleveland Plan’s pre-K goals. The result of this process is the PRE4CLE Plan.
The PRE4CLE Plan was developed by a steering committee of more than 50 community leaders to fulfill a core goal of The Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools. The creation of PRE4CLE involved stakeholders from education, early childhood development, civic, philanthropy, business, religious, labor, and community organizations, as well as hundreds of parents and families.
NEWS ARCHIVE
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Personal View: It's time to start kidding around with economic development
Crain’s Cleveland Business | February 14, 2022
Redevelop the lakefront and Burke Lakefront Airport, build more bike and jogging paths, create more affordable housing, expand Cleveland’s tree canopy, provide neighborhood broadband, promote tourism, save Shaker Square, privatize the West Side Market, and, of course, reinvigorate the manufacturing sector.
What’s not to like? Fulfilling any of these requests seems desirable. But something essential is missing: people, especially very young people. If investing for the future pays dividends, there is no better investment than investing in young children.
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SUTQ Study Committee Adopts Interim Report, Hears from Regional Experts
Hannah News | February 9, 2022
The Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) Study Committee adopted an “interim” report Wednesday designed to answer some basic questions about the program and publicly funded child care (PFCC) in Ohio. The committee also heard from several regional experts on the challenges facing child care providers and families.
The study committee was formed out of late-stage budget negotiations on the SUTQ program, and is charged with issuing by the end of the year a final report containing recommendations for the quality rating system and for increasing access to child care across the state.
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Legislators Question How To Improve Child Care Options
Gongwer | February 9, 2022
Witnesses told members of a legislative study committee Wednesday that higher pay for employees, not outcome-based funding, is needed to strengthen Ohio’s child care system.
Robyn Lightcap, executive director of Dayton-based nonprofit Preschool Promise, said in testimony before the Study Committee on Ohio’s Publicly Funded Child Care and Step Up to Quality Program Tracked that with child care, “you get what you pay for.”
“We’re asking people paid poverty wages to help children who are in poverty somehow miraculously address systemic racism, poverty in a couple years of child care,” she said.
Ms. Lightcap said she’s spoken to a longtime employee of a provider that earned five stars under the state’s Step Up to Quality rating scale who earns less than her son who works at a fast-food restaurant.
Asked by Rep. Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) what a five-star provider should offer its employees, Ms. Lightcap suggested wages equal to K-12 teachers.
She pushed back against the idea that funding for providers should be tied to educational outcomes for the children they serve, arguing that would lead to centers that serve higher-income families being rewarded financially.
Katie Kelly, executive director of PRE4CLE, said she also does not back outcome-based funding.
“There’s so many variables, and I just don’t think that’s a healthy or productive way,” she said.
Ms. Kelly said between 2014 and 2019, PRE4CLE increased enrollment in 3-5 star providers by 2,000 children, or about 72%, through initiative to increase quality at existing providers and expand classroom options.
She said in 2019, 70% of children who spent at least eight with a PRE4CLE provider program scored in the top two bands of Ohio’s kindergarten readiness assessment, compared with 48% for students who received care from an unrated provider.
Co-Chair Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) questioned what requirements PRE4CLE has for providers on top of obtaining a 3-5-star rating under Step Up to Quality.
Ms. Kelly said they have a classroom maximum of 20 children and a teacher-to-child ratio of 1-to-10.
Sen. Cirino said while increasing child care quality is important, the committee is tasked with examining ways to expand access to providers at all levels of the star-ranking system.
Ms. Lightcap questioned if this meant that the panel is interested in creating more low-quality child care centers.
Sen. Cirino said lawmakers are looking to expand access to child care in the state, while recognizing that not all providers will be at the same level of quality.
“We don’t want to have our children in Ohio sitting in parking lots just vegetating away,” he said.
Angel Rhodes, vice president of Future Ready Columbus who previously served as the state’s first officer of early childhood education and development, said nothing about the state’s child care rating system should be seen as untouchable as the committee continues its work.
“I’ve heard people ask over and over again, ‘Should it be changed?'” she said. “Everything needs to be reevaluated. There is no single system for anything out there that is the be-all, end-all.”
The committee also voted to approve an interim report containing data about child care in the state. Sen. Cirino has said the panel also will eventually produce a final report with recommendations.
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Ohio bill would give nursing homes $300 million in coronavirus relief money
Cleveland.com | November 15, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill in the Ohio House would provide nursing homes $300 million in coronavirus relief money, with no guardrails around how it would get spent.
House Bill 461, sponsored by Cincinnati-area Republican Rep. Sara Carruthers, would provide nursing homes a one-time payment from the American Rescue Plan Act by Dec. 31. The bill contains a formula specifying how the money would get divided among the state’s nearly 1,000 homes.
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Personal View: Future depends on preserving Ohio's early childhood system
Crain’s Cleveland Business | November 14, 2021
We are at a crossroads in Ohio in terms of early childhood education. COVID caused a perfect storm of dips in enrollment, a shortage of early childhood teachers and high costs of providing care during a pandemic. Child care centers are at risk of closing their doors or have already done so.
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PRE4CLE is building back stronger for children, families, and the economy
Freshwater Cleveland | November 19, 2020
Last March, Fumiko had just started her new position with Cuyahoga Job and Family Services. Her two-year-old was thriving at Catholic Charities’ at Rainbow Terrace Head Start.
“Then COVID-19 blew up in the news,” Famiko recalls.
State mandates forced everything to close, so the young mother did what all families had to do. She learned a new balancing act—working from home, supervising her two school age children’s learning time, and caring for her rambunctious two-year-old.
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Opinion: COVID-19 has laid bare why we need to fully fund early childhood care and education: Katie Kelly and Will Petrik
Cleveland.com | August 7, 2020
Child care providers keep Ohio running. They nurture and care for children while their parents work. They help to prepare our children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to be successful in school.
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PRE4CLE: Without Federal Aid, Half Ohio's Child Care Providers Could Close
ideastream | July 10, 2020
PRE4CLE, the program aimed at expanding high-quality preschool for Cleveland children, has a list of recommendations to help Ohio’s child care providers weather the deep impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Additional funding for child care providers is the focus of a push made Thursday by a pair of Ohio advocacy groups
Gongwer | July 10, 2020
Additional funding for child care providers is the focus of a push made Thursday by a pair of Ohio advocacy groups.
Both PRE4CLE, which supports early childhood education programs in Cleveland, and Policy Matters Ohio held calls in support of efforts to shore up the state’s child care programs.
PRE4CLE unveiled a two-phase Building Back Better [now called Build Back Stronger] plan that envisions significant investments to support the industry during the pandemic as well as expansions and improvements to ensure it becomes more stable and effective.
“I think one of the things this crisis has done is laid bare the weaknesses in many systems,” Executive Director Katie Kelly said in a call with reporters.
The child care system faces issues of chronic underfunding, low compensation for staff and a lack of sustainable revenue sources, she said. “Addressing those is going to be so critical to making sure that as this current crisis drags on and potential new crises arise, we have a system that stays strong.”
Short-term proposals include directing more relief money toward child care – such as the $50 billion proposal currently before the U.S. Senate, she said. The industry could also benefit from an advisory committee or task force to help the DeWine administration guide policy.
In the longer term, the plan calls for continuing to prioritize the quality of early learning through the Step Up to Quality program, an expansion of eligibility for publicly funded child care up to 200% of the federal poverty level and finding sustainable long-term funding streams.
Much of the increased funding toward child care in the current budget (HB 166) came from the administration spending down a balance in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families dollars, she said. That money won’t last long.
“While it’s great that they’ve prioritized it in that way, we also know that we need a more sustainable source for the long-term,” Ms. Kelly said.
Increased funding will help programs pay teachers more, which is especially important considering they’re seeking staff with higher credentials who could get paid more by school districts.
“What we’re seeing now is definitely teachers who are making more on unemployment than they would if they returned to their sites, and that’s just not something that should be happening,” she said.
Jacklyn Chisholm, president and CEO of the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland, said her programs, which are largely funded by federal Head Start dollars, face difficulty retaining staff.
“We have lost teachers for a dollar extra to the school system,” she said. “Because we’re now requiring more credentials, we’re competing with school systems, K-12. If we don’t continue to bring those salaries up, we’re going to start losing teachers.”
Michelle Curry, executive director of Merrick House, said her facility has had difficulty obtaining protective equipment and has spent about $5,000 so far on it and sanitizing equipment.
Despite the difficulty, the experience they gained while serving children of essential workers during the pandemic has helped.
“We learned from being a pandemic provider and it enabled us to reopen more prepared to meet the challenge of this time,” she said.
Policy Matters Ohio hosted its own call to announce the release of a report detailing stress the pandemic has placed on child care and calling for Congress to appropriate $50 billion to support the industry. They also urged state officials to allocate $60 million in coronavirus relief dollars for the same purpose.
“We need to prioritize kids, families and the child care infrastructure and industry,” PMO budget researcher Will Petrik said.
A panel of people connected with child care also urged increased federal and state funding for the industry on the PMO call.
Garri Davis, director of Water Lily Learning Center in Cincinnati, said her facility has had a hard time buying PPE supplies and has struggled with lost revenue because it has fewer children attending and many are staying part time.
“What I think would be a solution would be we would be paid based on enrollment and not based on attendance,” she said.
Child care should be considered as critical infrastructure, said George Goddard, with the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development.
“Unless we do something soon, I don’t want to say that we’re not in a crisis right now, but it’s going to get a lot worse,” he said.
Child care remains an essential part of Ohio’s economy, said Jasmine Henderson, an organizer for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Her organization surveyed child care providers and found many are facing serious questions about their survival.
“This workforce behind the workforce needs to survive. We have no choice if we want Ohio’s economy to be healthy and whole,” she said.
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How Cleveland revamped its preschool programs in just five years
Hechinger Report | October 31, 2019
Enrollment in high-quality preschool is up after dramatic community-led effort
Three years ago, Chalfonte Smith’s childcare center in north Cleveland, Ohio, was struggling academically. The problem was not for a lack of trying. Smith couldn’t afford a curriculum, which can cost thousands of dollars. Her teachers did not have enough training. And classrooms needed more books and educational materials.
In September 2016, that all changed abruptly. Smith’s center, A Jubilee Academy, was chosen to participate in an improvement program by PRE4CLE, a city initiative with the goal of expanding access to high-quality preschool across Cleveland.
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PRE4CLE Keeps Expanding
The Plain Dealer | October 7, 2019
Cleveland preschool program is growing, but at a slower pace than organizers expected.
Cleveland’s effort to place more children in high quality preschools continues to help more kids each year, just nowhere near as fast as organizers hoped.
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Personal View: Early learning investments of PRE4CLE are paying off
Crain’s Cleveland Business | October 6, 2019
We believe in the unique potential of every Cleveland child. Today, more than ever before, Cleveland’s children have a pathway to educational success — and it begins with PRE4CLE.
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PRE4CLE celebrates anniversary, preschool growth
CMSD News Bureau | October 1, 2019
PRE4CLE is celebrating its fifth anniversary. It also is celebrating the spread of the high-quality preschool programs the nonprofit was formed to promote and help grow.
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More of Cleveland's children attending high-quality preschools, PRE4CLE report finds
Crain’s Cleveland Business | September 30, 2019
More — a lot more — of Cleveland’s youngest children are enrolled in high-quality preschools than just a few years ago, according to a new PRE4CLE report.
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PRE4CLE makes preschool a priority in Cleveland
Freshwater | September 23, 2019
When LaToya Cater-Murray enrolled her daughter Aubrey at Douglas MacArthur Girls’ Leadership Academy, she knew that preschool was important to her daughter’s lifelong learning success, as well as her social and emotional well-being, but she was impressed with the outcomes.
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Cuyahoga County's PRE4CLE initiative recently announced that the number of Cleveland children demonstrating kindergarten readiness is rising.
WKYC We the People | September 20, 2019
Five years ago, an effort began to help Cleveland preschoolers become ready for kindergarten. Katie Kelly, Executive Director of PRE4CLE spoke to Leon Bibb about their achievements and how families can find a high-quality preschool for their children.
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Report Shows Growth in Reach, Quality for Cleveland Preschool Initiative
The Hannah Report | September 18, 2019
Cleveland saw a 72 percent increase in children enrolled in high-quality preschools after five years of work by the PRE4CLE initiative to expand early childhood learning opportunities in the city, according to a new report.
PRE4CLE, a public-private partnership that grew out of the Cleveland school transformation plan, used its annual report released Wednesday as a five-year review of the initiative’s progress. -
Cleveland Sees Boost In Quality Pre-School Enrollment
Gongwer News Service | September 18, 2019
Twenty-four of Cleveland’s 34 neighborhoods have seen an increase in the number of students enrolled in high-quality preschools since PRE4CLE launched five years ago.
Overall enrollment in high-quality preschools has increased 72% over that same time period in the city, according to a report analyzing the fifth anniversary of Cleveland’s early learning plan.
The organization defines “high-quality” as earning three or more stars on the state’s Step up to Quality rating system.
“The first five years of PRE4CLE focused on building a strong foundation, including increasing the number of high-quality preschool seats across the city and increasing the quality of our programs to ensure more children were entering kindergarten ready to succeed,” PRE4CLE Executive Director Katie Kelly said in a statement. “We’ve reached a great point. We still have a long way to go, but we are building that strong foundation.”
The analysis found 19,000 children have enrolled in a high-quality preschool since the initiative began.
About 70% of students who enter kindergarten after spending a year with a PRE4CLE provider pass the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, according to the study.
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5 years into PRE4CLE, more Cleveland children enrolled in quality preschool, but more work needed
News 5 Cleveland | September 18, 2019
It has been five years since Cleveland launched a plan to improve kindergarten readiness. The preschool program is called PRE4CLE. The 5th annual report came out Wednesday.
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PRE4CLE Turns 5
Sound of Ideas | September 18, 2019
A milestone for high quality preschool in Northeast Ohio as PRE4CLE turns five. And a French jew who spied on the Nazis shares her incredible story of courage.
Listen (PRE4CLE segment begins at about 14:30)
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Gov. DeWine plans to expand access to child care subsidies in Ohio
News 5 Cleveland | March 14, 2019
Working families struggling to pay for child care
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Early Education in the DeWine Administration
Sound of Ideas | January 7, 2019
On the campaign trail, Governor-elect Mike DeWine laid out a long list of top priorities, including expansion of early childhood education, tweaks to Medicaid expansion and efforts to protect Lake Erie. All this week on The Sound of Ideas, we’ll discuss DeWine’s priorities ahead of his swearing in January 14th.
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PRE4CLE and Cuyahoga County are on a mission to make Universal Pre-K truly universal in Cleveland
Freshwater Cleveland | November 29, 2018
Now that PRE4CLE is well on its way to the goal of helping more local preschool sites achieve high Step Up to Quality ratings—with a 110 percent increase since July 2016—the focus is on increasing funding to expand Cuyahoga County’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) model to more of those high-quality programs.
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PRE4CLE
Live on Lakeside | September 12, 2018
PRE4CLE saw a 110 percent increase in the number of high-quality preschool programs in the city of Cleveland throughout the past year! PRE4CLE’s Executive Director, Katie Kelly, sat down with Alexa to share more.
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PRE4CLE Annual Report
Ideas | September 4, 2018
PRE4CLE made a promise to Cleveland’s youngest students. The 2018 annual report is out. How are they doing on their guarantee of high quality early education for all? (Beginning at 14:08)
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PRE4CLE Annual Report
Ideas | September 4, 2018
PRE4CLE made a promise to Cleveland’s youngest students. The 2018 annual report is out. How are they doing on their guarantee of high quality early education for all? (Beginning at 14:08)
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More preschool kids in Cleveland are ready for kindergarten than in previous years, study says
News 5 Cleveland | September 3, 2018
Inside the Salvation Army at the corner of West 44th Street and Clark Avenue, a classroom of four-year-olds are hard at work. On one half of the room a group is reading with their teacher developing emotional skills, and on the other half, a group is making apple pie. The teacher on that side is incorporating math and social skills.
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More preschool kids in Cleveland are ready for kindergarten than in previous years, study says
News 5 Cleveland | September 3, 2018
Inside the Salvation Army at the corner of West 44th Street and Clark Avenue, a classroom of four-year-olds are hard at work. On one half of the room a group is reading with their teacher developing emotional skills, and on the other half, a group is making apple pie. The teacher on that side is incorporating math and social skills.
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We the People: Vote for Ohio Kids
We the People WKYC | August 24, 2018
Vote for Ohio kids is a statewide campaign dedicated to ensuring Ohio’s next governor is committed to making investments in early education and health.
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Cleveland continues to grow high-quality preschool offerings
Crain’s Cleveland Business | August 23, 2018
Cleveland is making progress on efforts to increase access to high-quality preschools in the city, according to PRE4CLE’s 2018 annual report.
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Step by 'step:' How PRE4CLE is helping local preschools ramp up kindergarten readiness
Freshwater Cleveland | July 26, 2018
In 2016, Collinwood-based A Jubilee Academy carried a two-star Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) rating—not high enough to be considered high-quality by the state.
Two years later, A Jubilee Academy is the only five-star SUTQ center in the Collinwood area. Students participate in cooking classes, music education, and also study Mandarin twice a week as part of a partnership with Cleveland Public Library. Children have individual cubbies instead of sharing them. Preschool enrollment has doubled, and a new classroom will open in the fall.
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Cleveland gains "high quality" preschool seats, still has many fewer seats than kids
cleveland.com | September 12, 2017
Cleveland’s children have about 700 more opportunities to attend “high quality” preschool than a year ago, the city’s preschool expansion partnership reports, as more and more preschools earn quality ratings from the state.
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There's a compelling reason to spend more on quality preschool in Cuyahoga County - it works: Brent Larkin
cleveland.com | September 7, 2017
If Greater Cleveland’s leaders can find $70 million in tax revenue to remodel an arena, they can find enough to save the lives of at-risk children.
The controversial renovation plan for Quicken Loans Arena poses the biggest test yet of this community’s priorities. With the people in power having made the arena makeover one of their highest priorities, we’ll soon find out if they are prepared to make the most important investment any community can make in its future…
And of all the worthy ventures underway to address these problems, one stands above all others in its potential to offer game-changing rewards. Without that investment, most or all the other child-related ventures will underachieve.
That’s why a permanent funding stream for quality preschool should be the No. 1 priority for Cuyahoga County’s public-private partnership.
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Cleveland PRE4CLE program aims to get more kids into affordable, high-quality preschool
News 5 Cleveland | June 26, 2017
CLEVELAND – Preschool enrollment is underway in Cleveland, and if you think you can’t afford a “high quality” early start, think again. There are options you may not know about.
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Quality Pre-K Report
Sound of Ideas | June 13, 2017
New enrollment numbers from the nonprofit PRE4CLE show a community-wide push has resulted in a 50 percent increase in Cleveland kids attending high quality preschools. But it’s still not enough, representing just over a third of Cleveland students, advocates say. To level the playing field with more advantaged suburban students, access must continue to expand.
Guests:- Katie Kelly, Executive Director, PRE4CLE
- Marcia Egbert, Senior Program Officer for Health and Human Services, The George Gund Foundation; PRE4CLE Co-Chair
- Michelle Bledsoe, Coordinator, PRE4CLE
- Dr. Thea Wilson, Ed. D.; VP Children and Families; The Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland
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High Quality Pre-School
Ideas | June 12, 2017
This morning’s release of the annual report of the PRE4CLE plan shows what the organization calls “significant strides” in the effort to expand high-quality preschool to all Cleveland three and four year olds. Katie Kelly joins us to discuss some of the highlights. (Beginning at 14:58)
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Cleveland places 50% more kids in strong preschools, but falls short of goals
The Plain Dealer | June 12, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ohio – More kids are going to “high quality” preschools in Cleveland than a few years ago, but not as many as leaders had hoped, the city’s preschool expansion partnership reports.
In its annual report released today, the PRE4CLE partnership said that 1,420 more Cleveland students are attending highly rated preschools today than in 2013.
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High-quality preschool seats on the rise, says PRE4CLE annual report
Crain’s Cleveland Business | June 12, 2017
The number of high-quality preschool seats in Cleveland has grown significantly since 2013, following the creation of PRE4CLE, according to the organization’s 2016 annual report, released Monday, June 12.
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2017 State Budget Priorities
Square Talk | May 7, 2017
High-quality preschool is the critical first step for K-12 success and increased high school graduation.
Katie Kelly, the executive director of PRE4CLE, explains how many counties across Ohio have been categorized incorrectly and are losing out on important resources.
Learn how you can help make sure that more of our children have access to this high quality education.
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How to make Cleveland ‘great again’: The city has a plan. Will it work?
Hechinger Report | July 20, 2016
Cleveland Metropolitan School District has a countdown clock to Election Day on its website. When city residents head to the polls that day, they’ll be doing more than picking a president. They’ll be voting on whether the city should keep working on its ambitious overhaul of the school system.
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PBS NewsHour Hosts Early-Childhood Panel in Cleveland
Education Week | July 20, 2016
There’s been little discussion about early-childhood education so far on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week, but the PBS NewsHour filled the gap with a panel discussion Wednesday.
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PRE4CLE makes strides toward goal, looks at the work ahead
Freshwater Cleveland | January 4, 2016
PRE4CLE, a public-private partnership that aims to provide more high-quality preschool seats for Cleveland children, is more than halfway to its initial goal.
In December the group published its first annual report, announcing that high-quality preschool enrollment grew by 10 percent in the initiative’s inaugural year of implementation.
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Seats at High Quality Cleveland Preschools Expand By More Than 1200
ideastream | Friday, December 18
It’s been one year since Cuyahoga County, Cleveland public schools, and several area foundations teamed up in an effort to enroll all of Cleveland’s preschool-aged kids in high quality programs. Ideastream’s Annie Wu reports on PRE4CLE’s first annual report.
