Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Dayton’s school crisis a national story
Why has the DDN been writing so much about the financial crisis in Dayton Public Schools? Because it’s a big story. So big, in fact, that today it leads the National Report in the best and most important newspaper in the country — the New York Times.
The Times story focuses on the Dayton Early College Academy and the possibility that this successful experimental high school could be irreparably damaged by the district’s $30 million budget cut.
The most interesting new information in the story is a quote from Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, who said he would be willing to write a law that would allow DECA — run by the city school district in partnership with the University of Dayton — to easily convert to a charter school.
In theory, that would exempt the school from Dayton’s collective bargaining agreement, allowing it to rehire the same teachers it had last year and avoiding layoffs that occurred Wednesday. In practice, this seems difficult to pull off. It’s not as if DECA were an independent school that affiliated with the district. It was an idea born of the district and it was created with a lot of DPS sweat equity. It would be pretty hard to untangle the district from the workings of the school.
But what really struck me about Husted’s comments was this — why stop there? Could they expand this theoretical law to include Stivers School for the Arts, another district gem? Stivers faces a 75 percent cut in its adjunct arts faculty. This will devastate about half its arts magnet programs and severely damage the rest of the school.
Isn’t Stivers just as worth saving as DECA?
Maybe we should keep going. There”s also the academic magnet program at Colonel White High School that’s had some success. And the boys’ and girls’ schools, which both are popular experiments with waiting lists. And there are the Montessori elementary schools that have a dedicated following. What about the World of Wonder school? It’s a well-respected former charter school now under the district umbrella. Does it get a free pass too? Husted is an ex-college athlete. Maybe we could even cut a deal to keep the sports programs going?
Is it practical for the state to create laws to protect one good program in a financially ruined school district? Would state lawmakers attach money to the theoretical legislation? It would probably just take a few million to save everything I just listed.
What do you think of the idea of spinning off DECA or other winning programs?
Permalink | Comments (50) | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By laura
June 7, 2007 9:30 PM | Link to this
Scott, Several of the RIF’d teachers said they were told at the informational meeting on Tuesday that even if the levy passed in November, art and music would not be returning to the district and PE only would if the state forces the districts to increase their PE programs in an effort to combat obesity. For those wondering how Stivers was going to maintain the level of excellence they have had with the loss of their adjuncts, and some wondering where the “feeder” students were going to come from to enter Stivers, I guess there is your answer. They don’t have any intention of keeping Stivers open for very many more years. Every time something good comes along in DPS, they find a way to get rid of it.By Scott Elliott
June 7, 2007 5:01 PM | Link to this
Rick, you flat wrong. I guarantee the DDN produces more news stories about suburban schools than DPS. You also get better education coverage overall from our paper than papers of comparable size. But really this is just your way of attacking the messanger rather than debating the message. That’s OK. I got a chuckle out of the “too much coverage” complaint. We don’t get those too often.By Rick
June 7, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this
Scott, no, the other reporters do not write tons more than you do. I did take a look today at all the community reports in the DDN today and did find some pablum reports. Here are the titles to all of them: 1) May 17, “Xenia kicks off Ohio Right to Read Week,” 2) May 24, “Northmont High School held its first Peace Week,” 3) May 31 “Teachers Band Plays Schoohouse Rock for Fun,” and 4) “Northmont Middle Students Visit Washington D.C.” Boy, that is some hard hitting eduction journalism there, Scott. Most of these stories were very short puff pieces. There were no articles about the other districts that had failed school levies. In essence, the DDN has apparently made a decision that only the DPS is worthy of significant coverage. I have a suggestion: in your blog when another reporter has an article of substance, call our attention to it. Since I only read the online edition, maybe I am missing some. If so, I will be happy to be educated.By Scott Elliott
June 6, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this
Rick, your assumptions are wrong and your logic is bizarre. I guarantee the DDN writes more stories about suburban schools than about DPS. I may write more about DPS, but that is my job. Other reporters here are assigned to the suburbs. They write a ton about schools. And it is truly strange that you attempt to make this about politicaly ideology. It simply is not.By Rick
June 6, 2007 6:26 PM | Link to this
