Leader of Academic Distress panel shares vision for city schools’ future

On July 16, 2015, an amendment to the existing Ohio Revised Code House Bill 70, which deals with academic and financially distressed school districts, created what has become known as the “Youngstown Plan”. At that point, the speculation began to reverberate around the state and here in the Mahoning Valley. Concerns about what this plan would result in, and how a chief executive officer who was being portrayed as having unlimited and unchecked powers, would change the face of public education in Youngstown.

We heard and read the prediction of the coming demise of the public education system in the city of Youngstown. The critics’ views of what the future of public education would be under the “Youngstown Plan” were dire and reflected the worst. CEO was portrayed and interpreted to mean: heartless, business-oriented, number-crunching, sword-bearing individual, who would privatize the school system by creating charter schools, tear up the union contracts and basically destroy public education in the city of Youngstown. Yes, this has been the picture painted by the voice of those opposed to the creation of the plan and the changes it would bring to the Youngstown city schools.

These critics of HB 70 have been left to speculate and dream up the worst possible scenarios that could occur without opposition. This was due to the lack of a voice from those best able to determine what the future that the “Youngstown Plan” could bring about, the actual members of the Youngstown City Schools Academic Distress Commission (YADC).

Today that changes. As the chairman of the YADC, I write this column to share a vision of what I see and what I believe the other members of the YADC envision for the future of education in the city of Youngstown. My vision of “The Youngtown Plan” and what it looks like is as follows:

Public Education will perform at a higher level than seen in the past 10 years. Progress will not come easily, and it will take multiple years to see the full effects of changes made. Our focus and the CEO’s focus will be directed at improving public education, as in the existing Youngstown City School District, and this will be the focus until we have collectively exhausted all options to make public education work. Charter schools, if they survive the competitive pressures of a better quality public education, delivered by the Youngstown City School District, will be limited and will have to perform at a higher level or face declining enrollment and possible loss of viability. Our goal is to make YCS the first choice for all parents in Youngstown due to its performance.

Effective Leadership, which unites and draws input from key stakeholders, such as parents, teaching staff, support staff, and administrative staff in the district, creating functional leadership teams within each school, connected throughout the district. The CEO must create a culture that embraces performance measurement, evaluation and improvement plans. He/she must require accountability from all stakeholders for their inputs into the system and a strong desire for improvement to achieve education goals throughout the entire district, not just in select schools with select students. It will take strong leadership, not only from the CEO but at all levels of the system to make education work again in the YCSD.

Continuity in the district’s purpose (education), goals, curriculum, methods and educational objectives will be created in the form of a “living” plan. A plan developed after input is received from all stakeholders. Through the creation of a clear plan, one that does not change day to day, the attention of the CEO and his/her staff can be focused on improving educational outcome and removal of distractions and barriers that are counter to accomplishing the districts educational potential. A more stable team of administrators and support personnel will work to establish consistency and competency within all areas of the certified teaching staff through a process of evaluation, professional improvement plans, and adoption of research-based best practices in instruction, while eliminating the use of the “programs” of the day that come and go.

Responsible changes must be made to correct individuals and group’s actions or inactions that are seen as irresponsible, counterproductive and not consistent with the goal of delivering the best possible educational outcome for the students and value for the taxpayers that support the district. Changes will be required, and stakeholders who do not embrace the need to improve their performance, fail to align their actions with achieving educational goals and resist responsible changes, should expect to be confronted. Those who are unwilling to act responsibly by attempting to adapt, improve and perform at acceptable levels will likely not be a fit for the culture this system. Responsible changes in pay and benefits may also occur, most likely in the form of an increase in wages for the certified teaching staff. Urban education requires a highly qualified, stable, properly compensated and motivated teaching staff to deal with the challenges faced every day in the classroom. Teaching in the Youngstown city schools should not be associated with the lowest pay and the most challenging classroom environment, and this will need to change if we are going to be successful in improving education in the city of Youngstown.

Education System will be run by educators and not by the ADC. The CEO will have the ability to focus his/her energy on developing relationships with key community stakeholders, top level administrative team and building leadership teams, working on achieving momentum towards accomplishing objectives and goals of the improvement plan. The focus will be on managing and evaluating the creation of the culture, vision, and actions that support improving the district’s educational performance and not answering to the ADC or some other body on matters that should be handled within the day-to-day affairs of the district’s operations. Educators need to provide input on educational decisions, treasurers and business managers should be relied on to provide input on operational decisions and the CEO, with his senior administrative team, will have the ability to do what is best for achieving the goals of the district, which are educating young minds. The ADC’s role is to monitor the CEO’s actions, to see that there is purposeful progress being made, consistent with the agreed upon plan. The ADC and the community as a whole will need to allow the CEO reasonable latitude to make changes for the sake of the entire district’s educational performance and recognize that all changes will not appeal to all parties but will be what is best for YCS and the students, staff and community long term. The educators within the system need to be respected in their role and allowed to do what is right for the educational outcome that we all desire to achieve.

As chairman of the YADC, this is the future under “The Youngstown Plan” that I believe is possible through the thoughtful and rigorous selection of a strong minded, knowledgeable and thoughtfulleader as a CEO. My goal is to develop a sense of community, purpose and support behind this person, as well as, to start to rebuild the identity of the Youngstown city schools. Establishing a culture of respect and consideration for all stakeholders, provided that their needs and points of view align with achieving the educational goals of all students in the Youngstown city schools. The ADC and its five members can only accomplish their role in defining and delivering on our version of “The Youngstown Plan” through the hiring of a competent CEO and helping to shape the plan that is developed. It takes a community to raise a child and it will take the entire Mahoning Valley community and all stakeholders involved in the YCSD working together and desiring a different outcome. Desiring for, and allowing public education to work again in the city of Youngstown. Putting aside self-interest and working collectively to improve education and through this, improving our entire community.

Now that you know my version of “The Youngtown Plan”, I would ask all stakeholders these questions: Do you desire to see education work again? Will you put aside self-interest to be part of something that can work, that can make a difference in lives of the children of the city of Youngstown and can improve the future of this community? Do you desire this in a strong enough way to be willing to work together, in a responsible and respectful manner, giving our version of “The Youngstown Plan” a chance to work?

We wait anxiously to hear your response.

Brian Benyo is chairman of the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission.