Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > March
March 2009
Local treasurer selected for Columbus job
Springfield Treasurer Penny Rucker has been selected as treasurer of Columbus Public Schools, Ohio’s largest school district, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Rucker and the board will enter negotiations to strike a formal deal before the offer is complete.
Rucker is the second consecutive Springfield treasurer to go to Columbus — her predecessor, Michael Kinneer, was also hired by Columbus until he left for Fort Lauderdale last year.
Springfield is winding down a superintendent search right now and then will launch a national search for a campus director at the high school. Looks like a treasurer search will be in the works too now.
Look for more details in tomorrow’s paper.
Student injured in industrial tech class at NWHS
Emergency squads have reported to Northwestern High School at about noon Tuesday, March 31, where a student injured himself in industrial technology, Superintendent Tony Orr confirmed.
The student was using a saw, he said.
“I don’t know what kind of saw the student was using, I don’t know the extent of his injuries,” said Orr.
The school placed a call to authorities just before noon when the injury occurred, according to scanner traffic. Orr said he will have more information later.
District names superintendent finalists
Three Ohio superintendents will move on to the final round of interviews to be Springfield’s next superintendent.
David Estrop, Doug Heuer and Robert Sommers will be in the district next Monday through Wednesday meeting with residents, staff and community and business leaders, said board President Donna Picklesimer.
Estrop, currently the superintendent of Cuyahoga County’s Lakewood City Schools, is also a finalist for the superintendent position in Cincinnati. Heuer is currently superintendent of Austintown schools near Youngstown. Sommers is the superintendent/CEO of Butler Technology and Career Development Schools in Hamilton.
Look for more in tomorrow’s paper.
District to hold meetings on facilities plans
Northwestern Local Schools will host three meetings next week to get input from residents on a potential building project.
Northwestern officials expect confirmation in July that the state’s Ohio Schools Facilities Commission will pay 45 percent of the cost to build new schools in the district. They will likely go to the ballot in November with a combined building-operating levy.
Northwestern is still in the process of completing a master facilities plan, as required for participation in OSFC. One of the things the district will seek input on next week is the configuration of the buildings, said Superintendent Tony Orr.
Anyone in attendance will see a few possibilities and give feedback through a technology educators refer to as “clickers,” which are basically something you hold and click to answer a question and then a computer monitors the answers. Orr told me Wednesday that the plan could be for two buildings or one building.
The district has invited parents of students in grades kindergarten through 4 to a meeting Monday, March 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Northwestern Middle School. The district is encouraging parents to bring others - grandparents, etc. - with them.
The parents of 5th through 12th graders are invited to a similar meeting Wednesday, April 1, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the middle school gym and are again encouraged to bring others with them.
Then Friday the district will host a dinner for senior citizens in the community and will talk to them about the plan as well.
Look for more information in the News-Sun this weekend.
Board takes meeting to town hall
The Northeastern Board of Education will meet in the South Vienna town hall Thursday night.
Northeastern board members typically alternate their meetings between Northeastern and Kenton Ridge high schools but will go to the village this week, board President Leonard Kadel said at a community meeting Monday night.
The Monday night forum was about a potential partnership between Northeastern and the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission to build new schools. The state will pick up 41 percent of the tab if local taxpayers approve a bond issue to fund the remaining part; it’s expected to be on the November ballot.
Northeastern’s plan calls for two campuses of three school buildings each — one near Kenton Ridge High School and one where Northeastern High School is.
A resident asked at Monday’s meeting what would happen in South Vienna, where there is currently an elementary school and a middle school, although they are housed in the same building.
That’s when Kadel mentioned that the board would hold its March meeting in South Vienna.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. tonight. How do you feel about the possibility that South Vienna would no longer have an elementary school in the village?
Local board members named to state committees
Three local board members have been named to federal, state and regional committees of the Ohio School Boards Association, according to a release from the OSBA.
Northwestern board veteran Donna Myers, president elect of the OSBA’s Southwest region, has been named to the OSBA board of trustees, the conference planning committee, federal relations network and southwest regional executive committee.
Long-time Northeastern board member Leonard Kadel has also been named to the federal relations network.
And Anna Bucy of Greenon schools will join Myers on the Southwest executive committee.
The OSBA is a support organization for board members in Ohio and the board of trustees is its’ governing body. The 21 member committee has representatives from each of Ohio’s six largest districts (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and South-Western) and 16 board members selected by the OSBA’s five regional associations.
