Youngstown school district seeks input from community

With a deadline looming for the recovery plan that’s supposed to pull the Youngstown City School District out of its academic doldrums, input from individuals and groups is being sought. The goal, according to the state academic distress commission, is to increase “community expectations and aspirations for high achievement by all students.”

The Raymond John Wean Foundation, which has offered to provide funding for the community-engagement, says the effort “recognizes the legitimate voice of parents, families, students, teachers, administrators, business, the faith-based community and other stakeholders, and builds ownership for a long-lasting set of working relationships to engender greater success for an academic-improvement plan.”

The school district is at an important stage in its history, and what occurs in the next month or so could well define its future. The stakes are high, indeed, and the area would do well to pay attention.

The state superintendent of public instruction, Stan Heffner, has made it clear that the status quo unacceptable and significant progress academically must be made or other options will be explored. The idea of the failing schools being turned into charter schools is not beyond the realm of possibilities.

Important work

That is why the academic recovery plan being developed by the distress commission — it was appointed last year after the district was declared by the state to be in academic emergency — is so important, and why the input of individuals and groups in the community is crucial.

The admonition about elections — if you don’t vote, don’t complain — can just as easily be applied to the school system, with a minor change — if you don’t participate, don’t criticize.

Superintendent Connie Hathorn has begun the arduous task of changing the direction of the academically and fiscally challenged urban school system, but he isn’t completely in charge so long as the commission has final say on the recovery plan.

The panel answers to the state superintendent, who appoints three of the five members. Heffner has said he wants the new plan in place by the end of the month.

The district rose from academic emergency to academic watch last school year on the strength of its improved student attendance numbers. However, the commission will remain in place until the system earns a state report card designation of continuous improvement for two consecutive years, or the state superintendent determines the panel is no longer needed.

The bottom line is that the Youngstown district is out of second chances.