CINCINNATI — Teaching our smallest children is one of the biggest jobs “because you're preparing them not only for kindergarten, and their journey in school, but life; we teach social skills, social emotional skills, as well as academics," said Gina Pool, Director of the Little Tree House of Knowledge in the West End.
Currently, Pool has four teachers but needs six to feel fully staffed for the two age-based classes taught daily. She said it helps the students and helps the teachers to be comfortable in a classroom that isn’t overcrowded.
Pool said, “It helps the teachers to be able to foster a good learning environment when kids know how to take turns and wait their turn, and to stand in line to know how to write their names when they start school. And just to feel comfortable when they transition from, you know, learning through play to traditional learning in the classroom. It's a huge deal. Pre-K really sets them up for long term success in life.”
The Cincinnati Preschool Promise, a non-profit “working to ensure equitable access to high- quality preschools, and better preparedness for future schooling for all children,” they’re hoping to build on success the last five years.
“It's open enrollment season now, we touched more than 1,200 families last year and had 900 students enrolled in preschool. We want to do even better than that this year. And in order to make that happen, we have to have highly qualified teachers ready to work in our preschool classrooms,” said Chara Fisher Jackson, CEO and Executive Director.
“If I had to say what keeps me up at night, and our biggest challenge is making sure all the investments that we've made to make sure that their classrooms and space to provide access can be open. When there is a teacher shortage when there are not enough staff people, class sizes shrink, and fewer children can attend a high-quality preschool.
Preschool Promise is helping by Providing teacher promise grants and staff support funds. That means teachers receive a supplement and a grant for every month, they continue to work at their community provider site.
“Educators, preschool sites, they're exhausted, but their commitment is unwavering,” said Fisher Jackson.
For Gina Pool and the kids at Little Tree House of Knowledge, know you can make an impact.
“We just take it one day at a time. And it's important for everyone, for the kids, for the families to have a safe place for their kids to come and learn.”
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