The Southwest regional committee covers Clark and Champaign counties, but also Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and Warren counties.
The conference planning committee is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: the people in charge of the annual OSBA Capital Conference which is held in November and hundreds of local board members descend on Columbus.
The Federal Relations Network is a “grassroots lobbying force” of local board members who take up the cause on federal issues. If you’ve got a complaint about something at the federal level, like NCLB, these are the board members you want to get that complaint to. Kadel and Myers have both been on this committee before and were in D.C. a couple months ago meeting with legislators about education issues.
Superintendent: Graham ‘devastated’ by students’ deaths
Graham Elementary School students and staff are devastated by the loss of three students and a toddler in their community over the weekend, Superintendent Jim Zerkle said Monday, March 23.
Graham Local Schools arranged for teams of counselors to be at the elementary school and on the bus route that Cassie Krag and Breonna Snelling and Patrick Snelling rode Monday morning, said Zerkle.
The three Graham Elementary students and Breonna and Patrick’s two-year old brother Nathan Skaggs were killed in a mobile home fire early Saturday morning.
“We’ve lost a lot of children over the years, but to lose three small children is just devestating,” he said. “We’re getting through it, minute by minute.”
Staff met with Zerkle Sunday to prepare to help the students deal with their grief.
“Of course our number one concern is our children,” he said. “Followed closely by staff.”
The Snelling children had only been attending Graham schools since November; Cassie had been with the district since 2007, Zerkle said.
“They were good kids and seem to be well-accepted by other students and the staff,” he said.
The district is working with Vernon Funeral Home, who is handling the arrangements for the children, said Zerkle.
“The community will come together on this,” he said.
School sets memorial dedication for crash victim
Greenon High School will hold a dedication April 26 in honor of Pat Jacobson, a standout athlete who was killed in a car accident in March 2009.
My colleague Kermit Rowe wrote about plans for a memorial to Jacobson at the school in November.
Pat Jacobson’s classmates, teammates, friends, teachers and countless others banded together to create an area at the school to honor his memory. They’ve been working on this for a while now and will hold the formal dedication in April, Superintendent Lori Lytle said. I’ve heard from a few people now how hard GHS has worked to make this happen in Pat’s honor.
I’ll have more details closer to April 26.
Meet the candidates
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, Springfield board members will meet in special session to interview semi-finalists for their next superintendent.
We’ll have profiles of all six semi-finalists in the News-Sun this weekend but if you keep your browser pointed to the blog over the next couple days, you’ll get a sneak peak at who made the cut to meet the board in the first round of interviews.
Board to discuss strategic plan
Greenon board members will meet in a work session Thursday night to discuss the district’s strategic plan, according to a notice from the district.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the media center at Indian Valley Middle School on Enon-Xenia Road.
The strategic plan and “discussion of any other business to come before the board” are the only things on the agenda.
Schools recognized at PR conference
Two local schools were recognized at a meeting of the Ohio chapter of National Schools Public Relations Association last week.
Springfield High School’s brochure — a glossy full-color publication that features actual Springfield students and staff — and the “We Are Springfield High” committee were recognized at the awards. The brochure took honors for “Best of the Best” and the committee won a “Friend of Education” recognition.
Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, the career tech center that serves students in Champaign, Logan, Auglaize, Hardin and Union counties won a “Friend of Education” award for “Mark of Excellence” for the district newsletter and a “Best of the Best” for its Web site, both accepted by Shane Haggerty, communications coordinator.
Local student selected for athlete of the month
If you stop at a Penn Station this month, you might recognize the student featured as March’s Athlete of the Month.
The Dayton-area contest selected Springfield High School Senior Abdul Wasey as their choice for the month of March. Wasey has played tennis and soccer for Springfield in addition to maintaining a 4.36 GPA.
I’ve met Abdul Wasey a couple times. When Gov. Strickland came to SHS last month, Wasey was one of the students he spoke to and the two of them were discussing green energy as they toured the halls. I distinctly remember hearing Abdul rattle off the name of the recently-selected Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, and wondering to myself how many high school students knew that.
Wasey is also in the school’s IB (International Baccalaureate) program and has been researching human trafficking as part of that. He brought a speaker to the high school to talk to students and community members on the subject in January.
