Thank you Worthington Voters!

The first question my kids asked when they woke up this morning was whether the levy passed. Levy Issue 49 passed 59% to 41%. They celebrated with whoops and hollers!

I'm thrilled that a majority of voters see the inherent value of supporting our schools. Thank you Worthington Voters!

Remember to Vote for Issue 49 tomorrow!!!!

It's easy to forget when election day comes around, so remember that tomorrow is the big one. Be sure to organize your day so that you have time to visit the polls. There are lots of important issues on the ballot this fall, and we really need your support for your schools and the children of Worthington! And please remind everyone else you know to get out and vote!

Thanks for visiting the blog this fall!

A Little Night Music?

My 5th grader has been running around loudly humming a number of classical melodies lately. She recites funny little poems about great classical composers and keeps referring to "A Little Night Music."  "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, is it mom?" "Can we get some Mozart on disc mom? I really love this music."

Now, the surprise for me here is that she's been playing piano for several years and hearing classical music at home, but has never, not until this year, expressed an interest in this music. And to hear her tell it, this new engagement with classical music is attributable to one, school-related, levy-related program - ELEMENTARY MUSIC.

When I think about the ways that this experience widens her perspective, it brings a great deal of satifaction to me. Classical music... Foreign Language... History... Systems (yes, a symphony is a system). This is the kind of education that results in children who are engaged in learning and exploration. Very exciting. Don't let these programs die! VOTE FOR  49!!

Get Out the Vote Effort: Sunday, November 1

It's crunch time with the Issue 49 campaign, with less than two weeks to go.   We are on a roll, but we need your help to finish with 50 plus 1 percent of the vote.

If you support this levy, now is the time to act.

We need volunteers for:   GOTV - or Get Out The Vote!
Sunday, November 1   11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

We need approximately140 walkers who can givetwo hours of their time, any time during the five hours scheduled. Walk the neighborhoods and hit the supportive voters one last time before November 3rd.   Start at the Worthington Education building, pick up your map, addresses and literature then drive to your assigned precinct area. Great exercise, and more fun with a friend.


THIS IS STRICTLY A LIT DROP- YOU DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU WANT TO DO SO!

Rockbridge Academy - A Second Chance for At-Risk Students

I realize I have neglected to write for a while - sorry it has taken me so long to get back to the blog!

For students who require an expulsion alternative, Rockbridge Academy provides a place where they can receive the appropriate mental health counseling, when indicated, and keep up with their academics.

This program provides a safety net for those kids most at-risk for dropping out of school, once they have gotten into trouble. It serves not only kids in Worthington, but also surrounding communities who pay the district to serve students in other districts who could benefit from it.

From an individual perspective, this program can have success with kids who need a second chance. Imagine if just a few of these kids got back into school via this program and finished their high school education. It would make a huge difference for these individuals and this program does have success with students. Discontinuing the program leaves very few options for those kids who have challenges functioning in the general high school environment.

From a societal perspective,  there are bigger, consequences for discontinuing the program. For every kid who drops out, the risk for either getting into further trouble or needing to rely on public assistance to get by increases. The cost is far less to reach out and help these students stay in school with Rockbridge Academy.

The Bottom Line - Defeat will surely impact property values

For those opposed to the school levy, arguments trend toward a desire to keep taxes in check. In other words, to keep money in the pockets of the homeowners in the school district. However, a more compelling argument can be made that by supporting a strong school system, by voting FOR the levy, in fact, you are voting to protect and improve property values and thus ensure that the investment residents have made in their community will one day pay off. When property owners go to sell their homes, not only is it easier to attract buyers in a great school district, they can command a higher price for their property. "In terms of quality rankings, excellence at the elementary and high school levels has the strongest impact on property values."

For those unconvinced that the programs at risk are important, you can be sure that parents looking to move to a new community highly value these programs and are willing to pay higher prices for a house to get them. When the high quality of education goes elsewhere, so will home buyers.You will surely benefit from listing Worthington Schools on your property sheet, so long as they have the funds to stay strong.

Voting against Issue 49 denies  schools the funds they needs to maintain the excellence they have worked so hard to achieve, and that has come to contribute to the perception that Worthington is a superb community in which to live. We don't want to be in the same place as Grove City homeowners two years from now.

Middle Schoolers Need Guidance

Middle school - collective groan. Adolescence--Can we fast forward yet? Most of us remember the awkward changes, the increasingly complex social navigation, and the struggles to stay focused in school amid all of the pressures of passing through the middle school years. And let's admit that rarely are they fond memories.

For those of us who had added stresses, such as divorces, moves, learning disabilities, or poverty, sometimes the only respite was getting to the guidance counselor (or being sent) and finding someone who would listen and offer strategies for making it through.

 The middle school years are often a defining moment in a person's life; it is a time when children make choices about their paths and most need guidance. When they lack that guidance at home, for whatever reason,  school is plan B. Outside of home, it's the place they spend most of their time and will find people who care.While guidance counselors are not social workers, one of their functions is to support students as they make their way through school.

