‘Covenant with the Community’

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

Representatives of Youngstown, the city’s school district, school district unions and Youngstown State University have signed a “Covenant with the Community,” vowing to do their part to help improve Youngstown city schools.

The signing came Monday, one day before city voters went to the polls to vote on a new 9.5-mill tax levy school officials say they need to help overcome a $15 million budget deficit.

“This covenant goes beyond the levy,” said Mayor Jay Williams, adding the covenant will go on even if the levy fails. “The unified front you see here will continue.”

The mayor acknowledged that those participating in the signing support the levy and may have to pay their own price at the ballot box for their stand but said that’s a price of leadership.

The covenant was the idea of Sonja Williams, the mayor’s wife, said Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent of schools. It was Sonja Williams who suggested the community’s educational and political leaders get together to openly show their support for the school system, Webb said.

Shelley Murray, school board president, said the board appreciates the public show of support. It’s the first time the district has received this level of commitment for the kids and education, she said.

The covenant calls for collaboration in continuing to raise academic standards, maintain well-disciplined and drug-free schools, create alternative solutions for students demonstrating unacceptable and detrimental behavior, and to seek out and implement “best practices” in education.

Further, it will establish contracts with parents to spell out their responsibilities, encourage continuing education for teachers, promote a positive educational attitude, continue evaluation of the entire education system, keep reducing costs, monitor funds with an independent committee of local leaders and experts and report more aggressively to taxpayers.

Dr. David C. Sweet, YSU president, urged support for the levy, saying, “It’s essential that we finance education.” The covenant contains several links to the university, most notably its focus on teacher preparation, rising academic standards and contracts with parents, he said.

There is no question that educators are working on “a pipeline” of education for children from kindergarten through college, Sweet said.

Those present to sign the covenant were: Williams; Webb; Sweet; Murray; city council members Annie Gillam, Paul Drennen, John Swierz, Carol Rimedio-Righetti and council President Charles Sammarone; school board members Lock P. Beachum Sr., Anthony Catale, Michael Murphy, Dominic Modarelli and Richard Atkinson; and William Bagnola, president of the city teachers union.

Chuck Pulice, president of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees union representing school employees, was supposed to sign but was unable to attend the meeting. He did have a representative present.

gwin@vindy.com