Worthington Board of Education

2. What personal traits, skills, or experiences would you bring to the position that you feel would make you an effective board member?

I am well acquainted with the Worthington Schools both personally and professionally. I am pleased to say that I am the parent of two children educated by the district. My daughter, who is currently enrolled in the Linworth Program and participates in the Worthington Kilbourne (WKHS) marching band, has been in the school system since kindergarten and has benefited from many of the quality teachers and services provided by the district. Thanks to the excellent tutelage he received from Worthington Schools personnel, my son, who graduated from WKHS in 2000 and is now at work on his M.A. and Ph.D. in physics, was highly successful as an AP scholar and as a cross country and track star for the high school,.

Additionally, I have been a highly successful district level and university administrator for the past 16 years and feel it is time to make a positive difference in

the lives of our students, staff, and community at the school board level. My education and experiences as an administrator and teacher are unique because of

the wide range of experiences I have had as a parent, teacher, curriculum writer, department chair, district supervisor, and central office administrator. I have a history of professional leadership and political activism at the local, state, and national levels; the ability to develop curriculum, rescue programs, and secure resources; and the capacity to work well with and motivate people. More importantly, I think what is most rewarding is working collaboratively at the district level to effect overarching change that makes a noticeable, positive difference in schooling and the community.

More specifically, The Worthington Board of Education should consider me for the position of School Board Member because of my personal and professional experience with the school system, as well as for my worldview, enthusiasm, integrity, knowledge, dedication, and ability to work with and motivate others. I have successfully managed diverse staffs ranging in numbers from 5 to 1,200 and created and administered budgets large and small with private (church), local, state, or federal funds. I have directed successful curriculum-writing teams in areas of personal expertise as well as in disciplines that that are unfamiliar, and I have successfully administered a wide range of programs of a similar nature. Additionally, I have created, directed, and upgraded common examinations and common finals to the level of current best practice. Moreover, I have a local, state, and national reputation for professional leadership and political activism and the ability to secure necessary resources. Above all, The Worthington Board of Education should consider me for the position of Worthington School Board Member because I have a broad educational perspective and because I can make a positive difference in the lives of young people, their families, our community, and the educators who serve them.

3. What do you think is the most pressing issue in the Worthington Schools?

I think the most pressing issue confronting Worthington Schools is how to maintain its stature as an exemplary district in the face of increasing unfunded state and federal mandates, declining revenues, and a middle school enrollment that is now half that of the combined enrollment of the two high schools. Since 2000, the passage of levies and bond issues has come at the cost of millions of dollars in budget reductions and staff morale, as they bear witness to the loss of staff and programming that has taken years of effort to put in place. Unique programs such as Linworth, foreign languages, career education, and marketing have been reduced in scope, idled, or eliminated. New programming initiatives, such as all day kindergarten, have been few and often directed at bolstering district performance on state and federal mandates. It has been exceedingly difficult to provide sustained funding for new programming initiatives designed to meet the new world economic and social challenges that education in the 21^st century must address, much less the divergent needs of our increasingly diverse student population.

Meanwhile, charter schools have been successful at attracting new students from Central Ohio school districts, including and Worthington. As of 2004, charter school enrollments were up 35% to 57,000 students, while public schools suffered a 27% decline in enrollment (Study by The Ohio Collaborative as reported in <http://www.osu.edu/news/lvl2_news_story.php?id=1182).

Recent actions by Superintendent Conrath to explore creative ways of taking advantage of declining middle school enrollment to make progress are encouraging. Building upon her thoughts, I think Worthington Schools should use the impetus of the recently legislated Ohio Core, whose motivation is preparing students for the global economy, as an opportunity to look beyond itself to other exemplary programs or school districts in similar situations to discover what they have done or are doing to equip their students in mind and body for the international marketplace of today and tomorrow. Success will energize students, staff, and community. Failure may cause the school district to lose its luster.

4. If it were necessary to make substantial cuts in the expenditures of the district, what areas would you cut first, and what areas would you seek to preserve?

