It has been one year since I was elected to this board.
I had no idea I would learn so much and develop such a passion for the people and the work with which I have been involved during these past ten monthes.
I look forward to the days ahead, and to working alongside each of you!
I am dividing the remainder of this blog post into three parts, so you can skip to the section of interest to you personally:
First, the Ohio School Board Association held the annual Capital Conference in Columbus from Nov. 9-12. The event included numerous learning tracks, and this year there were a special series of presentation specifically for ESCs. Did you know that there are 58 ESCS in the state of Ohio? Approximately 23% of ESC budgets come from the state, and the rest is from local revenue sources (school districts who contract with the ESCs) or grants. It was pointed out that traditional school boards often are unaware of the work of the ESCs, these silent partners who work behind the scenes to enhance the educational experience in the communities they serve. The OSBA plans to work more closely with the OESCA to reach out and communicate more clearly with traditional school boards.
Last night was our monthly meeting at the ALCC, and again we had the privilege of honoring outstanding students from Anthony Wayne, Sylvania Southview and Northview, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Perrysburg, Whitmer, and Springfield. We also honored a family of the month and a wonderful "Out of School" department within the LCESC which works to help students who have dropped out of school to earn their GEDs. Our business included updates from the treasurer and superintendent on the work they are doing to meet the board-assigned "focus areas" for the year. The next paragraph will highlight one of these focus areas, the foreign language institute.
Importantly, the board took action to authorize the Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney to initiate litigation against two charter schools with whom we are no longer involved: they owe the LCESC over $25,000, combined. Action will be taken against the Toledo Academy of Learning and Greater Heights Academy in Cleveland to collect on these debts as we continue to closely monitor charter schools and hold them accountable to the highest standards in an effort to protect our children and provide them with the best possible educational opportunities.
Speaking of educational opportunities, do you have an elementary-school child who might like to learn Chinese, French or Spanish? The LCESC is actively pursuing a foreign language institute, with plans to have foreign language daycamps next summer and Saturday schools in the works as well. I know two kids who will be at the camp: Seth and Chelsea, my children. One of the many, many blessings of serving on the board has been the opportunity for me and my family to witness firsthand the wide array of programs that the LCESC offers and to avail ourselves of them. I encourage everyone to visit the LCESC website and see what is offered - there is something for everyone, of all ages and ability levels.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Support for levies at OHHS, Sylvania; Shuer Roof Project to Proceed
At the board meeting last night, there were several interesting developments: along with the normal business of the board, we reaffirmed the decision to move forward by contracting with Rossi & Associates as recommended by the Building and Grounds Committee. Rossi & Associates will serve as the architects and overseers in the roofing project at the Shuer Center. They were chosen after the B & G committee met with several other highly reputable companies. The bids for the roof will go out in January or February, and construction will begin in the spring. The total cost of the project will be around half a million dollars.
The board also voted to support the levies at Ottawa Hills and Sylvania, two of the schools which we serve. A number of grants were accepted as well. Next month, the meeting will be held on a Thursday instead of Tuesday, as the Ohio School Boards Association Conference takes place over the time of the normally scheduled meeting. I will blog on the OSBA Conference.
Everything else is progressing as expected - nothing out of the ordinary to report.
The board also voted to support the levies at Ottawa Hills and Sylvania, two of the schools which we serve. A number of grants were accepted as well. Next month, the meeting will be held on a Thursday instead of Tuesday, as the Ohio School Boards Association Conference takes place over the time of the normally scheduled meeting. I will blog on the OSBA Conference.
Everything else is progressing as expected - nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
"Lorain Gifted Academy" Becomes "Menlo Park" and My Commentary on "Gifted Children"
In our board meeting at 6:30 AM(!) yesterday morning, we unanimously voted to allow Lorain Gifted Academy to re-open as "Menlo Park" under new management, with a new board. This charter school had received an "Excellent" rating, but closed because the management company, Constellation, chose to withdraw its support. In record time, the parents of the students banded together and fulfilled every legal obligation, including hiring four certified teachers, so that the school can re-open on Tuesday, September 23rd.
My stance on charter schools is typically a dubious one; I am an advocate of traditional public education, as evidenced by the choice my family has made in sending our children to Springfield Local. I had a question for those who had traveled to our meeting yesterday from Menlo Park: How do these parents and educators insure that their "gifted" children receive adequate interaction with other children? (I place "gifted" in quotation marks because I firmly believe that, in one way or another, every child is gifted.) I asked this in the context of my own experience, both as a child identified as "gifted" and as the parent of a "gifted" child. They had answers: the kids play soccer, participate in scouts, etc. The response was interesting...one parent mentioned that her child did not function well in a traditional public school, did not find himself to be challenged, and felt "different." Another parent came up to me later and said that her daughter just wanted to "fit in" and couldn't do that at the traditional public school. I understand and empathize with these positions, and I support this option for these children or I would not have voted in support of the school. However, I see it differently...
