City schools must write new kind of success story

City schools must write new kind of success story

EDITOR:

Just once, the Youngstown Board of Education should look forward, not backward. Instead of retelling the old story of poverty, neglect, incest, drugs, clashes with the law, etc. tell a story of faith, hope and sore through a new curriculum of what life’s problems are today and what we can do to prepare young people to meet them.

Today’s student needs a head start the moment he leaves school in his senior year. If his board of education and his superintendent have done their job and his teachers retrained to the new curriculum they will have sold it and taught it to their students.

Eighty percent of high school students are not college material; they are the students who are being short changed. What they don’t need is the old academic roster of Latin, physics, advanced math, etc. They do need to learn how to live in today’s society, i.e. how to get and hold a job, how to budget and invest money, how to shop for everything from groceries to insurance, and how to understand how today’s business world operates. A perfect example is today’s financial mess. How many people know about investing in stocks and bonds and thus put themselves at the mercy of so-called money manager who doesn’t know any more than his client but does know how to pocket a fee or commission?

Trade schools are springing up like mushrooms teaching and getting well-paid for subjects that should be taught at the high school level. Colleges call students to four year courses; for the most part the first two years should have been taught in high school.

Until you make a drastic change in curriculum and make learning an interesting and exciting experience you’ll keep right on raising the crime rate and filling jails because a young person with no “live and learn” training is lost.

Youngstown schools say they offer “services without regard to age.” The old programs haven’t been and aren’t working. Give me, an old man, a break and use some fresh new ideas for a change for better results.

WILLIAM D GRAEBING

Youngstown

Think of education as an investment in the future

EDITOR:

As November approaches, the voting public will be faced with many important decisions. One decision I hope you will consider is voting in favor of education.

Specifically, as an employee in the Austintown School District, I would encourage the voters of Austintown to vote for the upcoming operating levy. In a time when many are suffering in so many areas due to the economy it would be easy to simply say “no” to any levy, even if this is the first new operating levy since 1996. I have been an educator for 15 years in this area. I have worked with many great teachers and principals both in Liberty and Austintown. As a teacher, counselor and coach I have met any motivated people from schools throughout this area. Most importantly, I have been able to work with our children and their families. I believe that the education of our children is an investment worth making always. I am not an economist. But I believe that when we invest in our children, we are tapping into our world’s most valuable resources. If the levy passes, the 4.9 mil levy will cost the owner of a home appraised for $100,000 an additional 41 cents a day in property tax. Without this investment, a poor school system that is run by the state at state minimum requirements, could allow your property value to drop. Your children are worth the money. As a sign in front of one of the local church’s said recently, “Ignorance is more expensive than education”. I couldn’t agree more.

Some may celebrate when levies fail as a victory for the taxpayer. But a victory for the taxpayer at the expense of our educational system is a loss for our communities and our children. Let us show by our actions that education is important to this area. Let us show by our vote that our children are worth it. As a Girard resident, I always vote for schools. I hope that you will consider the same.

JOHN HUDSON

Girard

School boards should tell legislators to fix funding

EDITOR:

I see once again the South Range School Board has chosen to place the school renewal tax back on the ballot after it has already been defeated prior to this election.

Their signs state “no new taxes”, but they don’t say that they already have a new school tax, which narrowly passed, and will raise your property taxes, by 7-plus mills.

I am quite sure that they are aware that the Ohio Courts have ruled that, “using property taxes to fund the local schools is unconstitutional.” Maybe the school board is not aware that the economy is in the toilet, and home foreclosures are rising along with job layoffs. Retired persons on fixed incomes are getting clobbered with add-on property taxes everywhere they turn on homes they have worked hard to keep.

If the school board really wants to solve their funding problems, they need to corner the gang in Columbus and tell them to get off their duffs and do their job as the courts have ruled, and deal with the school funding issue.

So, school board members, respect the voters, and tighten your budget as we the voters must do — and learn that “no means no”.

DALE RHINEHART

Canfield

Keep Leetonia excellent

EDITOR:

Ten years ago, I received a phone call from Lynn King, the former superintendent of Leetonia Schools. He asked me to come and interview for a special education job in his district. I accepted his offer and asked, “Where is Leetonia”? I had never heard of this town, never visited there, and I certainly knew no one from there. Mr. King offered me that job, I accepted and I have never regretted my decision.

My husband and I liked Leetonia so much that we decided to move here six years ago. We moved here because we wanted to live and raise our family in a small, close knit community. To us, Leetonia was Ohio’s best kept secret. A place where family was valued and where “everyone knows your name”.

I understand that you may feel that I have a biased opinion of Leetonia schools. As I stated, I have taught there for 10 years, and have been elected as the president of our teacher’s union for the last seven years. I am biased. We have a great school district, actually an excellent one. I would never send my children to a school district that wasn’t excellent. (My daughter is in kindergarten this year.) I want my children to succeed and become active, positive members of society. Hopefully, they will pass these values on to their children.

On Oct. 21, I attended a levy forum at the school. The speaker informed us that within two years, our district will be in fiscal emergency. I knew this was coming. I have been an active part in past levy committees and attended other forums. However, hearing this speaker tell me that we would have to cut our way out of a $1.5 million debt scared me. “Where could we possibly cut that wouldn’t hurt our children?” I thought. The answer was simple. The cuts will hurt our children.

We would have to cut at least a third of our staff. This would include teachers, bus drivers, custodians, administration, cafeteria workers, secretaries — the list goes on and on. Not to mention busing, sports, and extra-curricular activities.

How does a school district educate without those people? How will we remain an excellent school district? How will other people like my husband and I learn about the best kept secret in Ohio?

As I drive through town, I see Leetonia Pride all over. Blue and white signs cheering on our own Leetonia Bears every Friday night. We come together because we are a community. We believe in each other. We cheer for each other. We support each other. So now I ask you to support us. And by us, I mean the pride and joy of Leetonia, our students, our babies, our future. Support education, support community, support the values your parents taught you. Vote yes on Nov. 4. With your vote, Leetonia will continue to be excellent.

Melissa Brock

Leetonia

Issue 2 will fund projects that will benefit everyone

EDITOR:

The Clean Ohio Fund has benefitted 86 of the 88 counties in one or more of the project categories of recreational trails, greenspaces, farmland preservation and revitalization.

In Mahoning County, funds have applied to Canfield Township Openspace, Mill Creek Park Land Acquisition, Campbell Environmental Learning Lab, Austintown Park Land Acquisition, Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, Poland Forest Expansion, as well as others not listed here.

No taxes will be raised. Projects are paid with state bonds and existing state revenue.

By voting yes on Issue 2, we will continue to secure and enjoy a better way of life for the Valley and all counties of the state of Ohio.

JAN and BILL REEVES

Canfield