Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2007 > October > 12 > Entry
Labor secretary lauds ISUS charter school
Elaine Chao
Daniel Daugherty dropped out in middle school and spent two years living with his father and not knowing what to do with his life.
Then a friend recommended the ISUS Trade and Tech Prep high school to his father. Now he’s a high school graduate, working for the school and hoping to become an electrician.
On Friday, he found himself standing in front of 100 people on a stage along side U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
“They treat you more like an adult and they challenge you,” he said of the school. “It makes you want to learn more.”
Chao picked ISUS to visit Friday from among 96 groups nationwide who will receive federal YouthBuild grants, which are designed to provide job training and employment opportunities.
The school, Chao said, was a perfect fit for her vision for YouthBuild, which was just moved from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to her office. She handed the school’s founder, Ann Higdon, a check for $550,000 and promised a second installment for the same amount.
“This funding will allow ISUS to continue helping young people access training and skills they need to build a brighter future for themselves,” Chao said.
ISUS is a charter school started in 1999 with the idea of teaching dropouts construction trade skills while helping them finish high school. ISUS enrolls about 175 students in Dayton.
Construction trades students learn in the classroom and on job sites. ISUS has built and renovated homes in two Dayton neighborhoods. Students also earn stipends of $12 to $30 a day if they come on time and prepared.
But the program is costly at more than $14,000 per student. It receives about $6,000 in state aid and raises funds through grants and contributions to fill the gap. YouthBuild has been a key partner, having given about $3 million in prior grants to the school.
Al Dunn, a retired manufacturing chief executive and chairman or ISUS’s board of trustees, praised Higdon for building a program that has made a difference.
“ISUS’s success that we celebrate today reflects what one person can do with a dream and with vision, courage and determination.”
Higdon said contributions like the YouthBuild grants and a $1.6 million gift from the Mathile Foundation have helped expand the program to build more houses.
“We have been able to really do something because of the investment,” she said. “But this all started with young people working hard.”
(Image credit: Peace Corps)
Permalink | Comments (28) | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice
Comments
By Mary
October 18, 2007 7:14 AM | Link to this
Keith, there is an open records law in Ohio Revised Code. I forget which paragraph. Anyone can request most records and the school can charge 10 cents a page. Even the media sometimes has some problems getting schools and other public offices to comply. Our board complained about the requests, but eventually produced some of the records for some members in our community. At our public board meetings, typically the only people in the room with the details of a matter are the board members. They typically do not project any info on a screen or whatever to let the public in attendance know the details of what is really being acted on. They will verbalize some details while withholding others to protect spin.By Mary
October 17, 2007 8:38 PM | Link to this
“Avoice”, I think most school districts hold back detail costs unless it helps in some spin. I have been at board meetings in my suburban disrict where reporters were handed info that was more difficult for community attendees to get. I think most reporters would have a more difficult time than some community members understanding the significance of what they were given on costs. But yes, it would be nice if the media had resources to be the watchdog. Unfortunately, most of the public probably thinks this is happening when it is not.By Keith
October 17, 2007 7:45 PM | Link to this
I thought the monthly budget reports were public information. Whether they wish to pass them out at the board meeting or not, they must be available to the public. Am I wrong?By Avoice
October 17, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this
Oldprof: Instead of demonstrating to Anne please share with us how you seem to have access to information regarding DPS Board line-item funds. (Most districts publish board meeting notes including budget information. I find it odd that Dayton does not.) That way the rest of us will not be “hyper-critical.” I am sure that you will share this with the readers and Scott so the taxpayers of Dayton can really see what has been going on for the last six years.By Belle Haven Alum
October 16, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this
Oldprof - No I don’t know how much cash was spent on elevator repairs at old administration building but what I do know is a concept called Return on Invested Capital; its closely related to competitive forces in a free market economy. And without a doubt the money spent to purchase and renovate former R&R headquarters could have - and should have - been spent on improving DPS academic performance. Citizens are not “hyper-critical” to point out that scarce financial resources should be utilized in the most cost-effective manner. Again it’s a mindset issue: DPS believes parents and students exist to support its admin and programs and it spends accordingly. But if the mindset was DPS exists to serve parents and students then spending would be conducted in a manner that reflects sound stewardship.By Laura