David W. Kirkpatrick, a Senior Education Fellow with the U.S. Freedom Foundation and The Buckeye Institute and a former teacher, posted an article on the Buckeye Institute�s website concerning school funding. He points out the enormous increase in spending in public education over the last 30 years or so. He points out that some will never be satisfied, no matter how much we spend. He quotes Robert J. Braun, in his book Teachers and Power, The Story of the American Federation of Teachers (1972), “The idea that the public schools ever will be granted the funds they need is at once a self-contradiction�the schools always could use more money�and a flight of unreality which, sadly, reflects on the ability of the beholder to reason properly.” He argues that the constant focus on money is a distraction from more important issues. �It’s that the constant stress on money draws attention away from educational issues and places first the issue that arguably should be last. �In simplistic terms for reasons of space, a rational approach would be: �First consider what education is to do. This involves many details such as what is appropriate at what age. �Next, consider how to do it, which doesn’t necessarily involve conventional schools, and certainly doesn’t equate a school with a building, or vice versa, as some districts have come to realize. One four story building that was a school in New York City, for example, not only was transformed into four schools, one for each floor, but each school is different. �Such advance planning will provide a rationale for what the system might cost. �Only then should the decisions be made as to how the necessary money will be raised.�By Rick
June 6, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this
Scott, you say your primary assignment is the DPS. That is, frankly, outrageous. Apparently the DDN has decided to essentially ignore at least 95% of the students in this area. And you wonder why readership is declining? I think the DDN, being the good liberal rag that it is, has no interest in reporting about white suburban kids. You say there is a racial divide? Look at the DDN. You state: ” the fate of the school district has a direct impact on the regional economic development potential of the Miami Valley, and its problems are instructive of region-wide issues that affect the Miami Valley�s social, political and economic viability.” I disagree. The DPS has been in bad shape for years, turning out generally inferior graduates. (There are exceptions, of course.) These graduates have not, on the whole, played a significant role in the area’s economy for decades. Your justification does not hold water.By Mary
June 6, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this
Scott, I think David was pointing out issues regarding type of reporting- particularly investigative. I agree with you that there has not been “too much” coverage of this important public issue. Of course more investigative reporting is time and staff intensive. I have no idea how you manage to come up with some of the reports you already do considering there is essentially one of you focussed on education from what I have seen. I have also noticed Hershey,Irwin articles as well as the Neighbors section. However, you have to admit education issues are short staffed at Dayton Daily News compared to all the sports writers,and even they do not do much investigative reporting. The articles today by Doug Harris about the costs of UD tickets and how much UD spends on sports was interesting , but did not go far enough for me and did not mention tax writeoffs, etc the “oppressed fans” can claim. It makes me uncomfortable that the public has to rely on newspapers to tell them what is really going on, but that seems to be a fact of life. No one else has time either.By Mary
June 6, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
Well, Lou and Barb, you can continue to ignore the issues of priorities, sacred cows, and limited resources like the administration and school board. You can bet they will be driving the football and other sports teams to places much farther than King’s Island. Filled up a diesel bus and paid an overtime bus driver latetly? They will also be paying umpires and referees and security nd insurance. It all adds up and subtracts from the classroom opportunities like math and science student field trips. Seems everyone wants to add, but not subtract, except some of the voters and taxpayers. So let’s just all beat our heads against the big brick wall until the heavens rain money down like manna.By Scott Elliott
June 6, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this
This has to be the first time the DDN has been accused of too MUCH coverage of anything! I make no apologies for the number of stories we’ve written about Dayton’s school crisis. It is a huge story. It has wide impact on every taxpayer in the city, thousands of children and their families and hundreds of people that work for DPS. But beyond the city, the fate of the school district has a direct impact on the regional economic development potential of the Miami Valley, and its problems are instructive of region-wide issues that affect the Miami Valley’s social, political and economic viability. The school finance crisis in the city is important enough to attract the attention of business leaders throughout the Miami Valley, the speaker of the house and the New York Times. That speaks for itself. As for our coverage of education in general, we do far more writing about other Miami Valley school districts than most people realize. Much of it is published in the Neighbors sections, but loads of school-based stories make our pages every week. Those stories are not always reported by me. We have regional, neighborhood and general assignment reporters that are involved in education coverage. My primary coverage responsiblity is DPS and big picture education issues that are local, state or national with local impact.By David
June 6, 2007 9:05 AM | Link to this