About 67 percent of three and four year old Cleveland kids are not in high quality preschools. Some of them aren’t in any preschool program at all. According to a new report released this week from the public-private partnership PRE4CLE, the Jefferson, Clark-Fulton and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods have some of the lowest enrollment figures in the city. PRE4CLE Executive Director Katie Kelly says part of her group’s challenge is helping to expand preschool options that prepare children for kindergarten and meet the needs of parents in those neighborhoods.
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Cleveland puts more kids in strong preschools, thousands still shut out
The Plain Dealer | December 20, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Preschool classes were added to Riverside elementary school just in time for Karyn Saunders.
The single mother in the West Park neighborhood was facing bills for having two young children in a private child care home last school year. Then she learned that her oldest, then 4, could go to free, district preschool, right in her neighborhood. Read more…
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Cleveland Preschool Quality-Improvement Effort Reports Early Gains
Education Week | December 17, 2015
Cleveland, one of the more recent cities to get into the prekinderten game, released its first report on its new quality improvement program on Dec. 15. And though the report is not an effectiveness study, it does indicate that Cleveland’s model—called Pre4Cle—is another one that’s worth watching.
Unlike some city programs, Pre4Cle works directly with existing preschools and it is not focused on free tuition for every child. The organization’s staff (it’s a public-private partnership) has raised money to increase enrollment through tuition assistance for families and business-side investments for partners. Read more…
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Cleveland has added 1,200 more "quality" preschool seats for kids, PRE4CLE reports
The Plain Dealer | December 15, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The city is well on its way to achieving its short-term goal of having 2,000 more kids enrolled in highly-rated pre-school classes by next year.
But it’s still a long way from its ultimate goal of making strong preschools available for all families that want it.
The PRE4CLE partnership between the Cleveland school district and more than 30 community organizations released an update Tuesday on its plan to greatly improve preschool opportunities for Cleveland’s three- and four-year-olds. Read more…
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Quality Preschools Add Seats in Buckeye, Glenville, and Union-Miles with PRE4CLE Boost
The Plain Dealer | July 24, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Three preschools in high-need neighborhoods will receive a boost with startup needs like desks, computers, books and teacher training from PRE4CLE, the city’s preschool expansion partnership. Read more…
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PRE4CLE Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs in Cleveland
The Plain Dealer | November 17, 2014
Investing in pre-kindergarten education pays off for everyone.
Cleveland’s PRE4CLE pre-K expansion initiative was lauded recently as a national model by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and by Roberto J. Rodríguez, deputy assistant for education to President Barack Obama as a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Read more…
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Cleveland School District Adds 260 Preschool Seats
ideastream | August 23, 2014
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has added 260 preschool seats this year as part of PRE4CLE—a new program aimed at helping Cleveland families find high-quality preschool services from both public schools and private providers. ideastream’s David C. Barnett reports. Read more…
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Cleveland Partnership Aims to More Than Double the Children in Preschool Within Two Years
The Plain Dealer | March 11, 2014
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland school district, Cuyahoga County and more than 30 area agencies have joined in a partnership to more than double the number of Cleveland children attending a quality preschool within the next two years. Read more…
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Cleveland School District Adds 260 Preschool Seats
ideastream | August 23, 2014
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has added 260 preschool seats this year as part of PRE4CLE—a new program aimed at helping Cleveland families find high-quality preschool services from both public schools and private providers. ideastream’s David C. Barnett reports. Read more…
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PRE4CLE Expanding Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs in Cleveland
The Plain Dealer | November 17, 2014
Investing in pre-kindergarten education pays off for everyone.
Cleveland’s PRE4CLE pre-K expansion initiative was lauded recently as a national model by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and by Roberto J. Rodríguez, deputy assistant for education to President Barack Obama as a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Read more…
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Quality Preschools Add Seats in Buckeye, Glenville, and Union-Miles with PRE4CLE Boost
The Plain Dealer | July 24, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Three preschools in high-need neighborhoods will receive a boost with startup needs like desks, computers, books and teacher training from PRE4CLE, the city’s preschool expansion partnership. Read more…
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PRE4CLE salutes more "early adopters"
CMSD News Bureau | November 5, 2015
PRE4CLE honored 16 more preschool centers Thursday for joining its campaign to make high-quality preschool more accessible to District families.The network, a partnership between CMSD and private preschool providers, held its second Early Adopters Induction Ceremony at Marigold Catering on Lakeside Avenue.PRE4CLE was formed last year and now serves 4,107 children at 106 sites. More than half of those sites are at CMSD schools.
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PRE4CLE issues grants for four new classrooms
Freshwater Cleveland | August 24, 2015
PRE4CLE, an extension of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District that aims to expand high-quality preschool options across the city, has awarded three grants totaling $120,000 to start four new classrooms, each of which will house 20 preschoolers.
The Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland will open two of the new classrooms at the Oakwood Child Development Center, 9250 Miles Park Avenue. Another will be the first preschool classroom at The Citizens Academy, 10118 Hampden Avenue, which is operated by The Centers for Families and Children. The fourth will be at the Buckeye-Shaker Fundamentals Academy, 12500 Buckeye Road, under the umbrella of the Fundamentals Early Childhood Development Academy.
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PRE4CLE adds 80 preschool seats
CMSD News Bureau | July 22, 2015
The PRE4CLE network has awarded grants that will be used to add 80 high-quality preschool seats in parts of the city where demand is greatest.