Here’s what Penn Station had to say about Abdul:
The winner of the March Penn Station Athlete of the Month is Abdul Wasey. Abdul is being awarded for his outstanding athleticism in both Varsity Tennis and Junior Varsity Soccer. Abdul not only dominates in the high school sports world but he also excels in the classroom with a 4.36 grade point average at Springfield High School. He plans to attend college upon graduation and major in biochemistry or cognitive science. On and off the field Abdul is a great addition to the community. Abdul is the Vice President of Student Council, Treasurer of Key Club, a member of the Springfield Youth Chamber Orchestra, National Honor Society member, Hi-Q member, and in his spare time, a tutor at the Warder Literacy Center. For Abdul, “Discovering he had an artistic ability,” has been his greatest achievement. In honor of Abdul’s achievement as the Athlete of the Month, Penn Station will reward him with gifts, including a $500 grant towards Springfield High School. His picture will be hung in all Dayton area Penn Stations, personalized coupons for the entire student body, and he will be in the running towards a $5,000 college scholarship to be awarded at the end of the school year. Nearly 10 years ago Penn Station launched the “Athlete of the Month” program to showcase the extraordinary student athletes in Dayton. Since then, Penn Station East Coast Subs has awarded nearly $85,000 in award money and college scholarships. Eighty-five students have received “Athlete of the Month” recognition and nine have been awarded $5,000 college scholarships. “Abdul is a wonderful, positive influence in our Dayton community. We are pleased to add him to the list of winners and look forward to continuing to watch him excel,” says Kevin Osterfeld, President of Penn Station Dayton.
UPDATE: Who applied to be Springfield’s next superintendent?
UPDATE: I just got the list of the six semi-finalists who will be interviewed by the board next week. Check tomorrow’s News-Sun for more but here’s the list of semi-finalists:
1. Audrey Donaldson, Leadership Coach,Chicago,IL 2. David Estrop,Superintendent,Lakewood,OH 3. Douglas Heuer,Superintendent, Youngstown,OH 4. Gail Mitchell, Deputy Superintendent,Mansfield, OH 5. Steve Price, Superintendent, Middletown, OH 6. Robert Sommers, Superintendent, Butler Technology Center, Hamilton, OH
I just got the list of applicants to be Springfield City Schools’ next superintendent.
Board members are still in executive session hammering out which six semi-finalists will be interviewed next week.
I’ll have those names up as soon as I get them but for now, see the complete list (names and current job title) after the jump.
Carole Ayanlaja — Calumet District 132 Principal, junior high and intermediate, Calumet Park, Ill.
Floyd Braid — i3 Training Services Inc., President and Chief Learning Officer, Cartersville Ga.
Stephen Covert — Spotsylvania County Schools, Director of Human Resources, Spotsylvania, Va.
Audrey Donaldson — Academy for Urban School Leadership, leadership coach, Chicago, Ill.
Thomas Donausky — School District U-46, executive director for secondary education (area superintendent), Elgin, Ill.
David Estrop — Lakewood City School District, superintendent, Lakewood, Ohio
I.V. Foster, Jr. — Prairie-Hills School District 144, superintendent, Markham, Ill.
Carla Franklin — Memphis City Schools, principal, Memphis, Tenn.
Luis Gonzalez — Mathis ISD, superintendent, Mathis, Tex.
Steven Greenfield — William Penn School District, assistant superintendent, Landsdowne, Penn.
Douglas Heuer — Austintown Local School District, superintendent, Youngstown, Ohio
Aquine Jackson — self-employed education consultant, former Milwaukee Public Schools Chief, Milwaukee, Wis.
James Kemp — Webster County Board of Education, superintendent, Dixon, Ky.
Aaron Mackey — Princeton City School District, superintendent, Princeton City, Ohio.
Timm Mackley — Ohio Department of Education, position not listed, Columbus, Ohio.
Michael McLoughlin — Chisago Lake Schools, superintendent, Linstrom, Minn.
Gail Mitchell — Mansfield schools, deputy superintendent, Mansfield, Ohio
Steve Price — Middletown City Schools, superintendent, Middletown, Ohio.
Robert Sommers — Butler Tech, superintendent/CEO, Hamilton, Ohio
Arthur Stellar — Taunton Public Schools, superintendent, Taunton, Mass.
Andrea Townsend — Brevard Public Schools, principal, Titusville, Fla.
Terry Truvillion — Detroit Public Schools, principal, Detroit, Mich.
