The Board of Education for Cincinnati Public Schools has been very busy this year, figuring out the best way to educate students during the COVID pandemic. So while it is always an honor to be invited to speak at a CPS board meeting, ABC was especially humbled when Executive Director Brian Leshner was asked to present at the December 16, 2020 meeting.
In partnership with CPS Athletics Manager Josh Hardin, Mr. Leshner gave a 20-minute update on the state of athletics in CPS, ABC’s support of CPS children and families during COVID, and he presented the findings from a recent study ABC conducted regarding the impact that participation in athletics has on a student’s academic success.
During his presentation, Mr. Leshner said, “As we all know, March 2020 changed everything. We could no longer deliver extracurricular programming as we had in the past. We needed to pivot in ways we never had before. We were able to gain a strong understanding of the immediate needs of CPS children and families and respond to their needs quickly.”
After the presentation, Eve Bolton, CPS Board Member and Chair of the CPS Finance Committee, commented, “This is monumental. We are so fortunate, and the kids have benefited greatly. I thank the staff and ABC….Do more, do better, do bigger, because this is phenomenal, especially for an urban district.”
The full board meeting can be viewed below, with the ABC presentation beginning at 33:16.
