I was school principal for a day Wednesday at the Roberts Paideia Academy.

        I didn't change anything. Students can still be suspended for unruliness. You can't call for a prayer, although a moment of silence is OK. There still is no corporal punishment.

        I met Principal Ray Smith at 8:30 a.m. at the Price Hill school. A big sign as you enter the school grounds reads: “Character Counts.” The motto has to do with building trust, respect, responsibility and citizenship.

        The first piece of business was a cup of coffee, of course.

        But Mr. Smith let me know that I was not to sit around and drink coffee all day. My first duty was to call the students to order over the public address system.

        I gave the Character Counts pledge, the Pledge of Allegiance, the attendance percentage for Tuesday, the rooms that had perfect attendance and winners of the Character Counts contest.

        Note that the attendance was 93.23 percent Tuesday and 93.50 percent Wednesday. Do you suppose that slight increase was because I was there?

        I received a little ribbing from students about my performance on the PA system. One student said I didn't talk loudly enough. He said I could have been telling him he could go home and he would not have heard it.

        One said I forgot to say what the menu was for that day. But the menu wasn't ready. Another student liked me because I have gray hair like Mr. Smith.

        A tour through the school is in itself an education. Classes are small, none with more than 22 students. The school is clean and well kept. There are 750 students enrolled at the school from preschool through eighth grade.

        “The basic philosophy of the Paideia school here is that everybody can learn,” Mr. Smith said. And as you walked through classrooms you can see that mission being carried out. The mission reads: “ ... to ensure that each student fulfills his or her potential in a safe, collaborative learning environment that promotes a lifetime pursuit of knowledge, self-worth, responsibility, respect for self and others.”

        Reading is contagious at Roberts Paideia Academy. Strong emphasis is put on developing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, Mr. Smith said.

        “We achieve this through three styles of teaching: whole group presentations, academic coaching labs and student seminars,” Mr. Smith said.

        He said Roberts Paideia was the first school in the Cincinnati Public School District to start the Literacy Collaborative Program in 1996.

        The Principal For a Day program was developed a year ago by Cincinnati Public Schools and the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative's Partners in Education Program.

        It pairs business executives and community leaders with school principals.

        Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Sunday-Friday. He can be reached at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.
       

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