The overemphasis on DPS by DDN is typical of the area’s problems. The DDN should have been pushing the schools to fix their downhill slide in discipline and management bloat with articles like the Akron Beacon Journal might have written based on investigative reporting. The management chose to not go for smaller levies as their voted operating millage decreased as valuation total increased but still brought in the same total dollars other than the inside millage portion. The effective tax rate on an individual property does down as their portion of the total $ voted over years. But the management never chose the new levy step. It’s easier to just expect money from the state funds. The same criticism can be applied to their lack of ability to count students correctly who have left for other districts and count those who are in charter schools. The DDN should have been doing investigative reporting. But businesses often are relucatant to step on the toes of their other business brethren. This isn’t a national story ala New York Times. The DECA students are what fraction of the total number of students still in DPS? 0.01%? The NYT should focus on the whole group rather than one special group in a UD supported group; while it makes nice PR for UD, the DECA concept is not workable for a large city district with the problems DPS has allowed itself to have for decades.By david
June 6, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this
Are recall elections for board members an option if signatures are collected on a petition? This is how it works for elected city people (Moraine, e.g.). Check to see which board members are up for reelection in which up-coming year. Go for any not up this November for reelection. For someone due this year, get your campaign started and pick your replacement candidate.By laura
June 5, 2007 9:13 PM | Link to this
Is there any way, other than waiting for another election or a recall that the school board and top administrators in DPS can be held accountable for their actions? Or are they actually allowed to run the district into ruin? Some of the decisions that they have made recently are really questionable as to whether they are in the best interests of the students. If they hadn’t spent the 20 million for the Ludlow II building, they would only be 10 million in debt- an amount that probably would have been approved by the voters. That building is hardly used. They schedule meetings in resort areas while they are cutting teachers. I propose they turn off their expensive air conditioner(s), roll up their sleeves and bring their briefcases to the school buildings to work. Then they might have some empathy for the teachers and students who swelter (and get heat exhaustion) in August. To go to year round without the availability of air conditioning, is ridiculous if not downright dangerous. Teachers even offered to buy their own air conditioners but were told they couldn’t. We have been told we may get no supplies. One poster suggests we stop buying things to suppliment our classrooms but in the end, the only ones we hurt are the students and ourselves. There is really no excuse for the district to be in such disarray. They had to know that it was unlikely the levy would pass. Why did they wait until after it failed to start making decisions? Now they are going to have to hurry through this instead of thinking things through and deciding what is really the best course of action. But then, that is how DPS always does things, isn’t it?By David
June 5, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this
Where did the idea that the union has been bad for DPS and Ohio’s schools? While there may be problems with individuals who want to be “important” by running the association on the building level and district level, teachers’ associations have greatly improved education in Ohio versus where it would be if they hadn’t existed since the 70s. The schools boards and principals would have really used the schools as an employment tool for friends and family—they would have made MCI’s friends and family plan look meager—by the way they got rid of anyone with different views, or who contradicted them, or who caught them in a wrong-doing, etc. DPS and others already have enough friends and family employed at all levels; imagine how it would have been without rules for firing and transfering people that the associations negotiated for through the years. And imagine the salaries. The higher ups would have salaries like multinational corporations; the teachers would be minimum wage if schools and legislators had had their way… Imagine Husted’s glee at how much money they saved in state support that could be used for other important pork brought back to their local friends and business people from the state—easy reelection after a few million here and a few million there.By Barb
June 4, 2007 10:51 PM | Link to this
Mary as much as you would like to bring sports into it this is just security for the new building sites. Still no word on how many Administration people from downtown lost their jobs?By lou
June 4, 2007 10:27 PM | Link to this
No Mary, the costs of security is that much at the adminitration building. They have security doors with cameras that take your picture as you enter the building for a visitors badge. They have more secuirity officers downtonw than they have in any single school. the school buildings are not secure, but downtown is. It’s amazing that the administrators are going to Kings Island when I have been turned down for 4 years to take my kids to Kings Island Math and Science Day. And people want to still blame the teachers and sports. C’mon, open your eyes people.By Rick
June 4, 2007 9:51 PM | Link to this
Jae, I can guarantee you that they spend less per pupil in Husted’s district than in Dayton. If they have certain amenities that Dayton doesn’t it is because they don’t have the bloated bureaucracy. Why is this a crisis? It isn’t. The DPS is making cuts but they are not closing the system down. And why does the DDN focus almost exclusively on the DPS. Hey, Scott, with graduation just around the bend how about some stories on other school districts? On how many scholarships they got, National Merit Scholars, and other awards. Time for some balance.By Melodie
