District’s academic consultant suspended

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Department of Education has temporarily suspended the work of one consultant contracted to help implement an academic recovery plan for the city schools.

Work by Mosaica Turnaround Partners is suspended until ODE can “regroup with them and revisit the outcomes of the work we’ve asked them to do,” said Patrick Gallaway, an ODE spokesman. Mosaica’s coaches have been observing the work of all school principals and were critical of three.

Gallaway expects a meeting between ODE and Mosaica to be scheduled in the next few weeks “to better identify the expectations of what we want them to be doing in the schools with these principals.”

“I think there was some concern with the way that things were being reported back,” he added.

Whenever there’s a project involving the work of several entities, expectations must be clearly defined, Gallaway said.

Mosaica, based in Atlanta, is one of three consultants contracted to implement an academic recovery plan.

The Youngstown Schools Academic Distress Commission contracted with the three consultants based on recommendation of ODE.

The commission was appointed last year after the school district was rated in academic emergency and failed to make adequate yearly progress for four or more consecutive school years, based on the state’s local report card annual ratings.

Mosaica was contracted to improve leadership. The company assigned four “coaches” to spend time observing all principals.

The coaches, who started in November, delivered their first report to the commission last month. The report said that though 14 principals were making progress, three were having trouble implementing improvements.

Superintendent Connie Hathorn said he’s seen improvement in all school building principals since the November arrival of the coaches.

“They’re enthusiastic and willing to learn,” he said.

The areas that have been identified for focus are use of data to improve student achievement, fiscal responsibility, communication and instructional leadership.

“They’re in training to increase those skills so student achievement will improve,” Hathorn said.

Hathorn said that he will recommend that all principals’ contracts be renewed for next year. The renewal process will begin next month.

The principals will receive training this year and then be evaluated, he said. It wouldn’t be appropriate to evaluate principals if they haven’t been trained, he said.

“This is uncharted waters for them,” Hathorn said.

Lock P. Beachum Sr., school board president, said the board supports the superintendent.

“We expect Dr. Hathorn to require accountability from all of his principals,” he said. “The board will evaluate him.” One of Mosaica’s coaches, Daniel J. Hudson, is the coach for several principals, including Mike Flood of Taft Elementary and James Kosek of Rayen Early College Middle School, two of the three the report said were having difficulty implementing improvements.

At the same time, Hudson has applied to be the school district’s deputy superintendent of academic affairs. Gallaway said ODE wasn’t aware of Hudson’s job application.

Rich Saul, who served as principal of the former Volney Rogers Junior High for 13 years, was brought back by the district two years ago after retirement to mentor principals including Flood and Kosek. Saul, who completed his work for the district, disagrees with the coach’s observations.

The report said that Flood has a positive energy that seems to connect with students, calling him a “Pied Piper that draws students. The staff likes the principal, and parents appreciate all of the external activities offered to their children.”

But it also said that Flood lacks the leadership skills to move the school forward.

“I think that’s totally false,” Saul said. “Mike Flood is one of the up-and-coming principals in the district. Leadership is about being able to motivate — motivate students, motivate teachers and motivate parents.”

You motivate parents by providing a safe environment for their children’s education, he said.

“He’s trying to change the tone, climate and atmosphere” of Taft, Saul said.

Another aspect of being a good leader is supporting your staff so that they will follow you, and Flood does that, he said.

About Rayen Early College and its principal, James Kosek, the report said there is evidence that some progressive teachers celebrate students’ growth each day. But it also said that from the first meeting with the coach, the principal “assumed a body position of defiance and conveyed resentment to the coaching process.”

Saul said that when he worked as his mentor, Kosek always listened and took advice.

“Not one time did he say, ‘I can’t do it.’” Saul said. “He said, ‘I want to do it.’ He absolutely appreciated everything.”

Kosek was always asking for help and seeking advice.

“That’s the sign of a good leader, too,” he said. “Both of these guys — they were always willing to learn, to listen, to implement and to progress.”

A mentor is supposed to help someone improve, not to criticize them, Saul said.

A different coach said that Holly Seimetz, principal of East High School, has a rapport with students that is congenial, and she has their best interests at heart. The school discipline is adequate, the report said.

It was critical, though, of Seimetz’s communication with staff.

“Her communication with the staff is demeaning, and she brushes staff off,” it said.

A member of the professional staff who called The Vindicator, disagreed with the report, saying there is a spirit of camaraderie at East. The principal jokes with staff and the employee wondered if the coach had misinterpreted some of that.

Of the other 14 principals, the reports largely were complimentary.

Catherine Dorbish, principal of Martin Luther King Elementary, “is an excellent instructional leader,” the report said. “Students and staff love her. She is respected highly by parents.”

Michelle Dotson, principal of Youngstown Early College, “is a veteran administrator” and the climate and educational experience at the high school “make it the premier high school in the district.”

Dotson “demands discipline and orderly conduct and students respond in a positive manner. The staff wants to be there and is student oriented,” it said.

Joseph Meranto, principal at Choffin Career and Technical School, “excels in the area of student interaction” and the “climate and educational experience at Choffin Career Center makes his school proof that both of its feeder schools can and should be successful.”