A Question in Search of Your Answer

Here is the question.

We all want the best education for our kids, and all kids learn best in different environments. I am very, very pleased with Springfield Local Schools, where my two children are (or will be, in the case of my daughter who is turning 5) enrolled. I am a strong advocate for traditional public schools.

However, I am interested in schools such as "The Autism Academy of Toledo" which just had its second graduate. If my child had autism, I would look at this school. I talked recently with a teacher at a traditional public school (not Springfield), and she said that an autistic child could learn as well at a traditional school. I also know of an autistic child who is being educated at Springfield, and he has a paraprofessional that travels with him, and he seems to do well enough... I just don't know enough about all of this to have an informed opinion and I want to hear from the public. What do you know, what have you seen, what do you think? Please write... I'm listening.

Kids Eat Fruit!, Safe Schools Grant and more

Tonight’s board meeting was punctuated with fits of coughing: between Judy Hansen and myself, and Karen Krause who is still recovering from her bout with a nasty cold, we sounded like an infirmary – but business was handled, nonetheless, and here are some of the highlights…

Judy Hansen attended the National School Board Association Conference in Orlando, and came back with a good deal of interesting information, including the innovative “Produce Passports” which can be checked out online at http://www.producepassport.com/ - what a great way to get kids to try new types of fruit! I know my kids will be getting involved with this and the board will follow up on larger scale implementation opportunities.

The LCESC partnered with nine of our school districts to submit a multi-million dollar grant application for “Safe and Drug Free Schools.” This is a highly competitive grant, but we are excited about the possibility of obtaining it - results will arrive in July.

We approved the renewal of a large number of staff contracts, along with the elimination of some due to RIF (reduction in force) – since we will not be providing bus service after this year, we obviously do not need bus drivers and the like.

Other business was attended to, but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that caused any dissenting votes among the board members. Our community schools representatives presented some highlights of accomplishments occurring at the schools we sponsor – the Autism Academy of Toledo had its second graduate, for example, and the Englewood Peace Academy had a team that placed third in the UT Robotics competition.

This brings me to a question I wish to ask… I’ll ask it in the next post and hope to get some responses…