June 4, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this
I am a DPS employee of 20 years and a union member. By firing all union members you would not only be acting illegally but you would destroy the school system. Our union protects quality teachers from being cut because someone takes a dislike to them. Like all unions it’s job is to defend the members, and yes that means sometimes good teachers get cut in favor of ones that are not as good. It is a fact of life, and occurs in all jobs, not just teaching. I also am frustrated by the many problems in the DPS system and am saddened by the cuts. My school has had a very gifted art teacher for the last 12 years and her job has been cut (she has been in the district 24 years). I agree we need to cut more positions from downtown in the Ludlow building. What will not fix the systems problem is more charter schools. What many of you do not realize is that the charter schools are trying to put public education out of business. While some of you may believe this is not a loss, you are wrong! The public schools educate ALL students not just the gifted, the well behaved, the ones we choose etc. Many charter schools do not offer any services for special education students they are counted and then sent back to DPS for testing and special services. Should we make DECA and Stivers charter schools. NO, that would only compound the problems in Dayton. Also if we make Stivers a charter than why not Van Cleve @ McGuffey it is also an arts magnet (or was before budget cuts). Each of our DPS schools has something special going for that school, and many of those things will be lost now. If you want to see how great our schools are I invite you to visit the schools you will be surprised at what you will find!By Dayton Teacher
June 4, 2007 6:31 PM | Link to this
First of all let it be said that you had to hunt for board minutes, because they have not been put online since February 20th. Yes, I continue to see money being wasted. Isn’t it nice Lori Ward got a new title and a 10 thousand dollar raise. Also our new security director is making 96 thousand dollars a year. DPS will continue to make cuts at children’s expense. If the community really cared they would demand better. Everybody knows were top heavy. Everybody knows that there are three or four administrators for 1 needed. NO ONE THAT MATTERS IS ASKING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. It is a sad time to be in DPS, I’ve seen lots of stuff in the past, but never this bad, it’s gross neglect. I work my * off and it’s teachers being cut, while we just change administration titles around. I encourage every DPS teacher to stop buying supplies, stop going the extra mile, let DPS provide us with what we need, or simple don’t use it, and maybe we can get real results. I am lucky to have a job in this ecomomy, but I’m ashamed to be at DPS. Dayton has no Public Schools, it’s privite, and charters,. Shame on the BOE, let’s start going to board meeting and letting them know how upset we are. Oh wait we can’t do that because of retaliation.By Mary
June 4, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
Barb, the security expenses you mention as being high might also include some security that will be provided at sporting events including the football games the administration plans to continue to support. I know our suburban school district pays for security at after school and weekend events, as I am sure places like OSU. It all subtracts from the money available to support the students and the classrooms. I wonder how Welcome Stadium security is budgeted -maybe each building chips in .By Barb
June 4, 2007 2:28 PM | Link to this
I am really confused as I read the 5/29 BoE minutes. We are in such financial dire straights that we have to get rid of teachers, classes and sports yet a few of the things we are keeping in the minutes include:$18,500.00for a workshop at King’s Island, and then another $11,000.00 for the same workshop. $122,390.95 telecommunications, Prepaid travel services $12,889.86, $8,29.00 to update computer software for transportation dept. Security services for the the new buildings is astronomical. I understand that it seems as if this is important but if everyone else is tightening their belt to help students what about Administration. Do they really need to go out of town for seminars at a time like this. Couldn’t meetings be held in the buildings that we are maintaining all summer. Students work in these buildings in the heat of August what is wrong with administration doing the same? Iwould think at this time there would be a moritorium on ALL travel, hotels,trips. I think this has a lot to do with why the levy did not pass. Scott maybe you could do a series to expose some of this needless spending. Also is there a breakdown on what Administration was cut? 17 could just be Asst. Principals that actually work with students. Could you find out if anyone that is sitting in an office downtown got cut or did they just change the title of their job?By Chris
June 4, 2007 9:59 AM | Link to this
Mary my concern is that the answer to the crisis in DPS is not to convert DECA or any other specialized program to a charter school. There are many students with disabilities(CD, MD, LD, OI, HH ED etc.) in DPS who dont qualify for these academic programs and who deserve a quality education (one that progresses towards regular education with the least restrictive environment). Granted there are some students who can and do benefit from these outstanding programs. My point is that we fix the funding not convert specific schools to charter (what Mr. Husted suggested for DECA).By Mary
June 4, 2007 7:51 AM | Link to this