James Turbeville — Tattnall County School District, superintendent, Reidsville, Ga.
Why is Northwestern making cuts?
In tomorrow’s News-Sun, I am writing about Northwestern’s upcoming discussion of $500,000 in budget cuts.
Northwestern board members will consider this week a slate of cuts that officials say will reduce spending by $500,000 a year.
Superintendent Anthony Orr will recommend a plan that includes eliminating 6 full-time staff positions, reducing extra duties given to staff in supplemental contracts and delaying the purchase of a new school bus.
“Its my responsibility as a superintendent to be a fiscal steward for the community,” said Orr. “I believe in fiscal conservatism. It’s planning for the long term.”
If approved, the cuts would shave approximately $500,000 from the district’s budget for the 2009-10 school year, according to estimates.
Check tomorrow’s paper for more detail on the proposed cuts.
In an earlier conversation with Superintendent Tony Orr, he explained that the district was looking at these cuts to stay out of the red in the future.
It’s a bit more complicated than that. The district is not balancing its budget for next year (that’s already in place), but actually is reducing deficit spending.
This is how it’s working:
Just like households are recommended to keep a couple months’ rents or mortgage in savings, accounting practices recommend having a reserve of the cost of 60 days’ operations for school districts.
For Northwestern, that’s about $2.7 million, according to Orr.
In June, Northwestern will end this fiscal year with about that much left in its general fund, according to the district’s five year forecast. Districts do have other types of funds but those are regulated on how you can spend that money and likely wouldn’t be available to use to supplant general fund spending..
But if the district keeps spending the way it is, that reserve will drop to $1.6 million in fiscal year 2010 and about $130,000 in fiscal year 2011.
That means Treasurer Dave Bollheimer would have to predict all of the district’s spending in fiscal year 2011 within less than 1 percent of the budget. It also means that any unexpected expenses could dwindle that very modest reserve quickly. I don’t know any treasurer who wouldn’t be sweating over that small of a reserve.
If approved, the cuts the board will discuss Thursday will improve the district’s cash position in fiscal year 2011, according to Orr.
The cuts total about $500,000.
Local student wins regional Invention Convention
A Northwestern Elementary third-grader took home first place in the regional Invention Convention competition at Wright State University over the weekend.
Allie Lowe invented a water bottle heater to keep her two rabbits’ water bottles from freezing during the winter.
She won the grand prize of a $2,500 college scholarship, said Jerrie West, promotions manager for Just Think, Inc., the non-profit organization that sponsors Invention Convention. Invention Convention challenges students to create a new product to fill a need.
We had several Clark County students advance to the regional competition.
West told me that we had a few students place at the competition. I’m waiting on a list of those students. See Wednesday’s paper for more.
Who’s looking for a new superintendent?
Which district is looking for a new superintendent?
Well, the answer seems to be just about everybody.
Graham Superintendent Jim Zerkle has announced an intention to retire this year, making the Champaign County school district the 5th in the area to launch a superintendent search.
Springfield board members meet tonight to discuss semi-finalists to interview to fill their opening.
Southeastern is looking for a permanent superintendent after John Abdella decided to retire last December.
West-Liberty Salem is looking for someone to replace retiring schools’ chief Linda Sparks.
And Mechanicsburg will launch a search to replace Mike Nutter who has taken a position with Green schools.
We also have Clark-Shawnee looking for a replacement for long-time schools treasurer Julie Turner, who will retire in June.
Spring is the busiest season in education hiring as districts firm up their plans for the next school year. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a couple more searches pop up before the end of it.
Northeastern seeks community input
Northeastern schools will host two sessions in coming weeks for community members to find out more information about a proposal to build new schools.
Thursday, March 19, and Monday, March 23, district officials will meet with community members to discuss the proposed partnership between the state and local citizens to fund new buildings, according to district’s Web site.
Through the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission, the state will fund 41 percent of a building project if the community agrees to fund 59 percent.
District officials have said they expect to go to voters on the November 2009 ballot.
The meetings will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Kenton Ridge, and 7 p.m. Monday, March 23rd at Northeastern High School.
Look for more in Wednesday’s News-Sun.
Northwestern plans for budget cuts
Northwestern board members will discuss and vote on budget cuts for the 2009-10 school year later this week.
The board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19 in the auditorium at Northwestern High School.
