Toledo Public Schools

Cleveland Plain Dealer - September 9, 2008
In this era of academic accountability, the test scores of thousands of Ohio public-school students are being left behind.
The districts they attended collected state money for their education.
They took the appropriate state achievement and graduation tests.

With spirit comparable to the young, energetic cheerleaders, Toledo Public Schools Superintendent John Foley blew his whistle, twirled his baton, and marched with a large, black-feathered Busby hat to rally community support for his schools.

He was a cheerleader at the last levy kickoff and couldn’t do that again.

This is an interesting development:

Toledo Public Schools' chief business manager is leaving the district at the end of the month to run his consulting firm full time.

Ron Victor, who has been with the district since January, 2007, has decided to resign from TPS to devote his energy to Leadership Ideas, a consulting firm he started four years ago.

The African American Parents' Association is having an Informational Forum for parents, students and community members who are interested in learning how to advocate for keeping students in school as opposed to suspensions, expulsions and removals.
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August 26, 2008 - The Toledo Public Schools today announced that they reached the Continuous Improvement (CI) designation with a Performance (PI) Index of 80.1. The PI was just barely above the minimum 80 required for a CI designation. The change over last year was 1 point or 1.26% increase. more...

by Warren Woodberry
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Read about this cool program:
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Josh Sandwisch of Toledo, Ohio says the experience allows him to offer more than a lesson plan to his students.

Thursday July 24, 2008 - 9:00 AM - in front of Scott High School*- 2400
Collingwood Blvd.
Save Our Scott (SOS) will hold a press conference in front of Scott High
School (Collingwood Blvd. Side) to publicize our efforts to save Scott, and
to make the community aware of what will happen if Scott is not renovated. We
will ask the public to sign our petition, and list the ways in which they

Ok, so yesterday around noon, I used the TPS Web contact form and asked a simple question on if there is a regularly scheduled meeting this month. Well I have not heard a response from TPS. You can watch the counter on the right to see how long it takes TPS to answer a question from their Web site.

TPS is not responding to ABLE's request:

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Inc. yesterday filed a lawsuit in Lucas County Common Pleas Court against Toledo Public Schools Superintendent John Foley seeking public information.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/NEWS02/84...

I ask this question because back on 6/17 I asked TPS for a quote/plan for Scott High School. The answer I got is they would prepare something, I have yet to see something.

TPS will be talking more about Scott High School and the building plan at their meeting tomorrow night. If you did not hear Eye on Toledo last Thursday, you can learn more about Scott High School and what is going on there by listening to the recently posted podcast on the Eye on Toledo site.

http://www.wspd.com/main.html

Pickett Elementary School in central Toledo will be given a new set of teachers and administrators next school year in hopes of improving its chronic under performance and complying with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Superintendent John Foley announced yesterday.

I don't think WTOL should be congratulating Foley on the nice move on restructuring the three schools. They should be asking "What took so long?" A year ago I mentioned the district was in violation of the federal law for not making changes at these schools, which was a year late at that time. I also wonder if it was not an issue last year, if we would be hearing this announcement this week.

Troy talks to Bob Vasquez and Bob Reinbolt about Marina District tax-revenue plan that was rejected by TPS. Also, Lisa Sobecki explains the changes at Pickett Elementary School.

Interview Highlights:

Bob Vasquez Interview

The actions of the Toledo Public Schools these past two weeks has been anything but exemplary. Let’s start with the Start High school graduation. The Start graduates were given instructions concerning graduation that included the following. “This is still a school event and a dignified ceremony, not a ball game. No gestures, dancing, hand signs, hooting, hollering, yelling.

From the better late than never files:

WTOL reported today TPS is finally doing what they should of done with Pickette, Fulton, and Chase.

Read about it at:
Bad grades set 3 TPS schools on new paths
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=8429616

Read:
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/NEWS04/707260...

The latest edweek.org rankings are out and TPS's graduation rate is rated at 44.2%. They use the different equation to figure this out by seeing how many people who start high school, versus graduate high school. According to the Gates Foundation and edweek.org, 55.8% of TPS students don't graduate. What do you think?

As most would know I have attended Toledo Public School Board meetings for over ten years. When Pete Silverman was president he called me names from his seat as president, I had been silenced when Larry Sykes was the president, and now that Steve Steel is president the rule is that if I ask a question the board members just look at me and don’t say a word.

Education is a hot topic for Toledo and Troy gets the newsmakers. Here is a collection of today’s interviews that cover the Marina District project and fact finder report.

Darlene Fisher

There is a phrase that I have heard tossed around by a few candidates last year and repeated today, which I wonder why it is ever said:

"When you bargain collectively, particularly in Ohio, you give and take," Mr. Ford said.

I can't believe this :)
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My nephew has an IEP. TPS broke IDEA( Ind. with Disabilites Act) by writing the IEP ( Ind. Education Plan) and not contacting my sister or going through all three steps. Long story but is sister is not a strong advocate. But on this one they NEVER contacted her that I or she knows of and never wrote a letter or visited as is written in the statue.

Troy and Chris chat about the TPS boards’ decision to vote on the fact-finder report Friday. On the other hand, Lisa is a little more reserved with her comments.

Are they just going to rubber stamp it just to avoid a strike during the school year, or for personal gain?

Chris Myers