I would imagine that guidance counselors in middle school attend to problems today that are far more complex than they were twenty or thirty years ago. They help children sort out their problems as well as support their wise choices.

Our children cannot do without nor should they have to do without the safety net provided by middle school guidance counselors. But this is what could happen should the levy not pass in November. One of the slated cuts is middle school guidance counselors.

On the Chopping Block: Librarians?!?

One would think that in a strong school district, the elementary school librarian would be sacred. After all, the librarian is the gatekeeper to the world of literature that is going to engage and excite and inspire children. The librarian guides her students, enthusiastic and reluctant alike, to just the right book that will meet their interests or needs. The librarian knows important things, like that Elena and Georgia like mysteries, and Anders only likes to read nonfiction books about fish. The librarian is there to help develop in students a love of reading and to manage the resources that students need to learn.

But that’s only HALF of the picture in 2009. That’s because the librarian is also a media specialist, the person who is helping our children prepare for the ever-expanding demands of a digital world.  In the media lab, children learn how to use the computer to record and track data, to organize information to make presentations, to write and manage text.   How can we expect to help students develop their full potential to be leaders in the 21^st century without a Media Specialist guiding the way?

The librarian helps our children develop information literacy. From the ALA:

What is Information Literacy? Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques.

Do we honestly think we can manage without a librarian in elementary school libraries???

Help Pass the Levy - Let Me Count the Ways

If you are not sure how you can help the School levy pass, there are many ways you can help.

Adopt a Voter Nights (2 nights)
Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 4-8 p.m.at Worthington Kilbourne H.S. Cafeteria
OR
Thursday, Oct.1, from 4-8 p.m. at Thomas Worthington H.S. Cafeteria
Drop in, adopt nine (9) voters from the lists provided to contact during the next few days, send them a Dear Friend postcard after initial contact, phone on November 2 to remind them to vote, help them get to the polls, if needed.

Literature Distribution and Neighborhood Canvassing
Saturday, October 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Target areas that have supported past levies by distributing literature and talking with residents. Much more fun with a friend along!

Levy Signs
Put a Support the Levy (Issue 49) sign in your yard.

And as always, visit Celebrate Worthington to find out about more opportunities.

EPP - What's that you say?

Imagine if each day you went to school, you had to sit through lessons focused on skills or information that you had already obtained. What would you do? Zone out? Daydream? Become frustrated and possibly cynical? Basically, you would disengage from your classroom. That's more or less what happens when we ask gifted students to sit through classes that are far below their academic or intellectual level.

EPP -- also know as the Extended Projects Program - is offered to students from the third grade on in Worthington. If the levy does not pass, these classes will be eliminated from elementary grades.

All students deserve to be challenged at a level that is appropriate. Elementary school children, in particular, need to know that school is a place where they will be appropriately challenged so that they see the value in applying themselves each and every day. So that they, in fact, love school and can develop their gifts appropriately.

From the report, The Support Worthington’s Extended Projects Program (SWEPP) Position Paper on A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students

Educating students involves offering differentiated and often individualized educational opportunities, resources, and encouragement. EPP and AP courses are well-established means of educating gifted students. Gifted students with the capability and motivation to success in placements beyond traditional age/grade parameters should be offered such opportunities.

Elementary Strings and Band - Save the Music

Elementary Strings and Band are on the chopping block if the levy does not pass.

What our children will no longer be learning:
Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, Saxophone, Trumpet, Tuba, Trombone

What our children may miss without music education:

• 20% higher math and English scores
• increased motivation
• better attitudes about school
• team-building skills
• creativity
  

Music education is often the first to be cut; yet, research shows that it contributes positively to a bevy of academic indicators such as achievement in math and English, attitudes towards school, graduation rates motivation, and the list goes on and on. There are real, concrete, academic outcomes from music education. And, of course, we benefit from it culturally and personally.

My fifth grader just picked up her first string instrument this year and the sense of excitement and determination on her face when she plucked that first note and drew the bow across the strings was palpable. The instrument probably won't be easy for her, but  if she sticks to it, she'll be motivated by the music she's eeking out of it and learn that persistence pays off.

I can't imagine not having these programs in a district like Worthington. The schools were a primary reason we chose to move here one year ago. We looked in Bexley and Upper Arlington and determined that Worthington schools offered as much. We chose to move here because of  the excellent schools. This is not about us, but about reasons that Worthington remains a desirable community in which to live. You can expect it to become less desirable when the community no longer supports the schools.

Some facts to chew on:

A 1996 Gallup Poll revealed that 96% of Americans believe that music is a key component to a child's well-rounded education.

Teachers rate arts-rich schools higher on affiliation, student support, professional interest, teacher innovativeness, and resource adequacy than systems with poor arts programs.

