Chris Myers Announces TPS’s Failure to Comply with NCLB Federal Law
Toledo, Ohio. Chris Myers, Republican candidate for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education, announces that he will hold a press conference to present information about two elementary schools in the Toledo Public Schools district that have gone six straight years without improvement.
Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Kent Branch Library
3101 Collingwood Blvd.
The media is respectfully requested to be present.
Myers reports that under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal law and Ohio Revised Code, TPS is required to make certain adjustments to schools that are not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Yesterday at the TPS retreat, district administration emphasized that there are no major changes planned at the schools in question.
Since academics is Myers’ first priority, he takes notice when there are schools that do not meet state and national standards. “It is important for a board member to understand the relevant laws and provide the proper oversight to ensure the district follows the intent of those laws,” Myers said. He will discuss the issue further and present a solution, noting that one reason he is running for the TPS Board is to help provide major reform at these schools so that families will get the educational service they deserve.
Statement from Today
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Chris Myers for School Board * Citizens for Myers
1952 Talbot Street * Toledo OH 43613
419-822-6758 * www.myersforschoolboard.com
NEWS RELEASE July 25, 2007
CONTACT: Chris Myers
419-822-6758
chris myersforschoolboard.com
Chris Myers Announces TPS’s Failure to Comply with NCLB Federal Law
Toledo, Ohio. At his press conference today, Chris Myers, Republican candidate for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education, spoke regarding academic problems at Pickett and Fulton schools, NCLB and ORC laws, TPS’s current lack of plans and his proposed solutions.
The No Child Left Behind act is a federal law. One portion of this law requires local school districts to do certain things when they have schools that have gone six straight years without improvement. Toledo Public has two schools that fit this category…two schools that have gone SIX STRAIGHT YEARS without improvement. They are Pickett and Fulton elementary schools.
Under this law – and state law (ORC 3302.04) – TPS has a couple of options for how to deal with these schools:
1. Close the school and then reopen it as a charter school;
2. Replace relevant school staff;
3. Turn the school’s governance over to the state;
4. Contract with a private management company to operate the school;
5. Any other major restructuring of the school’s governance designed to produce major reform.
Since academics is my first priority, I take notice when there are schools that are not meeting state and national standards.
The law is specific: the district should have developed a plan for those schools last year and implement it this year. But, according to my conversation with Superintendent Foley and his statement yesterday during the board retreat, there is no plan designed to produce major reform.
Several weeks ago I asked Dr. Foley for copies of the plan and was told that no plan existed but “they had ideas.” Obviously, if restructuring plans do not exist for these schools, this is inconsistent with NCLB and Ohio Revised Code.
Yesterday, at the retreat, district administration emphasized that there are no major changes planned at those schools.
It is important for a board member to understand this law and provide the proper oversight to ensure the district follows the intent of the law. TPS has a problem because they don’t have any plans designed to provide major reform at these schools…more importantly, the parents and children who attend Pickett and Fulton have not gotten the educational service they deserve. This is why we need board members knowledgeable of the law – and it’s why I’m running for School Board.
But I’m not here today just to criticize. To ensure the district follows the intent of NCLB, I encourage the board to do the following:
First, encourage the administration to follow the successful examples of Toledo’s own Grove Patterson or Old West End Academy as a model to improve those schools, which would satisfy the NCLB act, and instruct them to have a plan in place as soon as possible and commence developing one for Chase, which is under planning this year. Then, form an ad hoc committee and task them with ensuring that the district is following all applicable laws so that we don’t find ourselves in such a situation again. I am ready to work with the administration and other board members to implement this. Lastly, review compliance with state and federal laws on an annual basis.
We need to have board members who provide the proper community oversight of schools and when the district is not living up to the restructuring challenge, we need to have board members who can bring it back in line, following successful examples already established in the schools. I’m Chris Myers and I’ll do just that when you elect me to the school board on November 6.
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Presented by Chris Myers, July 25, 2007, 2:00 p.m.
media alert sent by Ellen Critchley, Critchley Creative
Digital photo of Chris Myers available upon request to ellen@critchleycreative.com.