Daddy dearest, whether you like Einstein, Tom Cruise or not they are both supposedly dyslexic and likely gifted. By Ohio’s definition, students are identified in visual and/or performing arts ability in addition to creative thinking ability, specific academic ability such as reading, writing, math, science and social studies, and Einstein’s probably superior cognitive or eneral intellectual ability. As far as being crazy, my philosophy is we all are - just in differing ways.By Old Coach
June 3, 2007 10:19 PM | Link to this
Laura, I apologize. I didn’t mean to make it sound that way. We Pe teachers get left out quite a bit. You are right in that with obesity on the rise any play is good play as long as there is sustained movement. I smile as I watch children on our lunch recess act out movies or tv shows running, jumping, climbing and hiding. They need that “creative play” also (which most don’t get at home.) We come in to enhance the skills that I mentioned before along with providing support with reading,math, health etc. I apologize for all pe teachers for the one that you have. I would hope that most of us are not as greedy to step to the side for a more energetic person that believes the childrens’ well being come first. Lastly I pray that the state can get school funding straight as other states have and DPS can bring back the art, instrumental teachers and other support staff so that we can get back to the business of teaching the whole child.By Laura
June 2, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this
Old Coach, I can’t tell, but I think you may have misunderstood me to think I thought anyone could “teach” PE. I don’t. I know that all general ed. teachers were given 2 classes on each of the 3 “special” subjects that now “qualify” us to teach those subjects (at least that is how it was in the ancient days), but in no way do I think we are actually qualified. The only advantage I see to regular classroom teachers attempting to teach PE as opposed to art or music is that at least we could get them outside to play. That is more than some kids get any other way. With the rising rates of obesity and just pure laziness, if we could at least get kids outside to play- and I do mean play as opposed to fight it would be an improvement. I fully recognize that PE teachers can offer a great contribution to the curriculum. But in all honesty, I have seen some PE teachers who didn’t do any more than you speak of the teacher who brought the kids in for extra free time. Ours is just trying to get to 35 years and I seldom see the kids do anything that has been coordinated. I still think that even free play is better than nothing.By daddy dearest
June 2, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
Mary you are comparing Einstein and Tom Cruise? The only thing they have in common may be dyslexia but as for Mr. Cruise having the same intellectual abilities and being gifted as Einstein is perposterous and just crazy. But then we expect that from you, don’t we?By Mary
June 1, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this
Caroline/Chris, not sure I understand your comments on quality education as pertains to IB and DECA, students with disabilities, etc. However, some students identified as gifted also have disabilities such as dyslexia (Einstein and Tom Cruise are examples), autism, and Ausbergers syndrome (forgot how to spell it). Some students with “disabilities” still take honors classes or are placed in gifted programs. Also a quality education does not mean the same education for all students. If that were the case, using what appears to be your implied conditions, then schools should also provide a coach,trainer, interscholastic sports trips, speech and hearing therapists for each and every student.By Old Coach
June 1, 2007 4:00 PM | Link to this
Laura, while most teachers are not comfortable or feel qualified to teach art or music, I question most teachers ability to teach PE. Physical Education is more than rolling the balls out or letting the students play tag. It is the progression of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, rythm, balance along with teaching healthy lifestyles for a lifetime. PE teachers have been trained to take students safely into a classroom without chairs that students see as a big play room. We are vigilant and pro=active on posible dangers in the gym or on the grounds. I have seen teachers bring their students into my gym for extra time as an incentive and let them run wild. I’m not saying all teachers would do this but it takes just one. In no way am I downing the importance of art and music or the ability of some teachers to teach those courses along with reading, math and social studies. I don’t believe that a classroom teacher can effectively teach those either unless they have a gift for it. But it would still not be as enriching as having a specialist teach it.By Caroline
June 1, 2007 10:22 AM | Link to this
I agree with Chris. How can anyone say that some students are more deserving of a quality education than others?By Another DPS Teacher
June 1, 2007 9:10 AM | Link to this
David, there are many popular teachers who would disagree with your comments. At my DPS building, there are many popular teachers who hold the students to very high standards. What made these teachers popular was their ability to take a subject that students consider boring and bring it to life for them, as well as their willingness to be at available before and after school for any student who needs assistance. I was first-year teacher in DPS who felt (without regret since I am returning to pursue a doctorate degree) the blade of the RIF; however, I sure do love to watch and learn from those teacher whose delivery of content is a combination of skill and art. Also, concerning the comments about the suburban versus urban school discipline, I must stress that the suburban schools are not without their discipline problems. In fact, too often I hear of one local affluent, suburban high school referred to as a “Columbine waiting to happen.” Fortunately for these schools, they are not under the high-powered microscope of the media like DPS. Don’t you just love the false since of security and wellness of suburbia?By Tired