From: "Learning In and Through the Arts: The Question of Transfer," Judith M. Burton, Robert Horowitz, and Hal Abeles, Studies in Art Education, 2000, 41(3): 228-257

The YouthARTS Development Project conducted a study in 2000 of at-risk youth in Atlanta, Portland, and San Antonio. It found that arts participants had an increase in positive attitudes regarding school, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.

From: (2000). "Youth Demonstrating Effective Communication Skills: Pre- vs. Post-YouthARTS Program." Americans for the Arts. 

Worthington Teachers Accept Pay Freeze - Not the Reason to Vote for the Levy

For the record, teachers in Worthington deserved every hard-earned penny of their raises. Let's hope the economy improves and we can all return to a state of reason. The big question is: Will  the naysayers be mollified?

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Worthington teachers accept pay freeze

Monday,  September 14, 2009 11:59 PM

By Dean Narciso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Worthington school board members voted 4-1 tonight to approve a one-year wage freeze for district teachers, calling the concession "very much appreciated" and "a good first step." The freeze affects the base salaries of more than 700 teachers in the district and will save $2.4 million next year. That's half of the $4.8 million shortfall expected even if a Nov. 3 operating levy passes.But the union deal does not change the "step" increases intended to encourage younger teachers to remain in the district, said Pete Scully, president of the Worthington Education Association.
Roughly 60 percent of Worthington teachers receive step increases, which average almost 2 percent a year, said Jeff McCuen, the district's treasurer.
McCuen, along with Superintendent Melissa Conrath and several dozen other administrators, agreed to salary freezes earlier this year, saving the district about $95,000 a year.
If the Nov. 3 levy fails, the district plans to make $15 million in cuts, including eliminating busing for high-school students, cutting 125 teachers, administrators and support staff members, and ending field trips and some other programs.

If the proposed 6.9-mill incremental operating levy is approved, it will raise taxes in three phases: 3.9 mills would be collected in 2010, an additional 1.5 mills in 2011, and another 1.5 mills in 2012. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay $119 more in taxes in 2010, then an additional $46 in each of the next two years.
Asked if the wage freeze - the first for teachers since 1995 - was more symbolic than sustainable because of the November levy and uncertain economy, Scully replied, "For us to be in session Aug. 24 and have a ratified package on Sept. 1 is a pretty clear indication that our membership felt like something should happen."
Board members agreed.
Member Julie Keegan called the concession "an acknowledgement that we're all in this together."
The decision is one "that we as a board will never regret," said Charlie Wilson.
"It's a good first step in looking at long-term expenses," said board member Jennifer Best.
But board member Marc Schare roundly rejected the agreement, stating that contract decisions shouldn't be rushed.
"To say that this action has not been thoroughly vetted would be an understatement," he said.
Board President David Bressman answered some critics who said teachers are overpaid by noting that spouses of teachers have lost jobs and are suffering.
"It will never be enough for some folks," Bressman said. To them, "it will always be something else."
Superintendent Conrath applauded the union's move.
"It takes a collective effort to make the budget cuts that we have had to make," she said. "I'm very proud of that cooperation."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

(I am not a teacher nor am I married to one. I just know that most teachers work incredibly hard at their jobs.)

Excellent with Distinction

Although this isn't exactly news, the Worthington School District is rated "Excellent;" and it's not just Excellent but Excellent with Distinction!  This rating speaks to the fact that the staff, teachers, and students have demonstrated the top performance rating, despite spending less per student than Columbus, Upper Arlington, Bexley, and Grandview.

In case you haven't read it.

Here is the press release from the WSD:

On Tuesday, August 25, the Ohio Department of Education will release the 2009 Report Card data for all Ohio school districts. The report card is one way to review how well students are doing compared to state academic standards.

 

We have much to celebrate in Worthington. A summary of the report card is as follows:

 

The district met 29 out of 30 standards

The overall district rating is Excellent with Distinction

The measure of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was met in every subgoup area

The overall value-added was above the expected growth

Performance Index Score was 102.6

 

For more information about the district's results or to view an individual building's report, please visit :

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDefaultPage.aspx?page=1 

 

50 Days and Counting

This blog is here to to detail many (not all) of the reasons why citizens in Worthington, Ohio should support the school levy that will be on the ballot on November 3, 2009. It would be difficult to verbalize all of the reasons that Worthington Schools deserve our support, but I'll do my best.

The district came out with its "hit" list last week of what will be cut pending failure of the levy. You can find it here. The district gave us a concrete plan for how they will manage with less money and all I can say is, it ain't pretty. There are 38 items on the list and I would like to discuss most if not all. These are the concrete cuts, the tangible losses faced by students.

But let's imagine that there are more than concrete cuts at stake. Let's imagine that the perception of the school district by prospective residents and businesses is at stake. Let's imagine that community support for the teachers and schools that educate our children is at stake. Most importantly, let's imagine that a child's perception of the value of education is at stake.

Let's just imagine that the levy will have both tangible and intangible after effects. And let's think about what is at stake this November. Our kids deserve our support; they are our first and most important reason to vote FOR  the levy.