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Finding success in our urban schools

On the evening of Sept. 26, the Youngstown State University Alumni Society hosted an event in its lecture series titled "Successful Education Programs in Urban School Districts" at the Beeghly College of Education.Dr. Lenford Sutton was the moderator for a panel discussion featuring four speakers who have a vested interest in the success of urban schools in our region. The panelists were: Karen Green, assistant superintendent of human resources in the Youngstown City Schools; Michael Notar, superintendent of the Warren City School District; Monica Jones, dean of Youngstown Early College; ...

Why should school districts be separate?

A couple weeks ago, the editor wrote about the consolidation of police departments for the sake of the taxpayer and to strengthen the departments. I applauded - loudly; unfortunately, only my husband heard me.I'd like to carry the idea of consolidation over to another facet of community life that could use a major adjustment: school systems.There are three school districts all within about three miles of my house. Two of the districts have three schools; one has four. Two of the districts are so close they share the same ZIP code. That does not compute for me.All the districts have a ...

Education reform that makes sense

At very great expense for all, Ohio's education reform makes too little sense. Everyone agrees on the importance of a well-informed and highly-skilled citizenry in a democratic society, but who should decide the lower limits of "well-informed" or "highly skilled" and the privileges accompanying such "achievements"? Many well-meaning politicians believe we need a laser focus on academics, as if how high/low we set the bar can magically make everyone either a dunce or a genius, but this is not true. On the other hand, if we are serious about a highly-skilled workforce, then why aren't we ...

It’s time to let the past go

The greatest challenge we have to face as a community has nothing to do with politics, race, the economy, or education. The greatest challenge before the Mahoning Valley, and especially the city of Warren and Trumbull County, is the challenge to let go of times gone by and bravely step into the future of our city and our county.In my previous column, I challenged leaders across the Valley to welcome the leadership of young people in order to draw young people to our area - even if significant organizational change is required. Any hesitance to take this step is deeply connected to what I ...

The tragedy of child abuse

Jeannette Williams was a nurse employed by the schools in Hubbard for many years. Although she is retired, she has not ceased being an advocate for children and young people, especially those children whose lives are manipulated by adults and face addictions or abuse. During a phone conversation, I had told her about my participation in the community columnist program of the Tribune. There was no hesitation when she uttered the next words: “Rick, you should write about all of the child abuse which is occurring in our county; it is an epidemic.” My initial response was a feeling of ...

Who decides what is good?

Who decides?When my kids were growing up, I tried really hard to expose them to a wide variety of cultural venues. Their dad covered the bases (pun intended) on sports; it was up to me to cover the arts, literature and music.The first time I took them to The Butler Museum of American Art proved interesting. As we walked through the many galleries, we'd comment about various pieces, talking about what we liked or didn't like.Our first foray into a hall containing modern art was most telling. My son took one look at a painting that was nothing more than a big red circle painted on a white ...