June 1, 2007 8:43 AM | Link to this
Gifted? Gifted were noted, but they have NOT been given any special services during the school year except at Stivers, and they are ransacking their programs. It just sounds more dramatic to say “gifted is cut.” They have 2 gifted people that are paid, they get federal money. They are staying. As far as taking care of our brightest - the district doesn’t seem to care. I am so tired of hearing how the taxpayers are at fault for not passing a levy. What about downtown - if they hadn’t spent $20 million for their beautiful offices while they let our children suffer in the heat of the year-round schedule, their would have been a much lower levy and the taxpayer probably would have passed this! Water under the bridge? - no - now there is up-keep - the utility expensenses, not to mention the numerous people they pay to sit downtown and buzz us into the buildings. Finally - it has not stopped - the wasting of money. Have you all seen the board minutes? $11,000 dollars for the administrators to go on a ‘retreat’ at Kings Island’s Wolf Lodge, and another $17,500 for consultants to come in and speak. Why can’t they meet at the new building they purchased on Ludlow? What about all of the ‘experts already hired downtown. They are still spending money downtown, just not for the children. If they make our children miserable enough, taxpayers will pass the next levy, right?By Jae
May 31, 2007 10:32 PM | Link to this
Husted’s cynical suggestions ignores the 15,000 plus other students in the Dayton district that he sold down the river. What does he care? He doesn’t know any kids in Dayton Public, kids like Stivers Student who are just trying to get through school with some of the positive experiences Husted’s kids and associates take for granted. Reading, art classes, literature, gifted programs — these are not expendable elements of a child’s education. Make no mistake the kids in Mister Husted’s district have them. All day I have been thinking about the movie “Network.” When are the people in Dayton — and all of the other districts where levies have been failing because it’s the wrong way to fund schools — going to stand up and say, “I’m mad as he*# and I’m not going to take it anymore!?”By laura
May 31, 2007 10:01 PM | Link to this
Lou, Since the board wanted to eliminate the art, music and PE teachers from the elementary schools they needed to find a way to give teachers our contracted 45 minutes of developmental time. They couldn’t do that with students in the buildings; there wouldn’t be enough supervision. By moving the developmental time to the end of the day, they don’t need art, music and PE teachers to supervise/teach. While it saves a lot of money by eliminating the art, music and PE teachers, it effectively eliminates those subjects for the students. I can tell you right now that the vast majority of students will not get the state mandated time for art, music or PE since the classroom teacher is now expected to fulfill that requirement. Some teachers don’t feel qualified to teach some of them. I have already heard teachers say they won’t teach art or music because they can’t draw or sing or play an instrument. Principals will insist that they use the time “more wisely” to teach academics. Today we heard the school day would only be reduced by 15 minutes. That will not provide for our 45 minutes of developmental time. When you take into account that all buses are seldom on time, we will be lucky if we do get 15 minutes. And when I first heard what they planned, I actually complimented someone for being innovative. After 28 years of teaching in DPS I should have known they would find a way to stick it to us. This will be a very long day for the students since we aren’t allowed to give them recess.By Beverly Pressnall
May 31, 2007 7:43 PM | Link to this
As I looked at the front page of the DDN today I couldn’t miss the irony that the two lead stories created. The Dayton City Schools are cutting employees, buildings, and services while a man who could have used his power and influence to create a better school funding system for all Ohio schools is becoming a educational research professor at a local univeristy. Perhaps Mr. Taft should have gone into educational research before he became governor. Then he might have understood the deep need to support public schools in this state. As Ohio’s elected head of the state’s executive branch of government, he could have developed a plan to carry out the Ohio State Supreme Court ruling that the Ohio school funding system is unconstituional. A funding system that is unfair especially to our poorest and most needy children and our real estate property owners. Instead his administration just ignored the court ruling and let “charter schools” be the answer for all Ohio children. First of all, charter schools are not the “only” answer needed for Ohio students. There will always be a need for quality public education. Second, is there any reliable, factual information on the efffectiveness of charter schools in this state? Is it even being collected? Has educational data been collected on students who transfer from charter schools to public schools (because some do)and their ability to meet standards in the public systems? Is the vast amount of taxpayer money that has been taken from public schools and put into charter schools producing valid, measurable, and sufficient increases in student achievement to justify the financial investment? Perhaps this is a topic that Mr. Taft could address in his research. Please remember, ALL our children and grandchildren whether in public or charter schools, will need a quality education if they are to become responsible members of society and compete successfully in our changing worldBy RIFed Music Teacher
