is what i do

FRIENDS,

I have just completed my research on the Bd. of Education election. On Tuesday, one of the important choices you will have to make is to select four Bd. of Ed. members. Below, my four picks, the lay of the land as I see it, and the background of recent developments in Cincinnati Public Schools.

The short version is: I like Rosa Blackwell as superintendent of CPS (even though I don’t like Ken), and I like Harriet Russel for re-election, and Cathy Ingram for re-election because they support Rosa. I also like Susan Cranley and Bill Haase, two non-incumbents.

Although the other two candidates, Melanie Bates and Eileen Cooper-Reed are people I like very much personally, I will not be voting for them because I see them as hostile to the aims and work of the Board in recent years, which h as been so productive (except for the most unfortunate two year tenancy of Alton Frailey, the previous superintendent.)

Background: The existing board, 7 people, includes three people who will sit for another two years (not up for re-election this year) who are: John Gilligan, Florence Newell, and Rick Williams. It also includes four people whose seats are to be determined in this election. One of these, Sally Warner, is not running again, having served diligently for 25 years as parent watchdog at the Board meetings, and for a number of years now, as Board member. . The others, who are running to be re-elected for 4 year terms, are Harriet Russel, Walnut Hills retired teacher much loved by good students, Cathy Ingram, and Melanie Bates.

So, the candidates running for the two seats of Bates and Warner are: Bates herself, Eileen Cooper-Reed, Bill Haase, and Susan Cranley.

History: Some years ago, in recognition of the dire straits of Cinti. Public Schools, then-Assistant Superintendent Rosa Blackwell collaborated with others in framing a plan for a New Day for CPS, including such things as teacher-quality pay incentives, a smorgasbord of tasty magnet high school programs, team teaching, and elimination of “tracking” where the “slow” students were segregated from the “bright” students. All of these things seem good to me. This plan was to prepare our kids for a new kind of society where the skilled blue collar jobs have evaporated. Whereas before that happened, we expected 20% of our students to go on to college, now we need to aim for 80% going to college where they will be prepared for highly skilled positions. This thunderous change is the result of automation and job outsourcing. By and large, the jobs today are either high-skill high-education jobs (medicine, law, science, technology, management …) or dishwasher. (Or penitentiary inmate, an ever growing career path thanks to the “war on drugs”– but don’t get me started.)

So “The Plan” was designed to increase the numbers of kids graduating from High School and going on to high-skill jobs or college. Now. Did you think that the track record for CPS recently was bad news? I sort of had that impression. Not so! Five years ago only 51% of our high school students were graduating. Each of these last years the numbers have jumped, and now are a whopping 76%! My impression was that in the 50’s nearly everyone graduated from high school. That is not correct. My impression was that sixty years ago most Americans were literate but now illiteracy is growing. Not correct either. Today we track these failures better and have more accurate data and care about it more. The 76% graduation rate is the highest we have ever had. Kids are staying in school and getting better skills.

We have had a massive restructuring of our high school program, thanks to the “plan” and the excellent leadership of Steve Adamowsky. We have many very tasty special high school programs and kids decide at the end of eighth grade where they want to go. In addition to the famous ones, Walnut Hills and Clark Montessori, there are:

• At Withrow, the International Academy including International Baccalaureate Program, International Law Program, English as a Second Language program and others…
• At Western Hills the Design Technology program with Chris Smitherman’s dad as principle (this is like engineering),
• Informaton Technology at Taft, where students can get good jobs on graduation in programing and computer repair
• At Hughes six programs: Teacher preparation, Communications, Health careers, Paidea, Math and Science, and the Zoo program.
• And Three “University Schools” designed to help children of families who have never gone to college before, do so with special supports and encouragement in cahoots with XU and UC etc.

Having picked their high school program kids tend to stay in school much more and to graduate. This is great news.

Alton Frailey was the superintendent for two years, before Rosa Blackwell took over, and he was a disaster, dismantling some of the reforms. But Rosa is into going back to the Plan, and is for the most part doing a good job. One thing she has done that is not so great is to hire teachers for the Montessori programs who do not have certification in Montessori education. The Montessori parents are angry about that, and are sponsoring a special forum discussion of all the candidates this Thursday Nov 3, at XU, Alter Hall, Kelly Auditorium, at 7:00. (Go to the kiosk at the Dana Ave. Entry, just off Victory Parkway, and ask for directions.) A good turn-out for this forum would be a great support for the Montessori Parents group and let you see the candidates.

Why not Bates and Reed?

Two of the candidates, Melanie Bates and Eileen Cooper-Reed worked last year AGAINST the renewal levy, which passed nonetheless. They are supported in their campaign by the “CBC” or the “Cincinnati Business Committee”, the “Big White Boys Club” including the CEOs of the top 25 businesses in the city. OK, they do have ONE African American and ONE woman, but these are the movers and shakers in Cincinnati. I don’t trust ‘em. This is P&G, Toyota, U.C., 5/3 Bank, US Bank, etc. I tend to see local politics as “the people vs. the giant robots” and these guys are the tools of the giant robot corporations. They want increasing profits for next quarter, not prosperity next year, or prosperity in ten years, or what is good for the people. Giant robots be dumb. Make short sighted, shoot-yourself-in-the-foot decisions. And they are enormously powerful. Dollars. (So shoot me for reductionistic thinking.)

I know (slightly) Melanie Bates … a very peppy, charismatic, smart gal, her youngest child is in high school now. At a CPS school. I like her tremendously. Just saw her at the NAACP banquet. But I figure she isn’t going to support Rosa and the Plan, and it seemed strange that she did not support the levy renewal last year.

I also know (slightly) Eileen Cooper-Reed, a delightful, energetic African-American leader, former local head of the Children’s Defense Fund, until she was fired. I really enjoy her tremendously. I had hoped she would serve on the MLK Coalition, and she did come to one meeting in May, but then disappeared. I know of a public event that she helped to plan and lead that really wasn’t very well planned or led. This is slight evidence. However, my sources suggest to me that she is not going to support Rosa and the Plan. Her campaign is funded by the CBC.

Both Bates and Reed seem to be in cahoots with Board member Rick Williams, who has been in bed with the CBC and not helping Rosa Blackwell.

Bill Haase. He is a parent. He doesn’t know a helluva lot about the Board’s work. He is a Republican. However, he is smart about finances, and this would help. And we believe he would support Rosa and the Plan.

Susan Cranley is the mother of council member John Cranley. She has the Democratic Party endorsement. She is also partly funded by the CBC (giant robots). But she is very knowledgeable. She is librarian at one of the public schools. A bit strident in tone, (”The Board MUST do such and such…”) and possibly not a good “team player”, nevertheless she seems to be her own person and would support CPS and the Plan.

Hope this is helpful to you. Look for my City Council picks, to come.

Hugs,

Ellen