PRE4CLE, a partnership between CMSD and private providers, strives to make high-quality preschool available to as many of Cleveland’s children as possible. High quality is defined as receiving three stars on the state’s five-star system.PRE4CLE grants totaling $120,000, or $30,000 each for four classrooms, will increase access in the Union-Miles, Buckeye-Shaker and Glenville neighborhoods. The money, which came from the Cuyahoga County Invest in Children program, will pay for start-up costs such as salaries and equipment. -
PRE4CLE aims to close preschool gap
Freshwater Cleveland | July 2, 2015
Whatever you do, don’t tell private, early educators like Stephanie Moore that they are only babysitters.
“It’s like a slap in the face,” said Moore, director of the St. Augustine Manor Child Enrichment Center near Detroit Avenue and West 80th Street. “Not only is this a daycare center, but we’re at the same level as a preschool in a local school district.”
Whether a child goes to such a center, attends highly-rated Cleveland Metropolitan School District preschool classes at schools like Adlai E. Stevenson or Memorial, or is enrolled in a Head Start program isn’t quite as important as the quality of the education provided. Increasing preschool access to all three- and four-year-olds in the city is now a shared goal that unites politicians, educators, corporations and nonprofits under one banner: PRE4CLE.
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St. Augustine Child Enrichment Center and PRE4CLE building a foundation for success
Cleveland.com Blog | May 18, 2015
The St. Augustine Child Enrichment Center was honored by PRE4CLE for being one of the first 90 providers in Cleveland to be part of the effort to provide high-quality preschool to all of Cleveland’s three and four-year-old children.
The St. Augustine Child Enrichment Center is happy to announce that we were chosen as a PRE4CLE early adopter!
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What makes a good preschool? State inspectors and other experts tell parents what to look for
The Plain Dealer | January 9, 2015
Looking for a day care center or preschool for your child?
Good luck sorting them out.
Ohio has more than 8,000 child care centers or homes that take care of – and sometimes teach – children. And that’s just licensed homes. It doesn’t include all the neighbors or grandmothers watching fewer than six kids at a time.
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State ratings point to preschools that are really schools, not just child care
The Plain Dealer | January 9, 2015
What’s the difference between a day care center and a preschool?
State law doesn’t make a distinction. And you can’t always believe what a center puts in its name and advertisements.
So Ohio is trying to give parents guidance through it’s Step Up To Quality preschool rating system, which rates childcare centers from one to five stars based on how well they try to educate children.
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Ohio loses out on $20 million preschool grant, but Cleveland's plan gains $900,000 in local grants
The Plain Dealer | December 11, 2014
Cleveland lost out on $6 million to boost its preschool plans when federal officials selected other states, but not Ohio, in awarding $250 million in preschool development grants Wednesday.
PRE4CLE, the partnership between the Cleveland school district and more than 30 community organizations, will instead use $900,000 in new local grants over the next three years to add more high-quality preschool seats for children in the city.
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PRE4CLE plan receives $900,000 in commitments from three foundations
Crain’s Cleveland Business | December 10, 2014
The Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation and PNC Foundation during a Wednesday, Dec. 10, gathering in Washington, D.C., announced $900,000 in financial commitments to support high-quality preschool programs in Cleveland.
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Preschool means schools don't have to spend 13 years catching kids up, Cleveland schools chief Eric Gordon tells White House Summit on Early Education
The Plain Dealer | December 10, 2014
Cleveland schools chief Eric Gordon told educators in Washington, D.C., this morning that the entire community’s efforts to add more preschool is key to bringing better education to all Cleveland children.
Gordon appeared at the first panel this morning at the White House Summit on Early Education, a national event to promote President Obama’s push for more preschool nationwide.
“It’s only going to keep moving if we start at the beginning,” he said on the panel moderated by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
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HUD Secretary Says Cleveland Preschools “Get It.”
ideastream | October 28, 2014
As children played, read books, or assembled puzzles at a pre-school in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood, HUD secretary Julian Castro praised the way many area organizations are working together to provide educational pre-school.
“Cleveland gets it. And I’m encouraged to see the work that is happening here to ensure that these young people get a good education and also to work with the housing authority so that we lift up families that are willing to work hard for it.”
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HUD Secretary Julian Castro says "Cleveland gets it" about the need for preschool
The Plain Dealer | October 28, 2014
Cleveland’s attempts to increase preschool access are a model for other cities to follow, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro said in a quick visit to the city this morning.
Castro, the former San Antonio mayor who led a major preschool expansion in that city, came to Cleveland to promote President Obama’s goal of providing “universal Pre-K” – preschool for every child, regardless of family income, just like another grade at school.
Castro visited the Bingham Early Learning Center, a preschool located in public housing at 2421 Central Avenue, and spoke briefly, along with Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland school district Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon.
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PRE4CLE campaign adds 235 more preschool seats in Cleveland, hires a director
The Plain Dealer | August 22, 2014
The citywide drive to place more children in quality preschools has made a few tangible gains since spring – adding a director, picking two lead agencies to guide some efforts and offering preschool to 235 more children.
Leaders of PRE4CLE, a partnership that includes the Cleveland school district, Cuyahoga County and more than 30 non-profit agencies, updated its progress today as preschool students started their school year in district preschools.
Katie Kelly, the former head of the childhood advocacy group Groundwork, started as director of PRE4CLE this month, working out of the Cuyahoga County Educational Service Center.
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More than 280 "high quality" preschool seats remain open for Cleveland 4-year-olds
The Plain Dealer | July 27, 2014
More than 280 “high quality” preschool seats — some free and some with financial aid available — are still available for Cleveland four-year-olds this fall.
PRE4CLE, a program/partnership between the Cleveland school district, Cuyahoga County and 30 area agencies, identified the available seats and want parents to enroll their children.
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Preschool is better for kids and the regional economy, PRE4CLE panel tells The City Club
The Plain Dealer | March 25, 2014
Making preschool more available and affordable to Cleveland children is both better for the children and for the region’s economy, supporters of the PRE4CLE program, told the lunchtime audience at The City Club today.
