Thursday, November 01, 2001
CPS board candidates put focus on reforms
By Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The next few years could mean big education reforms for Cincinnati Public Schools.
Eight candidates for the board of education, including three incumbents, will square off Nov. 6 for four seats. All have their own ideas for raising student achievement.
Over the next four-year term, board members will be tasked with holding the district accountable for changes to five neighborhood high schools being turned into smaller schools-within-schools.
They will also be charged with supporting programs that raise student achievement for the district labeled in “academic emergency” — the lowest category in the state's four-tiered ranking based on proficiency test scores, graduation rate and attendance.
As changes occur, board members will have to figure out how to inform and involve parents and teachers of the 42,000-student district, a task for which the current board has sometimes been chastised.
Incumbents Harriet Russell and Catherine Ingram support recent reforms, such as restructuring high schools, but both said they will continue to question motives behind reforms.
“We've been reforming education for five to six decades,” Ms. Ingram said. “My concern is making sure when we change, it's not just for the sake of change.”
Ms. Russell said the momentum for change must continue, but she said the district should guarantee necessary resources for reforms to work.
Candidate Melanie Bates and incumbent Sally Warner agreed that reforms have to be accompanied by training for teachers.
“I don't think (the reforms) are going too fast, but we're lagging in the professional development,” Ms. Bates said. “We need a staff who is trained.”
She added that the district needs to move quickly on a plan to offer career-technical, or vocational, education.
Candidate Fred Suggs said he believes the district should have focused reform efforts on earlier grades so students entering high school would be prepared.
Mr. Suggs said he would work to ensure that improvement in student achievement is focused on the early years so students can read proficiently by fourth grade.
Ms. Warner and candidates Ed Rothenberg and G.R. “Sam” Schloemer said they support Superintendent Steven Adamowski and his vision for reform.
If elected, Mr. Schloemer said reduced class size will be a priority.
Mr. Rothenberg's ideas for raising student achievement include having teachers make visits to homes of struggling students. He also supports the idea of having school times adjusted for high school students so they can start later and thus be more rested.
Candidate Roy McGrath said he supports school vouchers, charter schools and holding Saturday classes for parents to mentor them.
Ms. Warner wants to see the board have more dialogue with the public. Allowing a person to have only three minutes to speak at the podium during board meetings is not enough, she said.
Coming Saturday: Building new schools.
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