October 16, 2007 10:58 PM | Link to this
Oldprof: Someone, maybe even you, recently brought up the fact that the board did not do a very good job of “selling” the need for the purchase of the Ludlow buildings. That may be the answer to all of the debate. You keep dropping little bits of info every once in a while that are logical explanations but were not revealed to the public at the time of the purchase(such as the excessive repair costs of the elevator). Why weren’t they? Did the board really think that everyone would be OK with such a large purchase? Maybe it is time, even this late after the fact, that the school board members take the time to explain all the little reasons they decided to buy the new buildings. If they are legitimate, maybe that is all it would take for at least the more intelligent of the community to accept the decision and not hold the schools hostage over the levy.By Oldprof
October 16, 2007 4:44 PM | Link to this
Let’s see, Belle—I am demonstrating to Anne how simple it is to be hyper-critical, and you think I’m embarrassing MYSELF? Anne’s “I just won’t spend it” solution would fail miserably when the district faced a ruinous lawsuit by a staffer or parent who was injured by falling plaster—or ADA charges that buildings were not accessible. Have you any idea how much cash was soaked up just on repairs to the elevator in the old administration building downtown? Guess not.By Belle Haven Alum
October 16, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this
Oldprof you really should stay clear of any financial cost-benefit analysis as you’re embarassing yourself. Bravo Anne for highlighting the false choice - really indicative of the poor frame of reference which plagues DPS BOE and admin.By Laura
October 15, 2007 10:42 PM | Link to this
The excuse that the board needed one central location for the parents is not credible. The parents do not need or should not need to go to numerous places to register their children. Years ago it was done at the school. If the concern is that it adds too much work to the individual building secretaries, then they could assign a registration person at one school within a zone of schools that everyone went to to register. The amount of space needed for registration issues is very small. There is so much unused space within the two buildings. I have been in both buildings many times and have seen numerous unused rooms and rooms that are “assigned” to different activities that could easily be combined into one room. More often than not, I also have seen employees standing around talking or doing personal activities. Even if the purchase of Ludlow I can be justified, the purchase of Ludlow II was a ridiculous waste of money.By Mary
October 15, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
old prof,it is time you update your reading list. George Herbert Mead is so nineteeth century.By David
October 15, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this
Seems to me I saw Kettering board offices in a building next to their stadium. It looked like an elementary building. What a novel idea: use a building they already own! Mengerink has it right! Ooops, that was friends won’t get contracting jobs for upgrading and repairs to antiques from R&R.By Anne
October 15, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this
nope- Old Prof - I did not choose to spend the $5mil, I wouldn’t. Wrong again about the utility bills - they could go in a part of an existing building like they have done in Centerville. The fixed costs are already there. Wrong again about the loss of producivity on the communications thing - the staff members all have email accounts, they waste more time talking about weekends - I’ve been downtown and heard it while parents wait in line - so it would be more effecient if they did more of their collaborating on line. Many have cel phones, and all have land lines anyways. Inconvienance parents - I wouldn’t think of it. They wouldn’t have to go downtown, they could be registered directly at the building where they would be attending anyway.By Oldprof
October 14, 2007 11:58 PM | Link to this
No Anne, I’m not reaching. Those who feel that the building is historical would have howled if it were gutted and the swimming pools were turned into offices. But look—you just chose to spend an extra $5 million dollars on one building, millions more on the other three—plus you’re going to keep wasting money on high utilities costs for those buildings, plus you’re going to limit productivity since staff must communicate from four different locations, plus you continue to inconvenience the parents who can’t take public transportation to register or arrange services for their students. Rotten decision, Anne, clearly you don’t have the interests of the children at heart. There—how’s it feel to be a board member and take shots from people like yourself?By Oldprof
October 14, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
No Mary, I haven’t read it, and I’m not planning to. I’ve been through hundreds of books about all levels of education—as well as teaching at all levels—I don’t expect this book will tell me anything I don’t already suspect. However, since I haven’t read it, I’m not qualified to critique it—just as you are not qualified to critique Fingerhut’s plan (under construction) for HE, having not yet seen it. When it finally comes out, I anticipate that I’ll find things in it to admire and to reject, as with most things—but I’m not going to rush to judgment without information. By the way—I abhor the subtle tyrrany of “you have no right to an opinion if you haven’t read the book I cited”; if you want to play that game, I bet I could pile on titles that I’ve read and you haven’t until you smother. Let’s start with George Herbert Mead, shall we?By Anne