Based on recent comments from school administrators and at least one board member, as published in the weekly papers, there seems to be a difference of opinion as to precisely how soon a new levy will need to be placed on the ballot. At the same time, the new superintendent has expressed the need for the development of a new district strategic plan this year, based on input from all stakeholders. In addition to the aspirations of the community, other local stakeholders, and staff, the plan must provide direction on how the district intends to meet new and existing state and federal requirements. No budget cuts should be undertaken without a clear understanding of the district’s most current vision, mission, goals, and mandates and how it intends to meet them.

Superintendent Conrath has just asked for each area to submit a list of cuts equal to 10% of their budgets for her consideration. This is one way to consider budget reductions. Another approach might entail submitting each program/department to a review to determine its effectiveness. A third could involve seeking recommendations from each area as to what should be reduced or eliminated. As always, staff and community input should be sought via email, letters, community forums, and the like. Final cut lists proposed by the board also require public scrutiny and input. Regardless of the method, the district must preserve its ability to meet state and federal mandates. At issue is what can still be reduced without tarnishing the district’s ability to provide a high quality education for the children of its residents. Finally, it is important to note that the district has undergone several rounds of severe cuts totaling in the millions of dollars over the past five years. Where the next cuts come from will require serious consideration from all stakeholders if the district is to maintain its stature as a lighthouse district.

5. If it were possible to add new programs to the district, what programs would you seek to add?

Currently, I would seek to add programming that provides students with a more global or international outlook, preparation, and certification. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is one example. In addition, I would support the expansion of socio-cultural course offerings in Latin American, African, and Asian studies to help students acquire a deeper international understanding of the world around them. Here’s why:

According to the Executive Summary of Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on Skills of the American Workforce (www.skillscommission.org), the passport to a good job is going to require creativity and innovation from employees who have a world class education. In order to be competitive in the global market place we now live in, our students deserve an education that is competitive internationally. According to its online literature,

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program’s two-year curriculum, primarily aimed at students, aged 16 to 19, is a challenging one, leading to a credential that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities. The IB prepares students for university work and encourages them to:

· Ask challenging questions

· Learn how to learn

· Develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture

· Develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures

Also, the IB offers Primary Years and Middle Years programs to better prepare students for the Diploma Program. Currently, 683 IB World Schools exist in the United States, offering one or more of the three IB programs. Local competitors, Upper Arlington High School and Westerville South High School, are among them; Worthington is not.

Moreover, our long-term success depends on our ability to help a truly diverse group of people within our own borders assimilate into society’s fabric, while creating a workforce that is capable of conducting business with those who are different. In his book, Ten Trends: Educating Children for a Profoundly Different Future (Educational Research Service, 2000), author Gary Marx observed that today’s nonwhite inhabitants will have increased from 33% to 47% of the population by 2050. Central Ohio is no stranger to changing demography. It is now home to people from more than 90 countries and cultures speaking in excess of 85 different languages. Moreover, businesses in Ohio conduct thriving international commerce, exporting more than $25 billion in goods and services annually. Cultural sensitivity of the workforce toward its customers is paramount to the continued success of all of

Ohio’s local, state, and international trade. Programs such as IB and in-depth area studies generate cultural awareness, genuine language proficiency, and the ability to apply learning to complex and novel situations, which are cornerstones for developing the cross-cultural understanding and acceptance of others that are critical to our well being and continued success.

6. A. What do you see as the impact of “No Child Left Behind” on the Worthington Schools?

No Child Left Behind in Ohio

In an opinion piece written for the Columbus Dispatch in August 2003, well-known Ohio assessment and accountability consultant, Bert Wiser, wrote that one of the most pressing problems facing Ohio school districts and their schools is the immediate consequence of the No Child Left Behind legislation (NCLB). In addition to state ratings for districts, individual schools are being evaluated to determine whether they are making annual yearly progress (AYP) on state reading and mathematics tests. Schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years face sanctions for low-test scores ranging from needing school improvement to reconstitution.

When enacted, the federal legislation called for immediate testing between grades 10 and 12 in reading and mathematics and in science by the 2007-08 school year, with 100% proficiency by 2012. Additional state legislation required Ohio students to pass a new tenth grade graduation test (OGT), which replaced the Ninth Grade Proficiency Test, in order to obtain a high school diploma. The OGT is based on recently published state academic content standards.