...the best education I received came in diverse, public settings where I had to struggle to find a niche, where I had to stretch, grow, experience rejection and learn that academic "giftedness" is only one of many talents that people possess. I had to learn side-by-side with kids who were rich, poor, black, white, boy, girl, and yes - academically gifted or "average" or even "academically challenged." One of my good friends during elementary school was a little girl named Robin who had mild mental retardation and development delays. Robin didn't care if I was smart or dumb; she was wise enough to know that if she would push me on the swings, I would push her back. I am grateful for Robin, and all that she taught me on a daily basis. I want the same for my children. I want them to learn how challenging difference can be, and how the true servant leader can turn it from an obstacle into a learning opportunity and appreciate all stripes of human being. Last year, my son received a character award at his elementary school for "acceptance." Mr. Lee, his teacher, noted that Seth accepted kids of all kinds, and treated them all with equal respect. My son has been identified as academically "gifted," and that's cool - but the fact that my son can "hang with his homies" and love 'em all the same - whether their IQ is over 127 (the official number designating "gifted") or under - is, in my opinion, the greatest "gift" of all. I hope that he never, ever changes.
My stance on charter schools is typically a dubious one; I am an advocate of traditional public education, as evidenced by the choice my family has made in sending our children to Springfield Local. I had a question for those who had traveled to our meeting yesterday from Menlo Park: How do these parents and educators insure that their "gifted" children receive adequate interaction with other children? (I place "gifted" in quotation marks because I firmly believe that, in one way or another, every child is gifted.) I asked this in the context of my own experience, both as a child identified as "gifted" and as the parent of a "gifted" child. They had answers: the kids play soccer, participate in scouts, etc. The response was interesting...one parent mentioned that her child did not function well in a traditional public school, did not find himself to be challenged, and felt "different." Another parent came up to me later and said that her daughter just wanted to "fit in" and couldn't do that at the traditional public school. I understand and empathize with these positions, and I support this option for these children or I would not have voted in support of the school. However, I see it differently...
...the best education I received came in diverse, public settings where I had to struggle to find a niche, where I had to stretch, grow, experience rejection and learn that academic "giftedness" is only one of many talents that people possess. I had to learn side-by-side with kids who were rich, poor, black, white, boy, girl, and yes - academically gifted or "average" or even "academically challenged." One of my good friends during elementary school was a little girl named Robin who had mild mental retardation and development delays. Robin didn't care if I was smart or dumb; she was wise enough to know that if she would push me on the swings, I would push her back. I am grateful for Robin, and all that she taught me on a daily basis. I want the same for my children. I want them to learn how challenging difference can be, and how the true servant leader can turn it from an obstacle into a learning opportunity and appreciate all stripes of human being. Last year, my son received a character award at his elementary school for "acceptance." Mr. Lee, his teacher, noted that Seth accepted kids of all kinds, and treated them all with equal respect. My son has been identified as academically "gifted," and that's cool - but the fact that my son can "hang with his homies" and love 'em all the same - whether their IQ is over 127 (the official number designating "gifted") or under - is, in my opinion, the greatest "gift" of all. I hope that he never, ever changes.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Charter School Ratings; The Roof; Official Support for Some Levies and Not Others
The September meeting took place on Tuesday the 9th... it has taken me a few days to blog since I am buried under my first round of student essays (which are quite good!) from BGSU.
I want to hit the important highlights here.
First of all, charter schools - the report cards are in, and overall charter schools did not fare as well as traditional public schools throughout the state. There are 311 charter schools in Ohio; of those 311, only 25 received the ratings of "Excellent" or "Effective" (none received "Excellent with Distinction"). On the other hand, 159 received the rating of "Academic Watch" or "Academic Emergency." Toledo Public outperformed these schools with its rating of "Continuous Improvement." To be fair, the 72 charter schools sponsored by the LCESC (which comprises 24% of the total number of charter schools in the state) performed better than the state averages across the board. There are many more statistics available; if you are interested, let me know and I will be pleased to provide them to you!
On to the roof: Nordstrom Roofing has been selected to complete the short-term repair for the roof at the Shuer/Challenger Center. We are in the process of selecting a design architect who will guide us through the selection of the company which will complete the overhaul of the roof due to take place next year.
And the levies! We voted to publicly support the levies at Anthony Wayne, Maumee, Perrysburg, Washington Local and TPS, as well as the Lucas County MRDD levy. COSI, on the other hand, did not gain the official support of the board, although several board members expressed their personal support of COSI and the great value it brings to the community. The board reasoned that as a 501c3 organization, the levy fell outside the scope of the LCESC.
A special meeting may be happening next Tuesday to discuss another charter school with which we have been a sponsor - the Lorain Academy for the Gifted, which closed (despite receiving an "Excellent" rating) due to financial losses. Parents are seeking to re-open the school under the name of "Menlo Park." I will keep you updated here!
I want to hit the important highlights here.
First of all, charter schools - the report cards are in, and overall charter schools did not fare as well as traditional public schools throughout the state. There are 311 charter schools in Ohio; of those 311, only 25 received the ratings of "Excellent" or "Effective" (none received "Excellent with Distinction"). On the other hand, 159 received the rating of "Academic Watch" or "Academic Emergency." Toledo Public outperformed these schools with its rating of "Continuous Improvement." To be fair, the 72 charter schools sponsored by the LCESC (which comprises 24% of the total number of charter schools in the state) performed better than the state averages across the board. There are many more statistics available; if you are interested, let me know and I will be pleased to provide them to you!
