Wednesday, March 29, 2000
Covington schools prepare for audit
Review to check its academics
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — State officials will meet with Covington school educators today to outline plans for a full-scale scholastic and management “audit” of the district's eight schools.
Jim Parks, an Education Department spokesman, said Covington schools are clearly in need of help. The audit will be structured to fit the school district's needs, he said.
The audit process will begin at the end of April, after students finish taking the Kentucky Core Content tests.
“Instead of waiting until September, when we get the final test data, our interest is to start now and get some things started now,” Mr. Parks said.
Superintendent James Kemp said Tuesday he is not sure how long the audit will take, but the results and recommendations should be available in time for the district to plan the 2000-2001 school year, Mr. Kemp said.
The Covington Board of Education voted March 24 to conduct the audit after a state Education Department report released last week pointed out problems with the schools' teaching and overall organization. The report also recommended ways to fix those problems.
Since February, Mr. Kemp and state Education Department officials have been talking about an in-depth examination of the school district. And a group of Covington administrators met two weeks ago with Tom Peterson, of the state department's Office of Special Instructional Services, to plan today's meeting.
As the district moves ahead with its plans, some parents and residents say they remain concerned about some statements made at last week's board meeting.
A group of parents Tuesday asked for copies of a statement read by Linda Fries, Mr. Kemp's secretary, in which Ms. Fries scolded school board members and parents, accusing them of not taking responsibility for the school district's problems.
Some parents said they were upset by Ms. Fries' words, but Mr. Kemp said she has a right to express her opinion at the school board meetings like any other citizen.
At today's meeting with state educators, Covington's principals and office staff will review how the schools will pay for the state audits and how the schools' employees and teachers will participate.
In what Mr. Kemp thinks is an unrelated development, school officials are investigating why a brick was thrown through a window near Mr. Kemp's office at the school board building over the weekend. No one was hurt. A janitor discovered the broken window Monday, along with a pile of beer bottles left in an alley next to the building.
Little progress in battle against cancer
Reds' stadium design whiffs at big chance
Census response depends on trust
New homes planned for Over-the-Rhine
YMCA unveils plans for $32.6 million expansion
Winburn: Join 3 city agencies
Boy, 11, held on rape charge
Man charged after police standoff
Miami dismissed from suit
Pops season celebrates Kunzel's 35 years
Pops' 2000-01 season
The rabbinical wisdom of Isaac M. Wise
Fund-raiser will help cancer victim's family
GET TO IT
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Schaefer leaving Ch. 9 for natural reasons
Communities look at vicious-dog rules
Covington leaders seek college funds
Covington schools prepare for audit
Deaf tots learn to sign and speak
Delhi dad made music history
Designer hired for new city building
Drug strike force got results
Education boards name new members
Environment bill outlasts critics
Kenton Co. OKs opinion on meetings
Larger enterprise zone OK'd for Monroe
Lebanon city councilman quits
Man arraigned in shooting at Franklin plant
Mason basks in hoopla
Miami Twp. sewer update near
Monroe weighs zoning rules
Petitions urge 3 Springboro board members to quit
Police seek suspects in bank robberies within seconds of each other
Police station gets face lift
Police won't sell weapons to outsiders
Refund sought in water deal
Senate beefs up Ky.'s DUI laws
Tort reform on lawmakers' agenda
TRISTATE DIGEST