For an hour, the main organizers of PRE4CLE laid out their plans to expand preschool opportunities in the city and gave their reasons – both emotional and objective – for wanting it to happen.
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Cleveland Mayor, Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO, Cuyahoga County Executive Announce Plans to Expand Pre-K in City of Cleveland
GlobeNewswire | March 20, 2014
The Cleveland Pre-K Task Force announced PRE4CLE, a plan to expand access to high-quality pre-K programs to children in the City of Cleveland, Ohio. PRE4CLE is a major next step in implementing Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools.
Starting in the 2014-2015 school year, PRE4CLE will increase the number of high-quality pre-K seats available for four year olds in the City of Cleveland whose families want them to attend high-quality preschool. The plan will be rolled out to three year olds at a later date.
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Preschool expansion supporters to discuss their plans Tuesday at the City Club
The Plain Dealer | March 20, 2014
The task force seeking to provide more and better preschool for Cleveland children will discuss their plans Tuesday at the City Club.
Supporters of the plan called PRE4CLE, including Marcia Egbert of the George Gund Foundation and Eric Gordon, the chief executive officer of the Cleveland schools, have been meeting with community organizations since the plan was announced March 11 to promote it.
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Preschool moves to the head of the class in Cleveland: editorial
The Plain Dealer | March 13, 2014
An exciting partnership between the Cleveland schools and more than 30 local agencies to expand high-quality preschools may be the key to turning around the Cleveland public schools.
Now, Pre4Cle (preschool for Cleveland) program, which hopes to enroll 2,000 pre-K students in the next two years, needs the help of the most important partners of all: parents who make choosing top preschools and K-12 schools a priority. They can begin by contacting Starting Point at 216-575-0061.
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Cleveland Schools Aim to Boost Enrollment in High-Quality Preschools
ideastream | March 11, 2014
The plan is called PRE4CLE, and the goal is to enroll 2,000 more four-year-olds into preschool programs considered high quality.
The plan increases preschool class sizes, while adding teaching assistants to keep the student-to-teacher ratio down. It also includes teacher training to bump up the number of programs considered high quality.
Marcia Egbert with the Gund Foundation said two things standing in the way of enrolling in preschool now are distance and price.
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Cleveland Expands Efforts To Help 4-Year-Olds Access to Preschool
State Impact Ohio | March 11, 2014
Cleveland is one of a handful of cities around the state trying to expand early childhood education for kids under five.
Last fall, city leaders teamed up with Cuyahoga County officials and two dozen local agencies to brainstorm ways to make high quality programs available for all kids in the area.
Now they say they have a strategy.
PRESS RELEASES
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Important Action Needed This Week!: Advocate for Quality Child Care in the State Budget
Earlier this month we shared an update on the state budget process and disappointing removals of critical funding opportunities to support Ohio children and families (read more here). This includes new language to limit Step Up To Quality further.
Step Up To Quality provides a standard for excellence for child care programs in Ohio, and more importantly, it gives families a tool to help them make informed choices about the child care they choose. Step Up To Quality helps families know that programs follow best practices for quality- including hiring qualified teachers and using a research-based curriculum.
What would this proposed change mean? Fewer children will have access to high-quality early learning opportunities, and families will have fewer quality choices when choosing care. Let your legislators know that Ohio’s children and families deserve more.
What can you do?
Reach out to your representatives now- we are weeks away from a signed budget.
Call the Legislative office for your home or child care center and deliver this message to the staff member that answers the phone; leaving this message in a voicemail is also fine if you don’t get a live person.
“Hello, my name is ____________, and I live/work at (your address or address of your early education center/home)_. I am calling today to urge you to invest in Ohio’s early childhood education system by replacing the funding removed from the Governor’s budget proposal for child care eligibility, child care scholarships for critical workers, and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, as well as remove the harmful provisions that would weaken Ohio’s early education system by further eroding Step Up To Quality. Quality.
Optional:
Child care matters to me because ________________Thank you for your consideration.”
Also, consider sending an email as well through Groundwork Ohio’s email campaign at www.groundworkohio.org
FIND YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE: https://www.ohiohouse.gov/members/district-map
FIND YOUR STATE SENATOR: https://ohiosenate.gov/members/district-map?home-address-entry=
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PRE4CLE STATEMENT ON COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FOR CLEVELAND EARLY LEARNING SPACES IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET
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Press Release: PRE4CLE LAUNCHES UNPRECEDENTED, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EFFORT TO RENOVATE EARLY LEARNING FACILITIES IN CLEVELAND
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Press Release: CHILD CARE PROVIDER VIDEOS REFLECT STRUGGLES TO REMAIN OPEN AND SUPPORT FAMILIES
November 11, 2021
Federal Relief Must Be Released to Address Ongoing Pandemic Challenges
CLEVELAND, OHIO – The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated Ohio’s child care crisis, with many child care providers struggling to remain open due to the high cost of providing care, low enrollment, and the inability to find early childhood educators. In a series of video interviews produced by PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s providers share how they’re struggling to stay open so parents can have quality child care as they return to work. Download Provider Videos Press Release 11.9.21.
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Press Release: IT’S TIME FOR OHIO TO RELEASE $800 MILLION IN FEDERAL CHILD CARE RESCUE FUNDS
September 20, 2021
At their breaking point, child care centers are closing and families are losing access
CLEVELAND, OHIO – The State of Ohio has yet to distribute $800 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act grants that are ear marked to provide immediate relief to child care providers. These dollars are critically needed to stabilize Ohio’s early learning sector. PRE4CLE, which works to expand access to high-quality preschool to every child in Cleveland as part of Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools, urges Governor Mike DeWine and the members of the Ohio General Assembly to put together a plan and release the funds immediately to ensure Ohio’s workforce will continue to have access to essential and quality child care. Download PRE4CLE ARPA Funds Press Release.
