Monday, April 03, 2000
Overhaul expected for schools
New report outlines future
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — Imagine schools where computers are used more than chalk and where parents and neighbors are in classrooms as much as teachers.
This is the vision for Covington Schools of the future.
In a preliminary report obtained by the Enquirer, 15 groups of parents, teachers, students and other residents outline action plans for change and improvements to district operations.
Topics include everything from an overhaul of curriculum to community-based learning. The ideas have been under development for a year — long before the recent release of a damaging state report calling for change in the city's schools.
“This report makes recommendations and strategies for almost every aspect of school operations,” Superintendent James Kemp said. “The plan sets a vision and the intent is that all who participate will internalize and carry out that vision.”
This strategic plan is expected to become district policy for the 2000-2001 school year. It is intended to define a direction for the school system for the next five years.
Yet three of the 15 areas must still be approved by the Board of Education. Not all board members support the process, a strategy promoted by the state Education Department.
No time line has been established for implementing ideas discussed in the plan.
Board member Jim Vogt said the plan addresses many of the same areas targeted for improvements in a report written by state Education Department official Robyn Oat-
ley.
“I hope that the strategic plan can be a real important framework for our addressing the issues Ms. Oatley and others have mentioned,” Mr. Vogt said.
Ms. Oatley mentioned the strategic plan in her report. She wrote that the document seemed too complicated to measure the impact of suggested programs and to understand which would affect instruction.
She suggested that the district pare the objectives and allow individual schools to develop plans based on specific needs.
Covington's strategic plan calls for more partnerships between businesses and the city and the schools. It outlines plans for early literacy training and outreach to families with young children.
“We invited the community in so we expected that some of the ideas would be nontraditional,” Mr. Kemp said. “That's what it will take for positive change.”
Col Owens, board member, said the strategic plan is one piece that will help the district — ranked 175 of 176 on the state's academic performance tests — move forward.
“I generally tend to think that the answer to building things up is not tearing others down,” Mr. Owens said. “People of goodwill who are willing to acknowledge problems and not be in denial and see where we need to go and do hard work can move us there.”
The groups spent 13 months developing their ideas. In February, the school board asked for more clarification in three areas:
• A student retention plan and a way to form lasting partnerships with each graduate.
• A more open communications climate.
• A standard, districtwide disciplinary program.
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