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Activists considering lawsuit against Youngstown Plan
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
A group of community activists is considering a taxpayer lawsuit regarding the Youngstown Plan that will reorganize the city schools.
“We’re meeting with an attorney,” said Jaladah Aslam, president of the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus.
She spoke at a news conference and rally Tuesday of the Community Leadership Coalition on Education and the Youngstown Education Association. The rally was outside the First National Bank Building, which houses the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
Thomas Humphries, Chamber president and CEO, was on the committee that drafted the Youngstown Plan.
Last week, two legislators, state Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, and Teresa Fedor of Toledo, D-45th, charged that the committee that developed the plan violated the state’s open meetings law because the planning sessions were conducted secretly.
The plan, approved in late June by both houses of the state legislature and signed early last month by Gov. John Kasich, will dissolve the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission in place since 2010.
In its place, a new commission will be appointed – three members picked by the state superintendent, one by the mayor and one, who must be a city schools teacher, by the city school board.
The new commission will appoint a state-paid CEO to manage and operate the city schools.
That person, who needn’t be an educator according to the law, will have broad authority including the power to hire and fire administrators, reopen union contracts and bring in outside operators to run individual failing schools.
“We question a plan for students that fails to include educators or parents,” said Paula Valentini, vice president of the Youngstown Education Association, the union representing city school teachers.
She also questions where in the plan are the academic initiatives that address student needs, get parents engaged or bring in community support.
Robin Woodberry, the parent of five children, four of whom attended the city schools, also opposes the plan. Her fifth child, an athlete, attends Cardinal Mooney High School run by the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.
Woodberry said she’s been involved in the schools, on boards, councils and at meetings for parents and worries that the new plan will take away parents’ voices in their children’s education.
She said she’s never had a problem with the schools but acknowledges that improvements are needed.
“Is there the need for improvement? Yes. But is this the way to do it? Hmm-um.” Valentini said finding solutions to the problems plaguing the schools, many of which are rooted in poverty, will take brainstorming by a lot of people.
Legislation drafted by a Cincinnati legislator that was amended to become the Youngstown Plan would create community learning centers at schools in troubled districts statewide, she said.
The centers would determine individually the needs of the respective students.
“That’s something we would be 100 percent behind,” Valentini said.
The union has created a website, youngstownea.ohea.us, to publicize education research and information about upcoming events.