Every day, remarkable people in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Northern Kentucky come together to prove what’s possible in public education in our region – some who sat in the same seats as their students do now, others whose seats looked dramatically different. They gather across lines of difference, because they believe as long as educational opportunity belongs to a privileged few, the promise of America will remain always beyond reach.
The history of inequity in our region is one of great complexity. As a critical stop on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War, Cincinnati served as the gateway between two disparate futures—one of slavery and one of freedom. Centuries later, children growing up just a few miles from each other are still faced with drastically different life outcomes. Today, over half of Cincinnati’s children live in poverty; the second highest rate nationwide. Third grade reading scores between more affluent districts and predominantly low-income districts can vary by up to 35 percent in our region.
Rather than settle, we believe that change is possible, and we roll up our sleeves with parents, community members, districts and colleagues to have consistently strong impact for kids inside and outside of the classroom. After three years as a region, we are starting to see that impact happen – through growth in academic achievement, college readiness, and growth in access to opportunities outside of the classroom. There is still much work to be done here and we are excited to engage in it because we know that when children are given the opportunities they deserve, they gain access to the freedom that comes with an excellent education.