Political Philosophy for Ed Acheson

Candidate for
Board Member; Forest Hills Local School District

We have a lot to be proud of in Forest Hills. Our school district is one of only five Hamilton County districts to be rated by the state as "effective" based on the preliminary trend report data. We did this while keeping our general fund spending per pupil lower than 17 of the 22 Hamilton County school districts. We achieved this by keeping the percentage spent on instruction at the third highest in the county and keeping the percentage spent on administration at the second lowest rate in the county.

Where do we go from here? We continue to improve. We make Forest Hills the standard against which the other districts are compared. That is why I am running for the Forest Hills School Board. Since June, 1997, I have attended almost all of the school board meetings in order to stay current on the issues facing the district and the board's decisions and policies. What I have learned from attending the meetings and talking to the district's teachers and parents has led me to what I am committed to do.

My yard signs say "Smaller Class Size" at the top. I am committed to reducing class size at all grade levels so teachers can provide every student with effective instruction and individual attention. Smaller class size will help guarantee that the middle group of "average" students receives the same amount of attention and quality of instruction as other student groups specifically protected by government mandates. Smaller class size will help our teachers enable our students to reach their full potential. Smaller class size allows for more individual student development and more extensive academic coaching. Smaller class size allows for a more effective classroom experience for each student.

I am committed to keeping the board focused on basics of educating students, rather than being diverted to peripheral issues. Delivering quality education in the classroom has to be the foundation of our district. Each board member needs to have first hand knowledge of what is going on in the classroom. I intend to take a close, hands on look at the district's curriculum and text books, the day to day challenges that face teachers, proficiency performance and implementation of policies. I plan to study and research the data underlying the reports summarized by the administration at the board meetings.

I am committed to improving two way communication between board members and the Forest Hills community. I want to increase the opportunities for board members to interact with the community by regular attendance at meetings of parent groups such as PTAs, Boosters, FHIMA, etc., so the board will have first hand knowledge of what these groups are doing and thinking. I want the district to establish a regular column in the local newspapers. I will make sure that significant communication efforts occur continuously.