The district is looking at budget cuts for the next year that would include eliminating a few positions, some supplemental contracts and other areas, according to Superintendent Tony Orr.
“Its my responsibility as a superintendent to be a fiscal steward for the community,” said Orr. “I believe in fiscal conservatism.
“It’s planning for the long term.”
UPDATE: Find out more about the cuts here.
Board to discuss superintendent candidates
The Springfield school board will meet in closed session with search consultants Tuesday to discuss the semi-finalist candidates who will be interviewed to be the next city schools superintendent.
The national search, performed by Illinois-based BWP and Associates, will be narrowed down to about six educators who will be interviewed by the board the week of March 23rd.
Ohio law allows boards to conduct personnel business like this in executive session.
After the initial interviews, finalists will be brought back for another round that will include a chance for other stakeholders to interview the prospective superintendents.
A couple representatives of the board and a couple other people (I know for sure they invited teachers union president Greg Krouse because I was at the meeting when they said it back in December, but I’m not sure who else will be included) will then go on a site visit to the chosen candidate’s current employer.
We’ll have information on all of the applicants on the blog early this week.
The board meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Shouvlin Center.
OMG, it’s the OGT!
Thousands of students across the state will take the state’s high school exit exam this week.
That’s right, it’s OGT week.
This year’s sophomores will take their first shot at passing the exam in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Juniors and seniors who have not passed one or more portions of the exam will also take the test, and for seniors, this is their final chance before graduation.
State law requires that students pass all portions of the OGT to graduate, although there is also an alternative pathway for students who do not pass one portion. It has several requirements including a letter from a teacher in that subject, attendance stipulations and requires students to have taken advantage of some of the extra assistance schools offer students who struggle with the OGT.
This is the test Gov. Ted Strickland has proposed doing away with in favor of the ACT Plus, a creation of Strickland’s that would include the ACT, exit exams in subjects, a senior project and a service learning project. He argues that this would be a better measure of a student’s preparation for life after high school that the OGT, which is based on what a 10th grade student, not a graduate, should be able to do and bases everything on just one test.
How hard is the OGT? The ODE provides a practice Web site for students that has plenty of sample questions. Take a gander.
What do you think? Is the OGT a good measure for high school graduates?
Treasurer selected as finalist for Columbus job
Springfield schools Treasurer Penny Rucker has been named as one of four finalists to take the reign of Columbus schools finances, Rucker confirmed Friday, March 13.
“I was not looking. I was invited to apply. That’s basically the reason,” said Rucker. “They invited me to apply and I love urban districts. I’m from Columbus, my aging father is still in Columbus and I’m the only sibling in the area and I see it as an opportunity to advance school funding for urban areas.”
Columbus is Ohio’s largest school district and would give Rucker a larger platform to lobby for urban education, she said.
Rucker came to Springfield after former Treasurer Michael Kinneer left for Columbus. He left last year to take a job overseeing finances for the city of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The other finalists are former Columbus schools budget director and current South-Western schools Treasurer Hugh Garside, Sylvania schools Treasurer Carol McElfresh and Wade Steen, a business owner, certified public accountant and former Upper Arlington councilman, according to the Dispatch.
City schools oversight almost over
Springfield City Schools is almost out of fiscal oversight.
The board has called a special meeting for 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at the city forum to meet jointly with the financial oversight commission.
At the meeting, state auditors will present their report and release the district from fiscal oversight, according to the agenda.
Officials announced earlier in the year that this would likely happen this spring. The timing couldn’t be better — one week before the board will interview finalists for the next superintendent.
The state took control almost exactly four years ago when voters rejected two levy attempts and the district was facing a $7.5 million deficit. Since that time, a state commission has reviewed all board decisions.
Four years and $20 million in budget cuts later, the district will likely be released next Wednesday. My understanding is the commission will still meet and review district finances but on a less frequent basis.
UPDATE: Treasurer Penny Rucker tells me that the district will be released without any oversight for the next two years because Springfield schools has complied with all audit recommendations.
“That’s kind of unheard of,” she said.
District requests waiver for Wednesdays
City school officials will ask the state to waive minimum school hour requirements so the district can continue its practice of releasing early on Wednesdays to allow for teacher training, development and collaboration opportunities.
Board members voted unanimously to apply for a waiver to the Ohio Department of Education to maintain the early release schedule.
State law requires that students be in school for five hours a day, plus a half hour lunch, for elementary school and five and a half hours, plus a half hour lunch, for middle and high school.
