Foxtrot's comments on the given website contain few if any facts. Jessiedavid, please give me a source for your quoted per-pupil cost of $24,000. It is way off. The cost for a regular student in Youngstown Schools is close to the amount you gave for average schools. You may be confused by the reports of Youngstown's account with the Ohio Department of Education. Their account holds funding, not only for their own schools, but also for every charter school, who receive their funding through the local public schools. Every public school districts cost per pupil looks higher than it actually is because their funding includes the costs of students in charter schools.
Schools have already jumped on your idea #5, non. The degree to which they use online materials varies with the computers available, in the school or at home.
When we enact reforms, we need to keep in mind what will be lost, as well as what will be gained. Small schools have often been advocated, for the same reasons that elementary schools place children in classrooms. It creates a family-like atmosphere that is comfortable for young children. They really do identify with their own teacher and group. I don't think we should ignore developmental stages of children.
Thank you for your comments, Mr. Sears. The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is an invaluable partner to schools throughout the Valley. Some of their assistance in extending learning beyond the 3:00 p.m. bell include:
Reading programs, as Mr. Sears mentioned.
Partnership with the City Schools to make teachers and teaching aids available in city libraries as homework helpers. This program is currently being established and will be up and running soon.
Anyone using the internet is familiar with articles and books that are not fully available without expensive subscriptions. The library offers the full text of articles and books researchers need. Advanced library users are aware that the library has partners that will provide materials that our library does not own.
Mr. Sears and the library board have agreed, at least temporarily, to revisit the plan to close library branches such as the West Side Branch that have been a vital link for students that attend the schools in those neighborhoods. This response to community concerns should be recognized. At least in the neighborhoods where library access was threatened, citizens have realized the value of the library as something they are willing to raise funds for.
You ought to be feeling for the taxpayers too. 30 charter schools + 14 privates schools + 17 buildings in the district = 61 schools in one midsize township. 45 of them are separate entities with separate administrative costs.
WHAT WAS THE STATE THINKING? Instead of adding 25 failing charter schools with scores even lower than YCS, they could have opted to improve the schools we had.
They are spending inordinate amounts of money on school administrations and hurting students by increasing their mobility from school to school.
There needs to be a cap on the number of charter schools allowed to open, or some kind of standards for them. The governor tried to do this in the budget bill, but was shot down by legislators whose campaign coffers are full of charter school money.
Actually Ted Kennedy was a sponsor with George Bush, of the "No Child Left Behind" law, and was a supporter of charter schools.
IDEA gives parents a voice in selecting the "least restrictive setting" for their disabled students. That means the one most like a regular classroom. Yes, it makes it difficult for teachers.
I looked up the school in the letter. Each teacher is assigned either 4 or 5 students.
Imagine putting these kinds of resources toward the education of our most gifted children. Remember, the difference a teacher can make in the learning of a student is limited by the receptive ability of the child. A graph would take the shape of a funnel. The top wide end represents the amount of difference teaching makes to gifted children. The small end represents the difference a teacher can make for a cognitively disabled student.
A teacher and parents can spend years teaching the alphabet -- which is forgotten a year after school is over.
I am glad Ms. Toman was able to find appropriate care for her child.
That education probably comes at the cost of $21,000. per student, so I would expect it to be excellent. This good charter school is the exception, not the norm among these schools, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Vindicator's call for more oversight of them.
It is indeed Ms. Toman's choice to send her children to St. Christine School, for which she contributed part of their tuition. Your further choices were supported by Ohio taxpayers. I am not sure that in this case, a parent has unlimited choice of placement regardless of the effects on other children in the school district. In particular the education provided to disabled students by public school districts exists because of the work of parents of disabled children and supporters in government, including Ted Kennedy.
Previously, you would have been on your own to provide education to your own daughter.
Senator Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law served to amend the Education of the Handicapped Act and to guarantee a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities, regardless of their severity, in all states.
In 2004, Kennedy was the sponsor and lead negotiator of the reauthorization of the IDEA, with a new focus on promoting better alignment of special education with general education and having school districts be accountable for the educational outcome of all students, including students with all ranges of disabilities.
Posted on October 28 at 10:27 p.m.
This is the third time this year that I have encountered cases of children whose parents used "home schooling" to cover up abuse.
Posted on October 28 at 10:21 p.m.
Foxtrot's comments on the given website contain few if any facts.
Jessiedavid, please give me a source for your quoted per-pupil cost of $24,000. It is way off. The cost for a regular student in Youngstown Schools is close to the amount you gave for average schools.
You may be confused by the reports of Youngstown's account with the Ohio Department of Education. Their account holds funding, not only for their own schools, but also for every charter school, who receive their funding through the local public schools.