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Press Release: PRE4CLE RELEASES “PRESCHOOL REIMAGINED” ANNUAL REPORT TO OUTLINE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND STRATEGIES FOR RECOVERY
November 19, 2020
PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool, released its annual report today. The report shares details of PRE4CLE’s outcomes during the past year and outlines a comprehensive framework to support Ohio’s early care and education system during the COVID-19 crisis and recovery.
”Preschool Reimagined” details the ways in which early education, like most industries, has been hit hard by COVID-19. Widespread closures, safety concerns, staffing shortages, and changes in parental employment have caused unprecedented disruption within early education, and are threatening the viability of a system that is critical to our community’s ability to recover. Download Annual Report 2020 Press Release.
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Press Release: PRE4CLE SHARES “BUILD BACK STRONGER” RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OHIO’S CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION SYSTEM
July 8, 2020
PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool, released recommendations today to help Ohio’s child care and early education system recover from the COVID-19 crisis and rebuild stronger for the future.
The Build Back Stronger plan for Ohio was crafted because child care and early education, like most industries, has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. A successful economic reopening and recovery will rely on affordable and accessible child care for all families so parents feel they can safely return to work. The COVID-19 recovery also provides the opportunity to start fresh and build a newly resilient child care and early education system that offers high-quality care and education to children, reliable and affordable care to families as they head back to work, and fair compensation for child care and early education professionals. Download PRE4CLE Build Back Better Press Release.
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PRE4CLE Reports Five-Year Outcomes Increases in high-quality preschool enrollment, neighborhood availability, and kindergarten readiness
CLEVELAND, OHIO – PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool with the goal of increasing kindergarten readiness, released a report today highlighting the significant gains that have been made for Cleveland preschoolers since PRE4CLE began in 2014 as an initiative of Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools.
During the last five years, enrollment in high-quality preschool has increased by 72 percent in Cleveland. This accomplishment was made possible by PRE4CLE’s efforts to bring together the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, city and county leadership, preschool providers, and community partners to support expanding high-quality preschool opportunities for the city’s children, and to connect families to high-quality preschool programs.
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OHIO PRESCHOOLERS STAND TO BENEFIT FROM DEWINE’S PROPOSED EARLY CHILDHOOD POLICIES
CLEVELAND, OHIO – Ohio preschoolers stand to benefit from policies backed by Governor-elect Mike DeWine (R), who campaigned on a platform that included early childhood education as a top priority.
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PRE4CLE MEETING & EXCEEDING GOALS TO BRING HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL EDUCATION TO MORE CLEVELAND CHILDREN
CLEVELAND, OHIO – PRE4CLE continues to meet and exceed its goals to expand high-quality preschool to all Cleveland children, according to PRE4CLE’s 2018 Annual Report. Thanks to the community investment in the PRE4CLE approach, more Cleveland children than ever before attend high-quality preschools, more neighborhoods have quality options for families, and children enrolled in high-quality preschools are making significant strides in being ready for kindergarten. Download PRE4CLE 2018 Annual Report Press Release.
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CLEVELAND FAMILIES HAVE MORE HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL OPTIONS THIS SCHOOL YEAR
As Cleveland’s 3- and 4-year olds enter preschool this fall, there are more than 700 additional high-quality preschool openings throughout the city since last September according to PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s plan to expand high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds.
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MORE CLEVELAND CHILDREN ENROLLED IN HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL, MORE PROVIDERS RATED HIGH-QUALITY AFTER TWO YEARS OF PRE4CLE
June 12, 2017
PRE4CLE made significant strides in the past two years to increase the availability of high-quality preschool in Cleveland neighborhoods and the number of children enrolled in those preschool seats, according to PRE4CLE’s 2016 Annual Report. Download Annual Report Press Release.
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PRE4CLE AWARDS $150,000 TO EXPAND HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOLS IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGHEST NEEDS
Five new preschool classrooms will serve an additional 95 children. Download 2016-classroom-start-up-grants-release-final.
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Ohio Voters Unite in Supporting Greater Investments in Early Education
In every region and across the political spectrum a majority of Ohio voters support increasing federal investment in early childhood education. Download Ohio Poll Press Release.
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PRE4CLE CONNECTS 1,200 CLEVELAND CHILDREN TO HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL IN FIRST YEAR
December 15, 2015
Annual Report shows 80% of children in PRE4CLE classrooms on track to be ready for kindergarten.
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Cuyahoga County Budget includes $10 Million for High-Quality Preschool Expansion
November 12, 2015 Download 11 12 15.
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PRE4CLE Awards Funds to Expand High-Quality Preschools in Neighborhoods with Highest Needs
July 22, 2015 Download 7 20 15.
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PRE4CLE to Honor 90 Early Childhood Providers who Deliver High-Quality Preschool to Cleveland's Children
May 4, 2015 Download 5 4 15.
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White House Visits Cleveland, Applauds PRE4CLE's Efforts to Enroll More Children in High-Quality Preschool
October 28, 2014 Download 10 27 14.
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PRE4CLE Helps More Students Attend High-Quality Preschool in the 2014-15 School Year at Public, Private Programs
August 22, 2014 Download 8 21 14.
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PRE4CLE: The Cleveland Pre-K Implementation Plan
March 11, 2014 Download 3 10 14.
