See below for questions on restoring schools, charter schools, special needs students

Click on a name for other candidate information.

Answer from Louis C. Buschle:

"CPS must show results! Students achievement needs to be higher and the district must do significantly better on the Ohio proficiency tests. The CPS Board also needs to produce results. The Board of Education should be more responsive to the community and take the lead in lobbying for changes in school funding. The school buildings must be repaired and renovated after years of neglect. The Board must find a solution."

Answer from Florence Newell:

"Facilitate greater community involvement in school board decisions. Find more ways to inform the public, not just parents, of the progress and needs of schools.

Compile, analyze and report information from exit interviews from parents who leave the district. If appropriate, utilize the information in establishing educational goals and policies.

Implement teacher assessment through which competencies can be demonstrated. Enable teachers to establish individual professional development goals that foster increased students academic achievement."

Answer from John J. Gilligan:

"A persistent campaign will be required in the Cincinnati Public Schools. I don't think the job can be done by further budget cuts to demonstrate frugality and responsibility.

We have to consider all the other extremely powerful educational influences, other than schools, which are shaping the lives and attitudes of these young people, and what can be done to modify their influence."

Answer from Rick Williams:

"Improve student achievement for all students. Make changes in schools where achievement is not improving. Involve parents and community more in school based management. Respond to what the community wants: better neighborhood schools and more sites for successful magnet programs. Create more opportunities for communities to use school. facilities such as social service agencies and adult education."

Answer from Roy McGrath:

"To slow down flight of motivated students from leaving CinP bSch, there is needed an incentive system for teachers to (see Paul Hill-Urban Schools) work on class size for effectiveness and not try to batch-process students as if they were cattle/commodity. Pay/bonus incentives!"

Answer from Art Hull:

"Improve student achievement. Insure safe, orderly, and adequate environment."

Answer from Florence Newell:

The Charter School Policy adopted by the Board of Education lays the groundwork for the district to grant contracts to independent charter schools within the district. The policy provides for "new start-up schools" and "conversion schools" which will be granted and renewed on the bases of a negotiated conract for student performance consistent with the School Accountability Plan. The district sponsored schools will conform to the high academic standards of the district. Cincinnati Public Schools will see an immediate effect fo the opening of private community schools through the reduction in enrollment of the students who will attend the state sponsored community (charter) schools. The per-pupil budget for schools will also be impacted by the loss of students. The decreased number of students could seriously impact allocations for small schools and neighborhood schools which could result in additional cuts at the school level.

Answer from Louis C. Buschle:

Charter schools could have a positive effect on CPS. In the business world competition generally is healthy and encourages everyone to do a better job. Charter schools will force CPS to be more accountable because if CPS does not improve, declining enrollment will accelerate. On the negative side, charter schools will significantly reduce revenue, as Ohio student funding will go to charter schools. This could lead to moe neighborhood public school closings. It is too soon to know the long-term effects on CPS. Suffice to say that if CPS continues to improve it should withstand the threat from charter schools.

Answer from Rick Williams:

They will provide a mechanism for testing ides outside the current barriers of bureaucrcy. They will give CPS an opportunity to create a better charter alternative than the State charters. They can offer families an education alternative that is "outside the box" of standard education programs.

Answer from Art Hull:

Reduce student head count at CPS. Give the public another option.

Answer from John J. Gilligan:

It depends on how these schools are chartered, how they are supervised, and to whom they are accountable. If they receive public funding they should be accountable to some public authority. If they are to serve as complements, and useful additions, to the public schools it seems clear that they should operate under the authority of the Cincinnati Board of Education. If they are to be authorized and supervised by some state office, it would seem to be extremely difficult to be sure that they are partmers, not competitors, with the public school system in order to foster competition, the end result could be a disaster for the public schools and for all the children of the Cincinnati school district.

Answer from Roy McGrath:

Community/ charter schools in Ohio as well as Cincinnati Public School District will improve with competition- we can do it cheaper and more effective- efficiently if we realize that outside the district programs can cut union restraints, administrators hurdles and give more "in-school home work", not just take home home work.

Answer from John J. Gilligan:

I have no detailed knowldege of the current situation, but generally speaking such services are quite expensive, and when efforts are being made to reduce expenditures across the board by the school district, it would seem to be exceedingly difficult to fund adequately both the regular school program, and special programs such as those designed to meet the needs of these special students. One group or the other is almost certain to be short-changed.

Answer from Florence Newell:

Student First calls for developing a comprehensive plan for improving special education. In addition, special education students are included in regular classrooms as much as possible while still meeting their educational needs. With this mainstreaming model, it is essential that classroom teachers receive additional training to ehlp better prepare them to meet the educational needs of students with special needs. It is also important for special education teachers to share their expertise with classroom teachers. The teaching teams need to make sure that each student's progress is monitored and evaluated.

Answer from Art Hull:

Relatively adequate; financial limitations always be the critical factor.

Answer from Louis C. Buschle:

Although I do not have first-hand knowledge of the adequacy of services for special needs students, I can say I have heard mixed opinions. CPS had requested help with an evaluation of these services, which led to the formation of a task force comprised of several interested agencies. The evaluation was contained in a report that was provided to CPS in late 1998. According to a member of the task force the report contained several specific recommendations. Some of which have already been acted upon and others which have not. In summary, I would say CPS is not completely in compliance with its own rules but there is sincere effort to get to that point.

Answer from Roy McGrath:

No data available on this Special Education but is state and federally funded so not a part of levie argument/ promotion and is good career-track for teachers who are in lifetime teaching, not until gets married and have 1st child of their own and stay home.

Answer from Rick Williams:

The district acknowledges that additional funding is required to offer the services to special needs students. This is evident in their site-based budgeting formulas. While there are mechanisms in place to evaluate the physical and educational services required, there is not always the funding available to meet the needs. The district must evaluate the best way to maximize dollars available for student services.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.