October 14, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this
Old Prof, I choose not to buy two new buildings or two older building. The money will be needed for the children, so the admins should stay in their older buildings, or use part of an existing school building. It has been good enough for the Centerville admin. staff. The Vandalia admins. have not had to spend millions on digs for their admins. The Tipp City admins. manage to spend the majority of their money on the children, giving the kids new desks and chairs while they use the old ones. Ask the admins. in Oakwood. Their offices are not the posh accomodations that the DPS staff requires. Their students seem to still do fine. Is it just that in the other areas the board is resposible, looking to the needs of the future. Or perhaps are those currently in power banking on the fact that in Dayton many families are struggling to get by. These people don’t have the extra time to monitor the decision makers? It is so ironic that some of the poorest children have the admin office that is the most extravegant, yet the wealthier districts seem to be able to manage on so much less. As far as renovating the black/white swimming pools…you’re surely reaching a bit here, aren’t you?By David
October 14, 2007 8:53 PM | Link to this
Oldprof has a good point about the hypocrisy of NCLB demanding that every child pass tests and graduate, but it’s okay for ISUS to have a realistic set of kids learning a trade and some passing and some not passing the required tests. Typical Washington, isn’t it? Education is a State function; why are Boehner, Bush, and “Hit me again Sam” Kennedy involved?By Rick
October 14, 2007 8:27 PM | Link to this
Oldprof, I think you and I are in agreement about ISUS, in that it is an apprentice school. We need more of them and we need to quit trying to shoehorn everything to fits NCLB. That is one are where the NCLB needs desperately to be amended.By Washington Twp.
October 14, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this
One of the side benefits of ISUS is that they build new houses on vacant lots in old inner city neighborhoods, helping to revitalize the housing stock in the city.By Mary
October 14, 2007 7:56 PM | Link to this
“old prof”,I can tell you have not read “Ivory Tower Blues” which was published this year and written by two professors about the U.S. and Canadian university systems. They even discuss one of your favorite topics - helicopter parents. I did not say the Fingerhut project was bogus, only the concept that all students should need to go to college to earn a living wage. “Ivory Tower Blues” discusses the overcredentialing of jobs through the education system, the watering down of K-12 education, the impact on the brightest students by having unmotivated students in college classes, the “hard” versus “soft” sorting of students for various careers used by different countries with different results, how overcredentialing hurts the labor force and drives up costs of education, etc. I think anybody giving advice to Fingerhut and Fingerhut himself ought to read this book. I have read it, and it just took a few hours. You don’t have to agree with it to read it.By Oldprof
October 14, 2007 6:50 PM | Link to this
Anne, you tire me. Tell me this which you would choose: buying a contemporary office building at $15 million (and getting surprised by an extra $5 million in repairs), or refurbishing several crumbing buildings, one of which carried an earlier estimate of $25 million? And if they were to repair Roosevelt, do you think they should have eliminated the historic “black and white” swimming pools, or renovated them for staff enjoyment? There—it’s your opportunity to play board member and make some tough decisions—please be aware that whichever you choose I’ll respond that you’re fiscally irresponsible and wasting money that should be spent on children.By Anne
October 14, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this
Off topic a bit � but did anyone read today�s editorial? This was the worst piece of slanted, slanderous, unresearched writing I have read in quite a long time! That the paper would support the board that has led the district into financial ruin would be laughable if not so tragic. Joe Lacey speaks out against the poor decisions the board is making, if this makes him a meddler � well the meddling needs to be done. The board supported year-round schools. There is no conclusive research that shows this is effective. For every reputable study suggesting this may be positive, there is an equally reputable study proving students in year-round schools show no gain over those on a traditional schedule. The editorial department should at least check their data before they peddle it. The irreponsiblity of the editorial staff that would support this board shows their incompetence like a burning flame. They even suggest the public re-elect the person on the board who is supposed to be skilled in finance. This should be the first person to go. To suggest that this current board has the best interest of children as a primary concern is not accurate at all. The current members are either uncaring of the children�s needs or they are extremely ignorant. To allow the district to spend over 20 million dollars on two buildings downtown, to allow them to continue to have so many administrators downtown while so many cuts have been made in the schools that the children suffer, these are not signs of a caring board. They are signs of apathy, stupidity, and it is borderline criminal that this has been allowed to go on. Joe, keep working. There are many people still behind you.By Oldprof
