Don't pull plug on Metro School concept just yet
By LYNDSEY TETER
An opinion released by Attorney General Marc
Dann last week had a Worthington school
board member motioning to rip four kids out
of their high school across town.
After hearing from confused parents, district personnel and students, Ohio Department of Education Superintendent Susan Zelman posed the question, and it seems the Worthington school board didn't like the answer.
The opinion indicated Worthington, or any other school district for that matter, had no legal right to charge a $6,200 tuition for less than a handful of students currently enrolled in the Metro School. In Worthington, the thought was so moving that a motion was made to withdraw support from the school that night.
Although board members likely had taxpayers' interests at heart, the knee-jerk reaction was smartly talked down -- for now, at least -- by others in the room.
Open to all 16 public school districts in Franklin County, the science- and technology-focused school offers an intimate learning environment and a plethora of opportunities for a small, hand-picked group of kids in Franklin County.
The student body is culled from interviews and an application process, although the majority -- somewhere around 60 percent -- of these kids are from Columbus City Schools. At its root, the school is open to all who are interested, regardless of their abilities or their family's financial situation.
State funding follows a student to the Metro school, although they are still considered part of their home school district.
Worthington students' alone are required to pay the full tuition for the opportunity. Dublin and Grandview Heights students must pay a portion. All three districts are currently reviewing the implications of Dann's decision, but as of yet, only Worthington has publically talked of pulling the plug.
Although the whole debate hinges on only a handful of students, a rushed decision to pull the plug has larger implications.
Now in its third year, Metro's partnering institutions -- including, notably, Battelle and Ohio State University -- have invested millions into the school and in our region. The Columbus Museum of Art, SWACO, and (insert name of every other organization in town here) have partnered with Metro, too, bringing weird and exciting ways of learning into the classroom.
Parked in the heart of the 315 Research and Technology corridor, the school has been praised as an innovative and much-needed approach to education as America falls behind the rest of the world when it comes to pumping out students primed for high-paying technology jobs.
But the brilliance of the operation is best seen on the ground.
Have you ever watched a brace-faced 14-year-old present a preliminary update on a schoolwide project analyzing local workforce development data, in front of a room full of suited Battelle and OSU engineers, researchers, professors, education reformers and state agencies?
The whole thing is really quite inspirational, especially considering the youngsters are not necessarily the best, brightest and richest in the region.
Many of them are C-students and half are on free- or reduced-price lunches. The high-energy teaching staff operates with a kind of "relentless intimacy" that even the most casual observer can see taking root.
It must be remembered that these big-name organizations don't simply volunteer their time and efforts because the Metro School is the latest, coolest trend in education.
The leadership of the school believes firmly in giving back. Most notably, the school is working to churn out smart kids who are trained in all the right software programs, and who also have a vested interest in the region and are more likely to stick around to "pay it forward" with their income taxes. I'd encourage Worthington to consider what Metro has to offer the district before making a rash decision.
Partnership and cooperation are at the heart of the Metro School's inception, but the concepts seems to have become lost in Worthington's discussion.
Officials quoted as saying they felt "no obligation" to Metro's students from Worthington are turning their backs on a whole lot more than four students.
After hearing from confused parents, district personnel and students, Ohio Department of Education Superintendent Susan Zelman posed the question, and it seems the Worthington school board didn't like the answer.
The opinion indicated Worthington, or any other school district for that matter, had no legal right to charge a $6,200 tuition for less than a handful of students currently enrolled in the Metro School. In Worthington, the thought was so moving that a motion was made to withdraw support from the school that night.
Although board members likely had taxpayers' interests at heart, the knee-jerk reaction was smartly talked down -- for now, at least -- by others in the room.
To steal a catchy line from one of its creators, the Metro High School on Kenny Road is a small school with a big footprint.
Open to all 16 public school districts in Franklin County, the science- and technology-focused school offers an intimate learning environment and a plethora of opportunities for a small, hand-picked group of kids in Franklin County.
The student body is culled from interviews and an application process, although the majority -- somewhere around 60 percent -- of these kids are from Columbus City Schools. At its root, the school is open to all who are interested, regardless of their abilities or their family's financial situation.
State funding follows a student to the Metro school, although they are still considered part of their home school district.
Worthington students' alone are required to pay the full tuition for the opportunity. Dublin and Grandview Heights students must pay a portion. All three districts are currently reviewing the implications of Dann's decision, but as of yet, only Worthington has publically talked of pulling the plug.
Although the whole debate hinges on only a handful of students, a rushed decision to pull the plug has larger implications.
Now in its third year, Metro's partnering institutions -- including, notably, Battelle and Ohio State University -- have invested millions into the school and in our region. The Columbus Museum of Art, SWACO, and (insert name of every other organization in town here) have partnered with Metro, too, bringing weird and exciting ways of learning into the classroom.
Parked in the heart of the 315 Research and Technology corridor, the school has been praised as an innovative and much-needed approach to education as America falls behind the rest of the world when it comes to pumping out students primed for high-paying technology jobs.
But the brilliance of the operation is best seen on the ground.
Have you ever watched a brace-faced 14-year-old present a preliminary update on a schoolwide project analyzing local workforce development data, in front of a room full of suited Battelle and OSU engineers, researchers, professors, education reformers and state agencies?
The whole thing is really quite inspirational, especially considering the youngsters are not necessarily the best, brightest and richest in the region.
Many of them are C-students and half are on free- or reduced-price lunches. The high-energy teaching staff operates with a kind of "relentless intimacy" that even the most casual observer can see taking root.
It must be remembered that these big-name organizations don't simply volunteer their time and efforts because the Metro School is the latest, coolest trend in education.
The leadership of the school believes firmly in giving back. Most notably, the school is working to churn out smart kids who are trained in all the right software programs, and who also have a vested interest in the region and are more likely to stick around to "pay it forward" with their income taxes. I'd encourage Worthington to consider what Metro has to offer the district before making a rash decision.
Partnership and cooperation are at the heart of the Metro School's inception, but the concepts seems to have become lost in Worthington's discussion.
Officials quoted as saying they felt "no obligation" to Metro's students from Worthington are turning their backs on a whole lot more than four students.