Good schools form the heart of successful communities, and are a key ingredient in strengthening the city's neighborhoods, says Rick Williams, Cincinnati Board of Education president.

        That's why Mr. Williams, appointed to a second term as board president, expects great things from the school district's decision to put more money into its neighborhood schools and become a more active partner in the community.

        He cited increased community involvement in board activities and decisions over the past year as central to the district's improved public image and ability to pass a 6-mill, $35.8 million levy in November.

        He spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer this week about what's ahead for the 42,200-student district.

        Q: What was your proudest accomplishment on the board last year?

        A: When I first became president, I had only been elected a month before. They were doing polling on the March levy and one question they asked was what was the view of the board. It was negative. I was a neophyte and was concerned and was told, “Don't worry, it's always that way.” For the November levy we asked the same question, and for the first time ever there were more positive thoughts than negative. That verified the changing relationship between CPS and the community.

        Q: What reputation do you think CPS has in the public view? What reputation do you think the district deserves?

        A: There are many indicators to say we are viewed positively by the public. The successful levy campaign, polling, the level of new partners working with us. Individuals and groups that came forward to support the levy. Neighborhoods that never supported the levy in the past came out to support it. These are the specifics that make it exciting.

        When ... people say thank you for your hard work because there is new hope for the district, when families take their kids out of charters and put them back into the district, that's a big deal.

        We deserve every ounce of that. We deserve an exodus of students from alternative schools coming back to us. We offer more than any of these alternatives.

        We also deserve consistent evaluations. ...

        Q: Voters showed their confidence in the district by passing a November levy. What does the district need to do to maintain that support?

        A: The first thing, of course, is to spend the money in the way we promised we would.

        Keep the promises, that's the easy thing to do. The most difficult is to work up to the things we said leading into the levy vote. That community engagement and getting the stories out there that generated support. Those things should not be event-based activities.

        That's not the way we do business on a daily basis. We want the community to know they have access to us. We need to continue to improve the academic performance of our students. That basic thing allows for the future things to occur.

        Q:As a community planner, you work to strengthen neighborhoods. Last year, the district decided to put more money into neighborhood schools. And you plan to start a home buyers assistance program for employees. When do you expect to see some results from these ideas?

        A: The impact we expect to see is families not needing to pursue a magnet in another part of the city just to get an education.

        So there is not a stigma attached to neighborhood schools any more. We want to have a host of schools for K-8 that are just like the magnets.

        The homeowners program is a different animal. Our job is not just making sure education is occurring in our schools. We are a multimillion-dollar business in this city. We should acknowledge that we are a large entity in the city and look at how can we make the community work better.

        Q:CPS is under a national microscope for its innovative teacher evaluation system and high school restructuring plans, What does that mean for the ways schools and the district do their jobs?

        A: Nothing. It doesn't mean a thing. We are always under a microscope and we should be because we work in the education of children. One thing it does — when you get that kind of recognition — it affects the local environment when you get national attention. It affects the local confidence.

        Q: Do you think the public engagement committee you created last year served its purpose? What other work is there to be done by the committee?

        A: It is not a traditional committee with board reports. It is a discussion not intended for action by the board, but just to have some ideas and insights with people who are interested.

        They advised the administration on ways to include the public in how we do our business. There will be a time when the committee makes recommendations to the board about policy issues. There have been some great ideas that have come from the committee. It is serving its purpose and I expect it will have a role in the creation of community schools for this year.

        Q:With the increasing number of charter and private school options available to families, why should residents choose CPS schools?

        A: There are options out there whose basic marketing message is, “We are not CPS.” What they offer instructionally and from a service perspective is less than what you can get from CPS. The greater community is starting to understand that the image of CPS is not the reality of CPS.

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