October 14, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Mary, since you brought it up, some clarity on Fingerhut’s 10-year program. I was part of a teleconference with him last week, and your suspicions about his program are unfounded. Now, the experts believe that Ohio will need to increase public college enrollments by 230,000 just to keep up with workplace demands—that’s the goal, which is still far short of sending “everybody” to college. Fingerhut’s goal is to meet public need, not some “Ivory Tower” cloudcuckooland scenario—his vision includes enhanced job training at adult ed. centers. What good do you think will come of your casting doubt on a program that’s still in the planning stages—especially when you admit you know little about it?By Oldprof
October 14, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this
Yes Rick, and so what? The ISUS students ought to be getting a full range of English, Math and History classes—and if they’re not, let’s strip the pretense and call it an apprenticeship program and give it no state subsidy. In fact, since their students get paid, maybe that would be a more honest designation. I don’t want to denigrate the efforts of the good people at ISUS—I understand that they do good work—I just want to point out the hypocrisy of an administration that insists through NCLB that any school that doesn’t post good results on standardized testing should be reconstituted—but ISUS, whose students score below average on OAT, gets praise and extra federal money.By School Supporter
October 13, 2007 9:13 PM | Link to this
Oldprof, teacher-union-endorsed Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann disagrees with your premise as demonstrated by his complaints against Colin Powell and New Choices. Here’s his script: “ISUS performance has lagged behind Dayton City Schools, from which it draws most of its funding and students. It has failed to meet applicable indicators for school performance, failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress, and its most recent performance index score, 45.4, gives it an institutional G.P.A. of a very low ‘F.’ No one doubts that ISUS’S organizers meant well and tried hard, but those undeniable facts show that the trust has failed.” Of course, if we took Marc Dann seriously, we would not only close charters, but many Dayton Public Schools as well. Only private schools free to select voucher-eligible students are likely to meet the threshold Dann seeks to enforce.By Buford
October 13, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this
I am not an expert on ISUS. I have never been inside it and watched it in operation - as I have done with almost every other high school in the Dayton area. From what I read of ISUS, they take a two-pronged approach, completing the requisite study areas for award of a HS diploma and also giving hands-on training in various components of the Construction trade. The idea apparently being that a student finishes with both a diploma and real-life experience in a trade they might follow for years as a career path. A bit different from many students who show up for “normal” classes (other schools), put in their time/make at least the minimum scores and exit the public school system with no clue what they want to do with their life. Not saying that is wrong, necessarily, just that the kids potentially coming out of ISUS just might be able to support themselves and a family in short order. The same could be said for students at MVCTC - and I have been in and out of that operation many times over the years. So, if the question is that all classes and courses of study should be funded equally - I do not agree.By Rick
October 13, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
Oldprof, you and I both know that different types of programs cost different amounts of money. Science classes with labs cost more than an English class.By Mary
October 13, 2007 8:06 AM | Link to this
I have enjoyed reading the Dayton Daily News articles about ISUS over several years. It sounds as if it is a relevant education for many young people and is a charter school that is worthy of support. There were also two articles this week, I think about the Fingerhut efforts, regarding Ohio’s colleges, and an article about the emcee at the UD arena affair, that seemed to have opposite spins about everybody should go to college. I think that concept is bogus and seems to be a major disconnect among government and education officials. The book, “Ivory Tower Blues” would also agree, I think, that there need to be more “high schools” like ISUS. Motivated students should not have to wait until after high school or go to college to learn the construction trades.By Oldprof
October 13, 2007 7:28 AM | Link to this
Why don’t ALL Ohio students get $14,000 subsidy, if that’s what it takes to provide a quality education? And if Buford or anyone disagrees with that premise, then I expect them to demean ISUS as wasteful.