Every public school districts cost per pupil looks higher than it actually is because their funding includes the costs of students in charter schools.
Posted on September 28 at 6:59 p.m.
Schools have already jumped on your idea #5, non.
The degree to which they use online materials varies with the computers available, in the school or at home.
When we enact reforms, we need to keep in mind what will be lost, as well as what will be gained. Small schools have often been advocated, for the same reasons that elementary schools place children in classrooms. It creates a family-like atmosphere that is comfortable for young children.
They really do identify with their own teacher and group. I don't think we should ignore developmental stages of children.
Posted on September 27 at 8:02 p.m.
I think these kids will get the attention of younger students. I commend the the idea.
Posted on September 27 at 11:03 a.m.
Thank you for your comments, Mr. Sears.
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is an invaluable partner to schools throughout the Valley.
Some of their assistance in extending learning beyond the 3:00 p.m. bell include:
Reading programs, as Mr. Sears mentioned.
Partnership with the City Schools to make teachers and teaching aids available in city libraries as homework helpers. This program is currently being established and will be up and running soon.
Anyone using the internet is familiar with articles and books that are not fully available without expensive subscriptions. The library offers the full text of articles and books researchers need. Advanced library users are aware that the library has partners that will provide materials that our library does not own.
Mr. Sears and the library board have agreed, at least temporarily, to revisit the plan to close library branches such as the West Side Branch that have been a vital link for students that attend the schools in those neighborhoods. This response to community concerns should be recognized. At least in the neighborhoods where library access was threatened, citizens have realized the value of the library as something they are willing to raise funds for.
Posted on September 18 at 4:06 p.m.
You ought to be feeling for the taxpayers too. 30 charter schools + 14 privates schools + 17 buildings in the district = 61 schools in one midsize township. 45 of them are separate entities with separate administrative costs.
WHAT WAS THE STATE THINKING? Instead of adding 25 failing charter schools with scores even lower than YCS, they could have opted to improve the schools we had.
They are spending inordinate amounts of money on school administrations and hurting students by increasing their mobility from school to school.
There needs to be a cap on the number of charter schools allowed to open, or some kind of standards for them. The governor tried to do this in the budget bill, but was shot down by legislators whose campaign coffers are full of charter school money.
Posted on September 16 at 3:19 p.m.
How many times has this school been on Academic Watch or Academic Emergency in the last ten years? All or most of them?
How many times have their financial accounts been deemed inauditable by the state auditor?
How many times have they avoided closing by switching sponsors?
How many changes of administration?
How can they act like they haven't seen this coming for five years?
Posted on September 15 at 8:46 p.m.
Charter schools are public education.
Actually Ted Kennedy was a sponsor with George Bush, of the "No Child Left Behind" law, and was a supporter of charter schools.
IDEA gives parents a voice in selecting the "least restrictive setting" for their disabled students. That means the one most like a regular classroom. Yes, it makes it difficult for teachers.
I looked up the school in the letter. Each teacher is assigned either 4 or 5 students.
Imagine putting these kinds of resources toward the education of our most gifted children. Remember, the difference a teacher can make in the learning of a student is limited by the receptive ability of the child. A graph would take the shape of a funnel. The top wide end represents the amount of difference teaching makes to gifted children. The small end represents the difference a teacher can make for a cognitively disabled student.
A teacher and parents can spend years teaching the alphabet -- which is forgotten a year after school is over.
Posted on September 15 at 7:53 p.m.
I'll believe it when I see it. Summit Academy was supposed to close THIS year. Instead, they just changed their name and came back with more grades.
Posted on September 15 at 10:45 a.m.
I am glad Ms. Toman was able to find appropriate care for her child.
That education probably comes at the cost of $21,000. per student, so I would expect it to be excellent. This good charter school is the exception, not the norm among these schools, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Vindicator's call for more oversight of them.
It is indeed Ms. Toman's choice to send her children to St. Christine School, for which she contributed part of their tuition.
Your further choices were supported by Ohio taxpayers. I am not sure that in this case, a parent has unlimited choice of placement regardless of the effects on other children in the school district.
In particular the education provided to disabled students by public school districts exists because of the work of parents of disabled children and supporters in government, including Ted Kennedy.
Previously, you would have been on your own to provide education to your own daughter.
Senator Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law served to amend the Education of the Handicapped Act and to guarantee a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities, regardless of their severity, in all states.
http://www.tedkennedy.org/service/item/d...
In 2004, Kennedy was the sponsor and lead negotiator of the reauthorization of the IDEA, with a new focus on promoting better alignment of special education with general education and having school districts be accountable for the educational outcome of all students, including students with all ranges of disabilities.