Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > April
April 2009
Board starts process to fire teacher
Clark-Shawnee board members took the first steps today, April 29, toward terminating the contract of a teacher accused of inappropriate conduct with female students.
Dennis B. Dahlberg, 35, a social studies teacher at Shawnee High School, has until Saturday to appeal the decision before board members can move forward with the process laid out in Ohio law, said an attorney for the district.
Board members approved 4-0 a resolution to begin contract termination and suspend Dahlberg with pay pending termination.
“We take very seriously our responsibility to protect the students of this district,” said board President David DeHart of the board’s decision to pursue contract termination for Dahlberg.
Dahlberg’s attorney, Kelly Jines of Columbus, declined to comment. The board cited “willful and persistent violations of reasonable regulations of the Clark-Shawnee Local School District Board of Education, Dennis Dahlberg’s commission of acts of immorality and for other good and just cause,” as the basis for termination in the resolution. Board members and Superintendent Debbie Finkes declined to comment on what the specific infractions are.
The News-Sun has requested access to a copy of the April 22 letter from Finkes to Dahlberg explaining the grounds for termination but will not be able to access it until 48 hours after he is notified, according to the contract with Clark-Shawnee Local Education Association.
According to records in his personnel file:
• In May, 2008, one female student reported that he had sent her unwanted text messages.
• In December, another female student claimed he used her twice as an example when asking sexually-charged questions in front of a class. She said he also searched her purse in the classroom.
• Also in December, a third student claimed he touched her on the back during class.
If Dahlberg requests by Saturday a hearing with the board or a referee, the board is required to schedule a hearing 20-30 days from Saturday, according to Ohio law. The only exception is if a hearing officer is not available at that time.
The board also approved an unpaid three-day suspension for Dahlberg for allegedly sending unwanted text messages to a female student, after Dahlberg earlier this week dropped an appeal over the discipline recommended by Superintendent Debbie Finkes.
Permalink | | Categories: Clark-Shawnee Local Schools
High school mourns, honors teacher
Kenton Ridge High School Teacher John Mills died Wednesday evening, Principal John Hill said Friday, April 24.
Mills’ students went to a trebuchet competition at Wright State today, a competition Mills loved to participate in and the school took home first place, Hill said.
The students wanted to participate in the competition to honor his memory and Mills expressed that he wanted them to go as well, said Hill.
Look for more on this story in Saturday’s News-Sun.
UPDATE: Here’s the story on Mr. Mills. The students and faculty I spoke to today spoke highly and lovingly of him; this is a difficult time for KRHS students and staff.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Northeastern Local Schools
Clark-Shawnee selects treasurer
Tom Faulkner, treasurer of the Miami Valley Educational Computer Association, will join Clark-Shawnee Local Schools this summer, said Debbie Finkes, superintendent.
Faulkner will take over the district’s finances when long-time treasurer Julie Turner retires June 30. Faulkner will be paid $79,500 annually, Finkes said.
He will work with Turner to transition in June and will take over July 1. He will be given a contract through July 31, 2011, according to Finkes.
MVECA is an education support organization that provides local district with technology assistance. In his current position, Faulkner has worked with every district in Clark County, including Clark-Shawnee, said Finkes.
Find out more about the new treasurer in Thursday’s News-Sun.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Clark-Shawnee Local Schools
Clark-Shawnee hopes to approve new treasurer tonight
Clark-Shawnee board members could approve their new treasurer at tonight’s board meeting.
The district is trying to work out details with one of the six candidates interviewed over the weekend in time for tonight’s monthly board meeting, according to Superintendent Debbie Finkes.
Long-time treasurer Julie Turner will retire June 30.
The six candidates interviewed by the board are: Debra Mattern, Turner’s assistant treasurer for the last 15 years; Clark County Educational Services Center Treasurer John Calland; Southeastern Local Schools Treasurer Brad McKee; Greenon Local Schools Treasurer Dawn Weller; Tom Faulkner, a licensed school treasurer who served for four years as an assistant treasurer for Washington Court House schools, and Ernest Strawser, treasurer of Westfall Local Schools.
If I get a name before tonight’s meeting, I’ll update.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Clark-Shawnee Local Schools
Springfield selects interim treasurer
Springfield board members will vote Thursday on a contract with an interim treasurer to temporarily fill the shoes of Penny Rucker.
Christopher S. Mohr, formerly treasurer of Dublin City Schools near Columbus, will serve as the interim treasurer after Rucker leaves for Columbus schools April 28.
His contract begins April 27 on an “as needed basis” at $65 an hour, according to the agenda for Thursday’s meeting. Districts are required by law to have a licensed treasurer on staff at all times to carry out some duties.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
Springfield announces superintendent pick
A man who began his career in education administration in Springfield, Ill., will take the reigns of another Springfield, board members announced today, April 13.
Board members will vote tonight to hire David Estrop, superintendent of Lakewood City Schools in Cuyahoga County, to be the next city schools’ chief, according to board President Donna Picklesimer.
Estrop, 62, was selected over two other finalists, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools CEO/Superintendent Bob Sommers and Austintown schools Superintendent Douglas Heuer. All three men were interviewed by board members, residents, parents, teachers and staff in recent weeks.