The first administration of the Ohio Tenth Grade Graduation Test with consequences occurred in March 2005. Of particular concern has been the inclusion of indicators for the economically disadvantaged, minorities, students with handicapping conditions, and those with limited proficiency in English (LEP), who, based on the federal legislation, must also meet all annual testing goals, regardless of their arrival date in the United States or school district. Only 0.5 % of students with handicapping conditions are exempt from the tests. Buildings must not only meet or exceed annual Ohio Department of Education goals in reading and math, but they must do so separately with each of the targeted disadvantaged groups as well if they are to make adequate yearly progress. Unfortunately, new federal reporting regulations do not permit multiple administrations of mandated tests within a single school year for report card purposes, although students have at least three opportunities to pass the OGT in order to graduate.

Wiser believed that many of the suburban school districts would not be adversely affected, at least in the short term, by the goals for targeted disadvantaged groups because they have too few to make a significant difference. However, he predicted buildings that serve large numbers of targeted students would not fare nearly as well.

The Boon and Bane of NCLB and Worthington

NCLB legislation requires students to perform well in reading/language arts, math, and to a belated extent, science. It requires districts to demonstrate that all students can perform well. As a result, Worthington and all other school districts are becoming accountable for all groups and sub groups in their midst and developing higher-level alignment, accountability, and performance in curriculum and instruction.

One must ask, however, at what cost? In the first place, at the time of its promulgation, Education Week reported that NCLB was under funded by $3 billion the first year and by an additional $11 billion the second year of its existence. Federal funding for the legislation has not improved since that time.

Is it really possible for all students to proficient in the areas targeted by NCLB by 2012? Wiser, William Bainbridge--another well-known local education pundit--and other notable luminaries have indicated that both the goal and time frame are entirely unrealistic.

By focusing solely on reading/language arts, math, and a little science, valuable subject matter such as social studies, foreign languages, the arts, career and technical education, etc., have been left behind by the legislation.

The federal legislation has doubled the amount of testing being conducted K-8 unnecessarily, ignoring the amount of testing already being required by state proficiency mandates, while increasing local costs. Among its many recommendations, The National School Board Association (NSBA) supports “moving away from over-reliance on standardized tests to using multiple achievement measures in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of student and school performance.” Likewise, it argues for “reducing arbitrary proficiency targets with ambitious achievement targets based on rates of success actually achieved by the most effective public schools.” Further, the organization believes in “authorizing interventions that enable schools to make changes that result in improved student learning instead of sanctions that do not have a consistent record of success.” Finally, NSBA recommends, “enhancing state and local capacity to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers, administrators, families, and communities to support high student achievement.” (Source: http://boardbuzz.nsba.org/)

The bulk of available district funding and attention must be redirected from non-mandated disciplines to whatever federal mandates require, if the district is to become effective, regardless of what the community or even the state thinks is

important. By concentrating on only three curricular areas, NCLB legislation ignores the fact that all disciplines are related and support and enhance each other, regardless of subject matter. The narrowing of curricular emphasis through NCLB’s limited testing and curricular focus is short sighted and may prove counterproductive in the long run.

Other Effects of NCLB on Worthington

In her September report to the Worthington School Board, Jennifer Wene, director of Teaching and Learning, reported that Worthington Schools had earned a perfect score for the sixth straight year on the state report card and that all buildings were rated excellent or effective. Regarding the achievement of AYP, the district fared less well. AYP was not achieved with students with disabilities, reading and math, and LEP (English-as-a-second-language students) reading. As Wiser had predicted, all of the elementary and middle schools have met AYP because of the small numbers of minorities in their buildings. When the subgroups reached critical mass at the high school level, one of the high schools was unable to meet AYP. Any building not meeting federal AYP requirements three years in a row in more than one subgroup on any criterion will cause the state to reduce the district’s rating from Effective to Continuous Improvement, regardless of its success on the state report card, and will cause the building to lose its standing regardless of progress made in other areas.

