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Taft's improvement attributed to teachers, family atmosphere
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Cerise Mills, a third grade teacher at Taft Elementary School in Youngstown, works with third grader Delaney Niemczura on her lessons.
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A teacher at Taft Elementary School in Youngstown accompanies a student down the hall. Taft administrators say students need to know that the school is a safe place and that someone there cares about them.
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Lois Thornton, behavioral specialist, and Michael Flood, Taft Elementary School principal, treat the South Side school as a family. The school saw the biggest improvement of the city schools on the latest state report card, rising three spots to an “effective” designation.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The principal of the South Side school that saw the biggest improvement on the latest report card credits data, teachers’ work and the school’s family atmosphere with the boost.
Taft Elementary School climbed three rungs, from academic emergency on the 2009-10 report card to effective on the 2010-11 one that was released last month.
“I give credit to the teachers,” said Michael Flood, Taft principal. “The teachers are just awesome.”
The school launched activities aimed to make learning fun including Relay for Learning and Buds and Blossoms.
In Buds and Blossoms, older students read to younger ones. In Relay for Learning, children race to be the first to answer a question correctly.
They also focused on atten-dance, said Lois Thornton, behavioral specialist. The school offered incentives to get students to come to school such as lunch at an area restaurant.
“He won’t toot his own horn, but Mr. Flood makes home visits,” Thornton said.
If a student is chronically absent, the principal visits the home to determine the reason.
It helps that many in the neighborhood know Thornton from her days as the principal of the former Bennett Elementary or Flood, who grew up and attended school on the South Side.
“We established the school, not as a school but as a family,” Flood said. “We get more of the family involved.”
People from the community even got involved, he said.
“One man from the neighborhood — he doesn’t even have kids — volunteered to help cross the kids” across the street, Flood said.
Sometimes, children come to school needing a hug, and that’s provided by teachers, administrators and staff, Thornton said.
“Anything to help them in school,” she said.
Children need to know that school is a safe place, that someone there cares about them and wants them to do well, she said.
It’s the three A’s, Thornton said.
“Once you change the attitude and you improve attendance, then student achievement comes next,” she said.
Thornton wrote a school song performed each morning by third-grader Delaney Niemczura as part of the morning announcements. “Wake up and pay attention,” the song urges.
“It’s a cool song,” Delaney said.
Cerise Mills, a third-grade teacher at Taft, said that 10 or 20 years from now, students won’t remember specifics about what a teacher taught them.
“What they will remember is which teachers helped them, which teachers cared about and supported them,” she said.
The school also does a lot of assessing to determine where students need more instruction.
“Everything we do is data-driven,” Flood said.
This marks his third year at the school. His first year, they targeted improving discipline.
Staff at the district’s central office also provided support for the school, Flood said.
The whole school is invested in helping children succeed, he said, from custodians and secretaries to teachers, administrators and the school nurse.
They get help from the community groups and organizations as well. Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Metro Assembly of God, both on the South Side, Westminster Presbyterian in Boardman, New Image Car Wash and Family Video all contribute to the school, including gift certificates, clothing and food.
“I keep coming back to this, but it is like a family,” the principal said.
Thornton agreed.
“It is a pleasure to come to work,” she said.