May 31, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
Null— when you join DPS you have no choice but to join the teacher’s union. So in turn, if you wanted everyone in the union fired— all of us would be fired. Don’t worry though— I did get laid off— and I’ve only been teaching for two years. Although the union can be shady at times, they do try to protect us to some extent… they just don’t have the power that the public might think they have.By David
May 31, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this
Null-teacher evaluation is usually very subjective so the republicanesque call to eliminate that awful seniority sounds thin. Usually the more popular teachers are with students, the less they require in the classroom, both in content and in structure. The teachers who were very popular often hadn’t taught the students what they needed to know in the next courses that I taught; they had too much fun in class to learn content for things like the OGT and SAT and ACT. The problem is the next teacher gets to be the bad guy trying to have the kids catch up. The next part is often coaches who teach are viewed as more important than the academic classroom teacher by the students and parents. How are you going to evaluate that variable? DPS should be cancelling all sports instead of sanctifying certain ones. More really bad decisions made from central office and building principals, many of whom have coaching backgrounds; guess what their value system is. Let me see, academic English or football? Advanced math or basketball? It’s time to face up to the lack of smaller levies in the past and discipline problems in the buildings.By laura
May 31, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this
Null: You must plan to find enough teachers to replace nearly every teacher in the District. If there wasn’t a union, many of us wouldn’t be there. Not because we had done anything wrong or because we were incompetent, but because we were the wrong race, the wrong gender, the wrong weight, the wrong?, the wrong?, the wrong?. Believe me, I have seen administrators go after teachers with out any legitimate reason. If it weren’t for the union, they would have lost their jobs. If there is a legitimate reason to fire a teacher and the principal does his or her job, they can fire them. It mostly takes a principal doing their job.By lou
May 31, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this
Chris you are absolutely correct.By Dave
May 31, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this
What a scam! Mr. Husted pushes charter schools, because he is certain anyone can do better than public schools. And he engineers last-minute legislation to create a financial crisis in DPS. Of course, results show charters (on average) do NOT do better than public schools, so he tries to convert the best DPS schools to charter schools. That would make charter schools (as a group) look much better and DPS look worse. Meantime, he continues to ignore his constitutional DUTY to fix the public school funding!By Skeptic
May 31, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this
Ms. Smith, you are incorrect on tax rates. The City of Dayton income taxes are 2.25%. This is about equal to Oakwood and Trotwood and within 1% of most other cities in this County. Federal income taxes are typically 5-10% before deductions. Dayton property tax rates are also comparable or LOWER than many cities in this region. Part of the problem is all the people who fail to pay their taxes at all.By Mary
May 31, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this
“jeanh”, you got that right about gifted students. Educational “leaders” (and the media) will jump through their shorts to protect football and wax emotional about athletic giftedness, but grab gifted students and other students by the neck and hold them under water for K-12. This all ties in with the conspiracy theory to keep the masses dumb and manipulable (is this even a word?) Don’t want any smart people running around and running things. Things might improve and dumbness will not reign anymore. You should know the system is broken when educational institutions pay coaches millions of dollars, college class sizes reach into the hundreds, and hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in football stadiums. Maybe we should have a contest to predict when these stadiums will look like the Colisseum in Rome.By RoadRager
May 31, 2007 3:10 PM | Link to this
Withthis making national news, now maybe we can get an NON-BIAS 3rd party organization to come in and look at the district with a fine tooth comb and make the STATE hand down some fat-trimming scissors. Lets see what an OUTSIDE research firm has to say about who REALLY needs to keep thier jobs and who needs to GO!!By Chris
May 31, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this
Every student who attends a Dayton Public School deserves a quality education. The student with a disability who doesn’t qualify for DECA or the IB or Academic Magnet deserves a quality education. The answer isn’t to convert a school or program to a charter school but to fix the funding.By lou
May 31, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this
Scott, I don’t understand how reducing the school day for the students is going to save money? They cannot save money on utilities because we, the teachers, are still in the building. How is it going to save money on upkeep of the buildings? What are the teachers now going to have to be there own custodian while hey are here when the kids aren’t? Makes no sense to me/ Are they closing the buildings downtown? Did they cut the custodial staff downtown? How about turning off the air coditioners downtown until every student is in a building with air conditioning.By null
