My views of what Cincinnati Schools need

By Alan S. Coleman

"Ï Parents must be made to feel welcome in our schools, and encouraged to be active participants in the school community, not just as volunteers, but to serve on LSDMC and ILT committees

"Ï Parents should be made aware of all their children¡¦s educational options

"Ï Discipline in the schools should be uniform throughout the district

"Ï Students must learn to accept responsibility for their own actions or inactions.

"Ï .We are preparing students not just academically, but to take their places in society as responsible citizens and productive workers.

"Ï Special needs children are too often mainstreamed when they are not ready to do so. Special needs students are often tossed aside and left to fend for themselves

"Ï Teachers other than special education teachers, need training in how to successfully educate special needs children when they are mainstreamed

"Ï Every student in the district should be able to have the same instructional opportunities within their schools that students in the magnet schools do.

"Ï Eliminate the disparity of funds between magnet and neighborhood schools

"Ï All high school students must have available to them extra and co-curricular activities, such as band, choir and drama.

"Ï It is imperative that we find ways to involve parents in the educational process. In schools where there is a high level of parent involvement, there is also a high level of achievement

"Ï Decisions that affect students, teachers, and parents should be made at the school level. Too often, mandates are given from central office, and then the school community is then asked for their input. I would like to see more ideas generated from the ground up, rather than flow from the top down.

"Ï We must find additional ways to offer incentives to encourage teachers to live within the school district. Expanding the American Dream homeowners program would be a great place to start.

"Ï One of the major flaws in the TES is that teachers are being evaluated by other educators who have no knowledge of the subject that they are observing teachers in. The program must be modified so that evaluators are persons who have worked in that content area.

"Ï Too much of the TES is based on paperwork and not on actual teaching. The program should be revised to reflect more of what is going on in the classroom than on paper "Ï I am very concerned about what type of education will be available to students who are not interested in the re-design model schools. Almost all of the re-design initiatives are geared toward college or technology of some sort. What will happen to those students who just want to have a regular high school education?