Category: Uncategorized

On March 11, 2014, the Cleveland Pre-K Task Force announced an exciting new plan to ensure that every preschooler in the city will have access to high-quality pre-K experience that will leave them ready to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. The plan, PRE4CLE, was created by more than 60 task force members in a four-month process facilitated and led by ACS President Lori McClung and Policy Associate Heather Lenz. It was covered with both a news story and an editorial in the Plain Dealer, the local NPR station – ideastream, and several television stations.

McClung worked closely with Marcia Egbert, senior program officer at the George Gund Foundation, and Cleveland schools CEO Eric Gordon, to create a successful process to tackle the huge task of designing an inclusive, affordable pre-K system that includes a variety of public and private providers. McClung and team ACS led nine separate working groups to delve deeply into aspects ranging from finance to teacher quality to transportation. The result? A comprehensive, ambitious, yet realistic plan with clear goals and benchmarks — kicking off with the addition of 2,0000 new high-quality pre-K seats by the beginning of the coming school year. (Cleveland currently has approximately 1,200 high-quality spots for 5,400 pre-K aged children.)

A recent New York Times opinion piece, When Even the Starting Line is Out of Reach, explains the compelling and very human reasons why early childhood development and education is critical to ending the cycle of poverty that too many American families face. While the challenges are enormous, we are – as always – encouraged by our many clients like First Things First of Arizona,Every Child Succeeds, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), who work constantly to expand the reach of critical early childhood supports to families in communities across the country. Read the article

A thoughtful article from KQED Public Media in Northern California on the concerns related to testing for Kindergarteners that mentions ACS client the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

ACS recently connected the Associated Press with Akron Public Schools Superintendent David W. James in an article that examined the prevalence of justice system involvement in school discipline policies – and the disproportionate number of minority students who are affected by such policies. James spoke honestly and directly about a recent analysis of student discipline in his district, and what a new set of federal recommendations might mean for Akron Public Schools. The article appeared in newspapers across the country.

After his first year at the helm of The Canton City School District, Superintendent Adrian Allison was recognized for his bold new approach and overhaul of the district in a Canton Repository article. The Canton Repository applauded Allison’s first year as head of the district and reported on the Brighter Tomorrow Plan that he designed and is rolling out this school year. ACS helped to build an initial communications strategy around the Brighter Tomorrow Plan rollout, and is proud to see Supt. Allison and the district are getting well deserved attention for their work.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce the newest member of the ACS team Ms. Rebecca Cohen. Rebecca joins us as Senior Director and will lead strategic communication, government relations, policy analysis and strategy development for ACS clients. Rebecca will be located in Ann Arbor, Michigan (her home) and traveling to clients across the country as part of her portfolio. She has a wealth of public policy, communication, strategy development and labor market research experience with a particular emphasis on workforce development, higher education, and early childhood.

As cities are gaining momentum on high quality Pre-K expansion across the country, ACS is working locally with the George Gund Foundation, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, community leaders, and early childhood experts to expand Pre-K to all 3 and 4 year olds in the City of Cleveland!

Check out EdWeek’s article on what other cities are doing around Pre-K expansion.

Stay tuned for Cleveland’s plan to expand high quality pre-k — the report will be available in February 2014!

The Cleveland Plain Dealer recognized ACS client Cuyahoga County Council for a job well done in 2013. This coverage was the result of a press release created by ACS and is a great example of how proactive media outreach can help establish and shape favorable framing and build a positive public opinion.

This recent Washington Post article does a great job of outlining the confusion about the Common Core State Standards, which is getting quite a bit of national and local press attention. The Common Core is also currently under attack in several states including in Ohio via House Bill 237, which attempts to repeal the Standards. ACS client, The Ohio 8 Coalition Co-Chair Lori Ward, Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools, testified before Ohio’s House Education Committee to spell out the reasons why the Common Core will benefit Ohio’s schools. In particular, Ward explained how adopting the Common Core will allow districts the flexibility to develop their own instructional approaches and accountability models, will provide rigorous expectations for all students to succeed here at home or around the world. Read Supt. Ward’s full testimony.

The Port of Cleveland has announced a new deal with Dutch company Spliethoff Group, to open a new Cleveland-Europe Express shipping route. This will be the only direct shipping connection between the Great Lakes and Europe, providing a faster, cheaper, greener route between the Midwest and port cities like Antwerp, Belgium. ACS provided media muscle and connections to help the Port spread this exciting news, with media hits in more than three dozen different local, national and international news outlets — from the Cleveland Plain Dealer to The Miami Herald to The New York Times!