On Wednesdays, the district misses the minimum requirements by four to six minutes, said Interim Superintendent Don Thompson.
If approved, the waiver would give Springfield permission to continue the Wednesday schedule as is, even though it does not meet the minimum requirement.
Like most districts, Springfield’s school year and school day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) are both longer than the state’s legal minimum.
If the state denies the request, Springfield likely would have to adjust the Wednesday schedule to meet the minimum requirements.
Obama talks education
President Barack Obama outlined some of his plans for education in the U.S. in a speech Tuesday.
If you’re experiencing a little deja vu right now, it might be because of this.
Obama, March 10:
“And I am calling on our nation’s Governors and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don’t simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity.”
Gov. Ted Strickland, Jan. 28:
“Students will, of course, continue to learn the timeless core subjects like math and science that are critical to their success. But we will also add new topics including global awareness and life skills to the curriculum. And we will use teaching methods that foster creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, media literacy, leadership and productivity, cultural awareness, adaptability and accountability.”
Obama, March 10:
“I’m calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time - whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it.”
Strickland, Jan. 28:
“Over a ten-year period we will add 20 instructional days to the school calendar - bringing Ohio’s learning year up to the international average of 200 days.”
Obama, March 10:
“Even as we invest in early childhood education, let’s raise the bar for early learning programs that are falling short. Today, some children are enrolled in excellent programs.”
Strickland, Jan. 28:
“To better serve our youngest learners and help them thrive in school and in life, we will unite all of our early childhood development programs and resources into the Department of Education. This comprehensive early childhood system will focus on the whole child and provide quality early learning and care while improving our efficiency and effectiveness.”
Obama, March 10:
“From the moment students enter a school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents, it’s the person standing at the front of the classroom.”
Strickland, Jan. 28:
“There is simply nothing that we as policymakers can influence in our schools that is as consequential as providing top quality teachers for our students.”
Obama, March 10:
“Let me be clear: if a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching. I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences. The stakes are too high.”
Strickland, Jan. 28:
“But even for teachers already in the field, we must have the ability to remove them from the classroom if their students are not learning. Right now, it’s harder to dismiss a teacher than any other public employee. Under my plan, we will give administrators the power to dismiss teachers for good cause, the same standard applied to other public employees.”
Okay, enough of that. There were many similarities between Strickland’s plans outlined in his State of the State address and budget and Obama’s speech yesterday.
In theory, at least, that would indicate Ohio is already starting down the path that every state will be heading down soon. And that could be good.
But not everything Obama said matched Strickland’s plans. It looks like Obama plans to put merit pay - rewarding teachers monetarily for excellence in teaching.
“Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom.”
He is also urging states that have caps on the number of charter schools allowed to remove those caps.
“That isn’t good for our children, our economy, or our country. Of course, any expansion of charter schools must not result in the spread of mediocrity, but in the advancement of excellence. That will require states adopting both a rigorous selection and review process to ensure that a charter school’s autonomy is coupled with greater accountability - as well as a strategy, like the one in Chicago, to close charter schools that are not working. Provided this greater accountability, I call on states to reform their charter rules, and lift caps on the number of allowable charter schools, wherever such caps are in place.”
Our new president had a lot to say about education and the future of it in America.
What stands out to you in Obama’s address?
Students move on to regional competition
Thirty area students will go to the annual Miami Valley Regional Invention Convention competition this weekend at Wright State University.
Check out this photo gallery to see photos of some of the inventions that won at Springfield schools’ district competition and will move on to the regional this weekend.
There are also five Northwestern Elementary kids going on. You can see all the names after the jump.
Springfield’s February competition is the first time I had been to an Invention Convention. The kids had a lot of wonderful ideas and it was very impressive to see how hard they had worked to get it right.
The Miami Valley competition has 60 awards to hand out and I’m sure some of our fantastic Clark County students will be among the winners.
Check out the photos (I’m trying to get pictures of Northwestern’s students too) and the names of all our junior inventors.