On to the roof: Nordstrom Roofing has been selected to complete the short-term repair for the roof at the Shuer/Challenger Center. We are in the process of selecting a design architect who will guide us through the selection of the company which will complete the overhaul of the roof due to take place next year.
And the levies! We voted to publicly support the levies at Anthony Wayne, Maumee, Perrysburg, Washington Local and TPS, as well as the Lucas County MRDD levy. COSI, on the other hand, did not gain the official support of the board, although several board members expressed their personal support of COSI and the great value it brings to the community. The board reasoned that as a 501c3 organization, the levy fell outside the scope of the LCESC.
A special meeting may be happening next Tuesday to discuss another charter school with which we have been a sponsor - the Lorain Academy for the Gifted, which closed (despite receiving an "Excellent" rating) due to financial losses. Parents are seeking to re-open the school under the name of "Menlo Park." I will keep you updated here!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
More on the Roof: Special Meeting 8/19
We met to discuss the roof and the decision was made, in compliance with the Ohio Revised Code, to direct the administration to seek out a design architect to oversee an immediate "button-up" of the roof followed next year by the necessary complete overhaul. The architect selected (and the administration will speak to three before making a selection) will then seek bids for the job, but the board, advised by the Building and Grounds Committee (I sit on this committee and Judy Hansen is chair) will have the final say in which roofing company takes the job. No resolutions were passed, since none were needed for this action.
In other news, look for a special meeting coming before the end of August to address the ongoing issues with Pace Career Center.
In other news, look for a special meeting coming before the end of August to address the ongoing issues with Pace Career Center.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Keeping the Lid On It
Or more accurately, the roof. That was the main topic of discussion at our regularly scheduled board meeting this evening, along with the usual approval of the fiscal report, the conferences attended by employees, and accepting some wonderful grants for early childhood education, etc.
The roof at the Shuer Center (sometimes referred to as the Challenger Center, since that is where, among other entities, the Challenger Learning Center is housed) is in dire need of repair. There are numerous options, but one course of action is clear: we must do something. Hard numbers will be gathered by our treasurer and alternatives explored, but we need to act rather quickly in some capacity, even if it is just doing the work that can be done to stave off the inevitable for one more year. To this end, we are having a special meeting next Tuesday at 5 PM to look at the data gathered and work toward the best decision possible for those who work, learn and pay for the Shuer Center. Check the blog next week for an update of what happens at the meeting on 8/19/08.
In other news, we are waiting for Pace Career Central to respond to the notice we sent them to suspend operations. Their doors are closed, they are not receiving any funding, and they have five business days to respond to us. We are waiting for the response. Again, check here for an update as soon as one arrives.
The roof at the Shuer Center (sometimes referred to as the Challenger Center, since that is where, among other entities, the Challenger Learning Center is housed) is in dire need of repair. There are numerous options, but one course of action is clear: we must do something. Hard numbers will be gathered by our treasurer and alternatives explored, but we need to act rather quickly in some capacity, even if it is just doing the work that can be done to stave off the inevitable for one more year. To this end, we are having a special meeting next Tuesday at 5 PM to look at the data gathered and work toward the best decision possible for those who work, learn and pay for the Shuer Center. Check the blog next week for an update of what happens at the meeting on 8/19/08.
In other news, we are waiting for Pace Career Central to respond to the notice we sent them to suspend operations. Their doors are closed, they are not receiving any funding, and they have five business days to respond to us. We are waiting for the response. Again, check here for an update as soon as one arrives.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Board Votes to Suspend Operations at Pace Career Central Community School
At a special meeting of the board this morning, the decision to suspend operations at Pace Career Central Community School in Dayton was unanimous. The school, which was slated to open for classes on Monday, will have its doors closed and funding ceased. The opportunity exists for the school to provide a corrective action plan to the board, which must be submitted within five business days. If a corrective action plan is submitted, the board has three options: 1) vote to re-open the school; 2) vote to suspend operations indefinitely; 3) vote to close the school permanently.
The students who attend Pace, which bills itself as a "drop-out recovery" institution (although it has not been given this status by the state) must be notified of the situation within two days, so that they can make alternative arrangements for education this fall. Dayton, which has the highest number of community schools in the state, has several nearby options for the students as well as the Dayton Public Schools.
The Lucas County ESC currently sponsors 72 charter schools throughout the state. If Pace Career Central Community School were to close, that number would drop to 71 but the LCESC would remain the largest sponsor of charter schools in Ohio.
The students who attend Pace, which bills itself as a "drop-out recovery" institution (although it has not been given this status by the state) must be notified of the situation within two days, so that they can make alternative arrangements for education this fall. Dayton, which has the highest number of community schools in the state, has several nearby options for the students as well as the Dayton Public Schools.
The Lucas County ESC currently sponsors 72 charter schools throughout the state. If Pace Career Central Community School were to close, that number would drop to 71 but the LCESC would remain the largest sponsor of charter schools in Ohio.
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