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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2010 > August > 18
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Superintendent’s convocation address spotlights gains, challenges ahead
Dayton Public Schools continues to make incremental gains in student performance but future improvement could be jeopardized by serious funding concerns, Superintendent Lori Ward told the district’s 2,500 employees Wednesday, Aug. 18.
“The uncertainty of state funding and our reliance on half of the operating budget coming from property tax puts us at risk,” Ward said during the district’s convocation at UD Arena.
The annual event serves as a kick-off to the 2010-11 school year, which begins for students on Monday, Aug. 23.
The foreclosure crisis has caused the district to collect less property tax revenue than before voters approved a 4.9-mill operating levy in November 2008. Last year, the district lost about $19 million from unpaid taxes.
Despite those tough financial challenges, Ward told employees she will accept “no excuses” for not striving to do better.
She gave a sneak peek at some preliminary state report card data, which will be released on Aug. 27.
Among the highlights:
— The district received 72.6 (up from 70.8) out of a possible 120 points on the Academic Performance Index, which is the combined total of all district test scores and indicates the students’ rate of progress.
— The district saw improvement in reading and mathematics indicators for Ohio Achievement Assessments for grades 3-8, as well as gains on the Ohio Graduation Test.
The percentage of our students scoring at the advanced and proficient levels continues to increase while the numbers scoring at limited and basic is decreasing,” she said.
Ward also noted the attendance rate increased to 92 percent, the highest since 2001.
“We really should be proud of these results but it’s not good enough,” she said, outlining for employees three key focus areas she identified as teaching and learning, operational efficiencies and customer service.
Ward invited on stage some operations employees to show new color-coordinated uniforms for truck drivers (burgundy), nutrition services (blue and white), grounds (green), security (white), custodians (light blue), building and maintenance (beige) and bus drivers (royal blue.)
Teachers Nancy Vogel and Sanjii Johnigan said after the convocation they liked Ward’s speech for different reasons. Vogel liked how it spotlighted the importance of customer service and collaborating to build a support system. That’s something she considers key in helping kids to succeed. Johnigan liked the superintendent’s tough, “straight forward” approach.
From the moment Ward took the microphone Wednesday, she demonstrated the no excuses style she has become known for during her 15 years with the district.
After emcee Malcolm A. Keith Jr., a recent graduate of Stivers for the Arts, had trouble quieting the crowd so the program could start, Ward publicly chastised several late-arriving employees who were still milling around and greeting colleagues.
She was applauded for it, as well as later when she told employees who don’t believe in the district or its new professional, dress-for-success attitude, “you really need to be someplace else.”
Dayton Public employees, tell us what you thought of Ward’s speech by posting comments here.
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