Estrop also was named as one of two finalists for the top job in Cincinnati schools. He was scheduled to interview there this Thursday.
I’ll update as soon as I have more information about what he plans to do about the Cincinnati opening, salary and a starting date. The board meets at 7 p.m. tonight at South High School to vote on the hire.
UPDATE: Picklesimer tells me Estrop will be at tonight’s meeting and plans to withdraw his name from the Cincinnati search today. He will begin in the district Aug. 1, but there will likely be some overlapping during the month of July between him and Interim Superintendent Don Thompson for transitioning, she said.
UPDATE 2.0: My education counterpart (well, one of them) at the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Estrop confirmed his intention to withdraw his name from their search if Springfield approves the contract tonight.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
Helping kids cope
Local schools have been dealing with difficult blows over the last few weeks.
Graham lost three elementary students - Patrick Snelling, Breonna Snelling and Cassandra Karg - and two-year-old Nathan Skaggs, in a fire last month. This weekend, Emanuel Christian Academy lost senior Hannah Young in a car crash.
A couple years ago my cousins - who were about 8 at the time - brought a letter home from school about a classmate’s death. When my mother told me, I wondered how you talk to an 8-year-old about death, especially when it happens to a child.
Typically the schools will offer resources and trained counselors to help students and staff cope, but kids will still have questions, fears and grief when they get off the bus.
There are many organizations out there offering resources to help parents who aren’t sure how to help their children grieve. The National Institute of Health has a thorough guide to understanding what children may need and how they deal with loss (the second link under “Coping.”) North Dakota State University has a guide that breaks information down by age group to help parents decipher how much information to give their children, among other things.
A couple quick tips from those sites:
- Answer questions honestly. - Keep you child’s age and prior experience with death in mind when deciding how much to tell them. - Remember that, like adults, children will react to loss in different ways. - Let your child talk about their loss and their feelings. - If you are concerned about the way your child is coping, contact the school to find out what resources they might have available for students.
If anyone who has more advice for helping children understand death or has questions, leave them in the comments.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Parenting
Treasurer leaving April 28
Springfield City Schools Treasurer Penny Rucker will start her new position with Columbus schools April 28, she confirmed Wednesday.
Rucker has been negotiating with the Columbus school board to work out a deal for her to be their next treasurer. She was selected out of a pool of more than 300 applicants, according to Columbus school officials.
Springfield board members have not discussed their next steps yet in regards to Rucker’s position, but will likely meet early next week to do so, said board Vice President Ed Leventhal. They will probably opt for an interim treasurer to buy some time to figure out what to do next, he said.
Rucker’s selection was announced in the midst of last week’s marathon board meetings for the final stage of interviewing to select a new superintendent. Board members decided last week to delay their decision and are making more calls on each of the candidates to “distinguish great from excellent,” said board President Donna Picklesimer.
That decision will likely come sometime in the next couple weeks. Springfield will also launch a national search for a campus director for Springfield High School following that.
Districts are required under Ohio law to have a licensed treasurer at all times. There are certain financial things that only a treasurer can do.
Springfield has a couple options here. The most common choices are usually contracting with another district to use their treasurer as an interim; promoting someone in the district to treasurer, if you have someone else who holds a treasurer’s license; contracting with the educational service center to use their treasurer; or contracting with a retired treasurer or consultant who holds a valid license.
I know Springfield has someone else on staff who has a treasurer license and they could also look to contract with someone, said Leventhal. That’s probably something we’ll have more information on next week, because there’s not a ton of time to make a decision.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
Should boards require superintendents to live in their district?
It wasn’t clear last week whether Springfield schools has an official policy requiring superintendents to reside in the district, but board President Donna Picklesimer has said that it is the board’s intention to choose someone who would move to Springfield.
I believe all three finalists have said that they would move here — I know for certain that two of them have said it to me.
I’m checking today to see if the board has an actual policy or not in anticipation of a decision at week’s end. Superintendents are the only position a board can legally require to reside in the district. The logic is that living in the community strengthens ties to the community and would possibly lead to a longer tenure.
Do you think boards should require that their superintendent live in the district?
UPDATE: Okay, it looks like Springfield does not have an actual policy on record requiring residence in the district for a superintendent, according to the district. Picklesimer said last week they expected the finalist to move here but I don’t know if the board will create an official policy.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
Board delays superintedent decision
Springfield City Schools board members will take another week to make a decision on who will be the next superintendent, board President Donna Picklesimer announced today.
The board has three high-quality candidates and it is not ready to choose one, she said.
Board members will make additional calls in the next week to “distinguish from really great to excellent” between Butler Tech CEO Bob Sommers, Lakewood Superintendent David Estrop and Austintown Superintendent Douglas Heuer, said Picklesimer.
It’s not even definite that the board will make only one site visit to the final selection, which was the original plan, she said. The board could visit two or more candidates if they can’t reach a decision.
Picklesimer said the board is happy to have the problem of too many good candidates.
I’ve seen more than one board do a search down to the finalists and start all over because they weren’t happy with the slate at the end. Cincinnati, where Estrop is also one of the finalists, comes to mind.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Springfield City Schools