In Worthington we have seen the substitution of extra reading courses for foreign language instruction in Grade 7 and the loss of high school programs such as marketing and the school store, to name but a few, in part because of funding deterioration and in part because of a shift in emphasis due to NCLB. If Worthington is to remain an exemplary district, it must find a way to arrest the erosion of curricular offerings even as it meets the requirements of federal and state legislation. Otherwise, the long-term effect of NCLB legislation in conjunction with declining revenues will be that students will graduate less well educated than their predecessors because of the narrowness of their preparation, and therefore, they will be less well prepared for the future that awaits them.

b. What About the Ohio Core Legislation?

Recently passed Ohio Core curriculum legislation will require more rigorous course work from students planning on attending four-year state colleges and universities in Ohio, beginning with students who enter the ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2010. Students who choose a career plan or who do not meet the standards or who do not complete the curriculum prior to graduation will have to prove themselves first in two year programs or junior colleges should they wish to complete their studies in the state’s four-year institutions of higher learning. The legislation retains the current 20 credits for graduation but alters their distribution as follows:

The Ohio Core curriculum...

· Increases the mathematics requirement from three to four units, including

Algebra II or its equivalent.

· Maintains the three-unit requirement for science but adds the stipulation that each unit include a 25 hour inquiry-based lab. It specifies that the third unit be chosen from among an array of sciences including chemistry, the physical sciences, and astronomy.

· Reduces the number of required elective units from six to five, but expands the types of electives to include not only business, technology, fine arts, and foreign languages, but also career and technical education, family and consumer sciences, and English language arts, math, science or social studies courses not otherwise required.

Furthermore, Ohio Core mandates the formal integration of economics and financial literacy from the approved social studies content standards into the social studies curriculum or into another class; increases the fine arts requirement to two semesters between grades 7 to 12; and weakens the physical education requirement by allowing districts to eliminate it for two-season athletes, cheerleaders, and marching band members, provided they complete ½ credit in another course of study in its place.

Finally, the legislation postpones decisions about foreign language study until the newly created Foreign Language Education Council, comprised of education and business leaders, has formulated and submitted a plan by the end of the year.

Some General Considerations

On the plus side, this legislation provides more focus on math and science education to better prepare Ohio’s young people for the global economy everyone now faces. It more than quadruples the amount of funding for teacher training in order to meet the anticipated increased demand for highly qualified instructors at the secondary level. And it encourages school - university partnerships to provide courses via distance or online learning to enable districts to offer more advanced coursework that otherwise might not be available.

On the other hand, the legislation does not provide additional funding for schools to upgrade their science facilities or to add teachers to teach the additional math and science offerings. It does not require any recognized international curricula or foreign languages to provide students with the socio-cultural and linguistic skills necessary for successful participation in the

global economy. At the same time, the new legislation increases by one the number of required courses and reduces by one the number of required electives, while expanding the variety of courses considered as electives to

include additional courses in required disciplines.

Effect on Worthington

As a result of this legislation, staffing and facilities improvements may pose financial challenges to Worthington. The district may need to hire additional staff to instruct the additional math courses required of our career and technical education students and others who may be affected. In addition, the district may have to upgrade its science labs and curriculum to be able to offer the inquiry based experiences required by Ohio Core. At this time, it is unclear whether funds from the recent voter-approved school improvement bonds will be needed or available to support any necessary upgrades. More than likely, fewer electives will be chosen beyond the realm of core disciplines as a result of the reduction in number of required elective credits and the inclusion of non-required courses from the key disciplines. As a result, more programmatic and staffing reductions in some electives seem probable over time.

As far as college-bound Worthington students are concerned, the legislation poses no difficulties. Our students easily meet or exceed the legislated mandates. On the other hand, our career and technical education and career-based intervention students will have to take Algebra II or its equivalent, which may require hiring additional staff and may reduce the amount of time spent in practical work study experiences. Unfortunately, neither set of students, the college bound nor the career path-directed, will be required to learn and demonstrate an international or multicultural perspective, essential for understanding the global economy’s workplace.

7. If selected, what do you see as your role in influencing state education laws and policies that affect the Worthington Schools?

