Education Inequity

The Education Committee for the Coalition Supporting Youth Advocates (CSYA)- Sarah has spent a considerable amount of energy working to address the entrenched and complex issues that cause many young people, particularly our Black and Brown youth to struggle as they near adulthood and oftentimes coming into contact with the child welfare or justice systems. The overwhelming realities of our public health, economic, and racial justice crises in our community have amplified the challenges our young people have to access a comprehensive education and the support needed for their specific circumstances. 

As an Advisory Board member for five years at Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary school – located at 11th and Chestnut, the Family Resource and Youth Services Centers (FRYSC), is a vital program that needs more funding. More than 850 Family Resource and Youth Services Centers provide services to Kentucky students and families in approximately 1,200 schools, transitions to school and adult life, parent engagement, student achievement and wellbeing. The primary goal of these centers is to remove non-academic barriers to learning as a means to enhance student academic success. Sarah knows that kids don’t have the luxury of leaving the challenges they may face at home or in their community before walking into a classroom where they are expected to be ready to learn and engage. Sarah worked closely with Justin DeLorenzo the FYSKY to do important work like starting the first food pantry partnership with Dare to Care which has become a model program that other schools are adopting.

As a former preschool teacher, Sarah understands the importance of early childhood education cannot be overstated. Early childhood education is not only about learning basic skills, it’s a time when children learn critical social and emotional skills and a partnership is formed between the child, their parents and the teacher. When this is done successfully, it lays the groundwork for it to continue throughout the child’s education. Children who are behind in kindergarten are more likely to fall behind for their entire educational experiences and the research supports that children who attend preschool are more prepared for kindergarten than those who don’t; and this is why she is an advocate for universal preschool and for expanded the First Steps program to ensure kids get services they need for interventions after age three.