Lead Poisoning Stunts Cleveland Students’ Learning While Leaders Fail

"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In recent years, thousands of children started kindergarten in Cleveland public schools already poisoned by lead, which threatens their chances to achieve and poses steep challenges for the district charged with educating them.

More than a quarter, 25.7 percent, of the kindergartners screened had a history of lead poisoning at or above the level where public health officials recommend action, researchers at the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University found.

A staggering 93.5 percent of them had some exposure to lead, which even at low levels can damage a developing brain and cause educational, behavioral and health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Rachel Dissell reports for the Cleveland Plain Dealer January 6, 2019.

Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, 01/07/2019