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Panel seeks more details for Youngstown district’s strategic plan
youngstown city schools
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Members of the city schools’ academic distress commission expect to approve by December a district strategic plan submitted by CEO Krish Mohip.
The commission’s meeting Tuesday marked the first one since Mohip submitted the plan Sept. 6. A few more are expected before the commission’s vote to approve or reject it.
The plan is a framework aimed at improving academic achievement in the long-struggling school district and goals and strategies can be added as the process goes on.
“The plan is a living document,” said Brian Benyo, commission chairman.
ADC members requested more detail on how Mohip planned to achieve some of the goals and objectives included in the plan.
Mohip will revise the draft plan and resubmit it to the commission. The commission will then schedule another meeting to review that draft and provide additional feedback. That’s to occur within 45 days.
Benyo wants to see action steps and information about who is responsible for what is outlined in the plan.
“For too long, we’ve had a lot of lip service,” he said.
Detailing who will be responsible for what will eliminate that, the chairman said.
He also wants to see a staffing plan for the district as well as the costs involved.
“I’d like to see how the reorganization will put the right people in the right places.” Benyo said.
One goal of the plan is to develop a “world-class workforce.”
Mohip said the plan is what the district is committing to for the next three years. Expenditures will correlate with the goals and objectives.
Member Barbara Brothers, a retired Youngstown State University dean, is concerned about a plan target to ensure all students take the ACT or SAT college entrance exams.
She believes there’s too much emphasis on tests in Ohio. The exam requirement suggests the only path to a successful life is to go to college.
“I want to make sure we’re preparing them in case they decide they want to go on to school,” Mohip said.
When he was in high school, he decided late that he wanted to go to college.
Mohip said he wants students to have a plan when they are seniors about what they will do after graduation.
For the last five years, the district has focused on creating specialty programs and schools, Benyo said. He believes the district needs to evaluate whether those programs are successful.
Jennifer Roller, commission member, added that there also needs to be a path for students to transition out of programs and schools where they are assigned because of behavior problems.