Clark County students participating in the regional competition are:
Northwestern: Luke Macy, Jada Keplinger, Jake Parks, Alli Lowe, Jenna Demeter
Springfield City Schools: Robert Walker, Jr., Anna Ivory, Molly Nixon, Jacob Blevins, Garet Cavins, Cheyenne Woodruff, Tarah Sumpter, Kilee Fry, Sophie Smith, Alta Lee, Alexis Williams, Savannah Beverly, Veronica Easom, Charlotte Connoly, Emery Mitchell, Eric Sisler, Ryan Pendegrast, Victoria Peters, Will Fralick, Emma Hurst, Alex Nixon, Jaylin Holbrook, Lattiana Cordell, Iasha Patel, Manan Patel
Agenda: Board to hear revluation update
It’s a pretty light agenda for Springfield City Schools this Thursdat, but the district’s attorney will make a presentation on the county appraisal and board of revisions appeals process.
Over the last year, a record number of property owners appealed their reappraisal values with the county auditor’s office, leaving local districts waiting to see what impact the situation would have on their local funding, which is based on property values.
County Auditor George Sodders told Springfield Treasurer Penny Rucker last fall that the district could receive as much as $550,000 less than anticipated.
Already facing $1.4 million in budget cuts for next year, the district is now facing $1.9 million to shave from its budget.
In addition to the attorney’s report, the personnel section for tomorrow includes two teachers’ retirements (Carmen Cambria and Linda Fogarty) and two teachers’ resignations (Jill Dunsmore and Kathleen Keating).
The board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday in the city forum.
See the full agenda after the jump.
March 9, 2009
TO: Members of the Board of Education
FR: Dr. Donald R. Thompson, Superintendent
RE: Board of Education Meeting, Thursday, March 12, 2009, 6:00 p.m.
in the City Forum, 76 E. High St., Springfield, Ohio
REVISED AGENDA
4:30 P.M. CALL TO ORDER by the Board President
ROLL CALL by the Treasurer
EXECUTIVE SESSION [Purposes: 1) the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of an employee, student, and/or school officials; 2) to confer with an attorney for the Board of Education concerning disputes subject to possible court action; and any other business which may lawfully be considered at this meeting.]
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Welcome by the President
Hearing of the Public
Recognition
Presentation
- Summary of the County Appraisal Process and the Board of Revision Process by Mark H. Gillis, Attorney
Board Reports
Board Discussion
(over)
Revised Agenda Page 2 March 9, 2009
Treasurer’s Items for Consideration and/or Action:
Treasurer’s Report A-1 To approve/accept consent items below as indicated () in the A-Section [A-2 and A-3] A-2 To approve previous Board Meeting Minutes A-3 To accept the amounts and rates as determined by the Budget Commission and authorize the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the County AuditorRecommendations of the Superintendent of Schools:
Personnel
B-1-3 Resignations, appointments, salary adjustments, etc.Resolutions
C 1 To adopt the amended Springfield City Schools 2008-2009 calendar to reflect the change in Ohio Achievement Test dates from April 27-May 8, 2009 to April 20-May 8, 2009. The Ohio Department of Education allows for this flexibility in scheduling.
The Springfield City Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent to redistribute the calendar with changes. There is no cost to the General Fund.Other Board Business (old, new, and communications)
• Comments from Superintendent • Comments by Board Members
ADJOURNMENT
Tecumseh board, union to discuss grievance
There will be a public hearing on a grievance over the implementation of mid-year raises during tonight’s Tecumseh Local Schools board meeting.
Union leadership and district administration and board members will discuss the dispute in public session at the end of tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting, according to the board agenda.
Superintendent Jim Gay said the discussion would likely begin around 7:30 or 7:45 p.m.
The board and the union agreed to mid-year raises effective Jan. 1 during last year’s negotiations, said Gay. The strained negotiations extended past the prior contract’s expiration date and went into mediation before both sides struck a deal.
It included a 3 percent raise effective Jan. 1, 2009, which neither side disputes, said Gay.
What is at dispute is the implementation.
For non-school personnel, this is where it gets a little tricky.
Teachers are paid based on the number of days they work — in Tecumseh’s case, that’s 184 days from the end of August to the beginning of June.
But instead of only getting paychecks for 10 months, most teachers receive paychecks throughout the year. The 10 months of pay is just spread out across 12 months.
In most contracts I’ve seen raises like this were given retroactively but that isn’t the case here. So the mid-year part is where the problem comes in and it’s a little unusual.
Basically, according to Gay, the paychecks teachers are receiving now are slightly less than three percent more than a paycheck written in January. That’s because of the 184-day year being spread out over 365-days, said Gay.
Union officials believe it should be a three-percent increase over December paychecks, regardless of the timing of the raise.
