AFT’s Weingarten and CFT’s Sellers on Cincinnati Schools ‘Preschool Promise’ Levy

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Julie Sellers on the passage of Issue #44 in Cincinnati:

AFT President Randi Weingarten:

“Cincinnati has been a leader in innovative education, implementing community schooling citywide, and the schools continue to move in the right direction. But that progress is at risk when state education funding has dropped by $70 million over the past eight years. We need to build on the momentum, making more investments, not fewer.

“Giving kids a strong head start prepares them for the rigors of learning in kindergarten and beyond. With the passage of Issue #44, the city will close the funding gap and add roughly 8,000 extra pre-K slots, helping prepare mostly low-income kids for future educational success while providing teachers with the tools they need to be successful.

“By Election Day, the AFT had 30 staff deployed on the ground in Cincinnati. This past weekend, we knocked on more than 32,000 doors and made more than 14,000 phone calls. On Election Day alone, 150 volunteers knocked on more than 7,000 doors and made an additional 7,000 phone calls.”

Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Julie Sellers:

“I’m proud of the commitment that this broad coalition of parents, community members, businesses and teachers has shown in coming together for the students of Cincinnati. Cincinnati has always shown support for public education and now that support includes early education.”