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Where is credit due
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Board of Education members were missing when it came to credit that was due for the all-day preschool started in December, said board president Brenda Kimble.
“It happened long before CEO [Krish Mohip} was in place,” she said. “That ball started rolling then.”
Before the all-day preschool, the district offered only a half-day program four days a week.
Mohip thinks the credit is moot when it comes to the schools’ progress.
“What difference does it make who gets the credit?” he said. “What’s important is that we as a district are providing a program that is going to help our students.”
The board, however, had two chances to put an expanded program in place – but didn’t.
In March, The Vindicator reported Stephen Stohla, interim superintendent, drafted a preschool expansion program for board members.
No action was taken regarding the draft.
Two months later, Stohla distributed an alternative preschool expansion program – again the board didn’t vote on the superintendent’s recommendation.
Also in March, it was Kimble who told The Vindicator that she wasn’t in favor of changing any of the programs offered in the city schools.
Eight months later, Dec. 1, Youngstown City Schools sent out a news release announcing all-day, five days-per-week preschool in elementary school buildings. The program is a collaboration of Youngstown City Schools and Alta Head Start.
Mohip said he doesn’t know what all happened before he came to the city schools. He learned from Stohla that there was no approved plan to expand the district’s preschool from half to full day.
During a previous interview, Mohip said authority given to him by the Youngstown Plan enables him to “not let the bureaucracy slow [the district] down.”
The Youngstown Plan gives Mohip full authority to implement appropriate interventions without having to wait for school board approval.
Board members have previously brought Mohip’s authority into question, suggesting getting a second opinion to reinforce their involvement in operations such as implementing all-day preschool.
Kimble said she’s grateful the program is in place now, but still upset at the lack of credit.
“No one’s mentioning we had anything to do with it, and we did,” she said.