May 31, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
Dear Ms. Lynch, Please modify the teachers union’s contract with the school district to favor teachers who make a difference in students lives and merit employment versus teachers who retain employment simply due to their seniority in the union. No wonder our public school system is in shambles! It is time for your unionized monopoly to take more seriously the advancement of student over the rights, guaranteed by an burdensome contract, of teachers. Taxpayers are tired of the teachers’ union. I would support firing all the union teachers, for the benefit of the students.By Janell Smith
May 31, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this
The problem with Dayton schools is Dayton itself. The reason the levy failed is Dayton is so outragous with taxes it isn’t funny! Dayton takes more out in city taxes than the federal government takes out. No one wants to pay this rundown, broken city anymore in taxes when it doesn’t look as if any taxes are being used for what they were ment for. And Dayton schools have been going down a spiral since I was in gradeschoool. And there’s no recognition for what positive achevements do occur with the students, whether it be in acedemics or sports. I have a big problem with that. My step-son made Dayton schools sports history and not one word was written. I know there are probably more like this, and maybe even more when it comes to acedemics as well. This is making people mad. It seems the only possitive thing that’s happened in the district is Dunbar winning state(don’t get me wrong. I think that’s awesome). Now if the CITY as a whole would care about the education and well being of their kids, they would come up with other ideas with helping the school system and the City Government will come up with ways to make the taxes work in the ways they were ment and maybe even try to reduce them. I personaly have given up. We are planning on moving out of the city. That’s sad. I was born and raised here, my husband too. But we care about our kids education and we also can’t afford to loose any money to taxes that are outragous. And I know I am not alone. Maybe if they hadn’t built all the new schools, but made some renovations, there would be money the the district account and not need a levy. I moved to Spokane, Washington with my infant twins in 1993. When my marriage didn’t work out, I came back here, like an idiot, but was smart enough to leave my sons with my ex husband. They were inrolled in the #1 ranked elementary school at the time and Washington schools were ranked #5 in the nation. Smart decision on my part. Now it’s time to get out before my younger set of twins start kindergarten, hopefully before pre-school.By jeanh
May 31, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
I notice that one of the first cuts is to the “gifted program”. I’ve never understood this because these are the children who are going to lead us in this new era. With “open enrollment”, I’m sure that these bright students can find places at other schools; but, it will mean a big loss to Dayton as a community.By School Supporter
May 31, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this
Would the funds available to charters cover the non-union salaries? There would be no need to spin off if funding followed students and funding were adequate for the program/students needs. Even accounting buildings as a profit & loss center would give some indication regarding district overhead. Teachers complain about central office overhead, but what specific steps did the DEA take to ensure existing rules for effective prioritization of educational resources were followed? Looks to me like children are being used as pawns…By Stivers Student
May 31, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this
Anything that will save Stivers. All of these negative things that people think of Dayton Public Schools (such as bullying, bad grades, fights, etc.) don’t happen at Stivers. We are clean, smart, and nonviolent. We are still urban kids. We still have to deal with poverty. But we are a beautiful school. What makes us any less than DECA?By Mary
May 31, 2007 9:06 AM | Link to this
Spinning off the schools as niche interests might be a good idea - including a school for students and parents obsessed with sports. That way everybody will be happy and some schools can be used for their original purposes - right? But what is missing from the articles in the Dayton Daily News and New York Times is some more details on funding - on DECA, Stivers, PSEO, gifted ed and sports. I think reporters tend to be spoon fed just enough information to mislead and manipulate the public. Of course, New York City has a lot of specialty public schools, including one for gifted students with competitive admissions. The Dayton area should be organized like that as well. While some people obsess with providing competitive sports opportunities and the traditional Americana “let’s dumb our kids and their future down, teach them how to party and binge drink, eat more hot dogs” education experience, we are denying the area’s students academic opportunities that students in other communities, states, and countries get. We are a banana republic when it comes to education. Our country imports its brainpower on H1 visas. Americans are much more obvious on our university football teams than in PhD programs in science and engineering at the very same state run universities.By lou
May 31, 2007 8:55 AM | Link to this
Scott, you forgot the IB program at Meadowdale.