I believe a school board member should become conversant with the state and national education laws and polices and understand how they affect the successful operation of the Worthington Schools. Along with the responsibility of acquiring such knowledge comes the responsibility of sharing it in a clear and accurate manner with the district and its constituents. At the same time, it is incumbent on school board members to ensure that the legitimate needs and interests of the Worthington Schools and its students, staff, and community, as affected by state and national education decisions, are communicated to elected representatives and government officials at all appropriate levels either verbally or in writing.

8. What do you see as the roles and responsibilities of a school board member?

A duly appointed or elected school board member has many roles and responsibilities. School board members must...

· Work for the benefit of all children in the district, so that decisions have the widest possible positive effect.

· Work in the best interests of the community when it comes to the expenditure of its tax dollars.

· Be knowledgeable or become knowledgeable of educational issues at the local, state, and national levels, as they affect district decision-making, and be able to represent them to one’s immediate constituency and to the public and government officials at large..

· Recognize and promote student, staff, and district accomplishments.

· Operate in an ethical manner, devoid of conflicts of interest, consonant with local, state, and national standards of conduct.

· Be a good learner and take advantage of appropriate in-service opportunities to increase effectiveness.

· Be a good listener and a good communicator as well as a responsive, visible, and accessible representative to his or her constituents in order to gather, share, and advocate community sentiments on what will benefit our students and better prepare them for the future they will inherit.

· Remember that one’s duty is to set policy, not run the day-to day business of the district. For that there is a superintendent and an administrative team.

· Appoint and evaluate the superintendent and the treasurer.

9. What evidence do you believe shows the Worthington Schools are adequately, or inadequately, preparing students for their lives after graduation?

After all of the previous discussion of budget cuts, the effects both positive and negative of NCLB, and the Ohio Core, etc., it is a relief to be able to talk about the evidence that shows how well Worthington Schools are preparing students for their lives after graduation. Six consecutive years of perfect scores on the state report card is truly something to be proud of, but it surely would not have happened were it not for the contributions for 14 Worthington teachers who earned National Board Certification over the past eight years, 15 if June Donmoyer, who moved away, is included. Nor would it have happened were it not for the solid foundation laid by excellent schools. Evening Street Elementary School earned the district’s seventh Blue Ribbon designation from the US Department of Education this school year.

Other contributing factors include the school district’s attendance rate, which has held steady the past 3 years between 95.7% and 95.8%. Such a high rate of attendance indicates that students want to be in school and find it valuable. The graduation rate is no less impressive, having improved from 96.6% to 97.9% between 2004 and 2006.

Looking at independent measures not reported by the state at the high school level, the number of Advanced Placement Scholars (Scholars, Scholars with Honor, Scholars with Distinction, and National Scholars) at both high schools has grown 43% in the past four years, from a total of 97 in 2003 to a total of 139 in 2006. Twenty-three students were 2006 National Merit Semifinalists, 6 were National Merit Finalists, 24 were National Merit Commended Scholars, 3 earned National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalist status, and 7 were named Ohio Academic Scholars. On SATs and ACTs alike students consistently score well above state and national averages.

Post high school plans of the combined classes of 2006 indicate more than 93% planned to attend a college, university, or technical institute following graduation. One of the high schools reported that scholarships and financial aid totaling nearly $5.5 million were offered to their senior class. Approximately 6% entered the military. An additional 6% planned to enter full-time employment and only 1% remained undecided.

More than 75% of Worthington’s high school students participate in co-curricular activities, which include more than 40 clubs and performance groups, 29 varsity sports, plus school newspapers and yearbooks. In 2006, students took first in the Ohio State Tournament of Mathematics, first in the State of Ohio Math League, first in the National Chemistry test, first and second at the regional Science Olympiad, exhibited at the National Scholastic Art Competition, earned superior ratings at the state level in marching band, and won state honors in track and field and cross-country, to name but a few of the many success stories experienced by students at both high schools.

With this limited list of accomplishments, it is easy to see that Worthington students have been given many tools to succeed as they move on to post secondary endeavors.

(Source: WS Board Minutes; TWHS & WKHS profiles for 2005-06)

Respectfully submitted,

Robert E. Robison, Ph.D.

WORTHINGTON BOARD OF EDUCATION