Watch for more as this story develops.
Springfield eyes one start-dismissal schedule for high school (UPDATED)
Springfield officials are pursuing a zoning change at Springfield High School that would allow the district to have one arrival and dismissal schedule.
Currently Springfield High operates on two different schedules. Two small schools — Humanities and Problem-based Learning — are on the earlier schedule from 7:36 a.m. to 2:26 p.m.
The other two small schools — Leadership and Global Perspectives — are on the later schedule from 8:25 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
This was a compromise school and city officials reached to avoid traffic problems when the board decided a few years ago to merge North and South into one school.
School officials also agreed to offer a shuttle transportation system for students on the south side of town when it was decided the school would be built at North Limestone Street and Home Road.
The problem is that the school’s cafeteria is filled with a few hundred students each day who are either arriving earlier than the later start time because of transportation arrangements or are on the early schedule and are let out earlier and are waiting in that area for their ride home, Interim Superintendent Don Thompson said.
The City Planning Board is the first step in the process and is expected to vote at its meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at the city forum. If the planning board approves the request, it would go before city commission.
Do you think one time schedule would be better for the school or are you concerned about potential traffic problems?
UPDATE: According to the packet given to city planning board members, city officials are not making any recommendation for approval or denial of this issue based on a lack of information.
The packet does indicate that both the city services director and city engineer recommend denying the request based on traffic problems.
Longtime treasurer plans to retire
Veteran Clark-Shawnee Local Schools treasurer Julie Turner will retire this summer from the position she has held for more than 20 years, Superintendent Debbie Finkes confirmed Monday, March 9.
Turner will end her time with the district June 30.
“She has been an excellent employee and a wonderful treasurer for this school district,” said Finkes.
The district hopes to have a new hire selected by June 1 so the new treasurer could work with Turner for a few weeks, she said.
The board will accept resumes through March 30, said Finkes.
Local superintendent finalist for Green post
A local superintendent is one of two finalists to be the next schools chief for Green Local Schools, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Mechanicsburg Superintendent Mike Nutter will be interviewed tonight by the Green school board, according to the article. The other finalist is Rod Moorman of superintendent of St. Henry Consolidated Local Schools.
Green Local School District is located in Northeast Ohio between Akron and Canton and has 4,200 students, according to the ODE. Mechanicsburg has 880 students.
Loss, love ‘Drives’ Clark-Shawnee’s efforts
SPRINGFIELD — Each day of Clark-Shawnee’s bus drivers’ Drive for the Cure campaign to raise money for cancer brought new heartwarming anecdotes.
One boy dropped his bills and coins in a bucket before happily commenting, “That’s it. I’m broke.” A friend behind him in line told the driver it was birthday money he had donated.
When snow canceled school four days in a row in late January — the week bus drivers originally slated for their effort — students sacrificed their snow days and shoveled sidewalks to make extra money they could give to the cause.
As one student’s donation mixed in with the rest, he said “This is in memory of Mr. Terry,” a beloved janitor at Reid School who lost his battle with cancer in 2006. Other students dedicated their donations to mothers, fathers, grandparents, family or friends.
“We didn’t care if it was a penny or a check,” said driver Leanys Cutright, a cancer survivor. “Anything they wanted to bring.”
Bring they did — the effort, originally planned to be one of three week-long drives this year, raised more than $4,000 for the drivers’ Relay for Life team.
“This was way beyond our dreams so we’ve decided this will be a once-a-year deal,” said Cutright.
Cutright and fellow drivers Jake Mattern and Karen Brandenburg spearheaded the effort but all 19 of the district’s drivers participated. The department employees and family members will participate in Relay for Life June 5 at the Clark County fairgrounds.
“We basically had a blast last year,” said Matter. “We wanted to start our own team.”
Last year, a reluctant Cutright, in the midst of treatment, was “dragged” to the event.
“I was still doing chemo and I just didn’t want to go,” she said. “This Relay for Life thing has sort of become a passion of ours’ now.”
Cutright’s daughter, Taylor, and Brandenburg’s granddaughter, Brittany, are also passionate about the cause, helping to roll change and count collections. The two teens have both been touched by cancer — like many of Clark-Shawnee’s students, said Cutright.
“It’s not just putting money in a bucket,” she said. “These kids have worked and worked and worked. They’re just kids but they understand.
“The list goes on. It touches everyone.”
