Audience Questions at the Debate.
I really have to say I hope you all watch online later through Fox, there have been some great moments in the debate with thoughts and a few laughs as well.
Okay, order changed – closing statements –
Cheryl Catlin, we need to have creative thinking, if parents don’t have computers than teachers can print information out. If we don’t start now when will we have a computer literate Toledo. We have to plan for their future not ours. We have the largest per pupil expenditure and the lowest results, we need to compare apples to apples, there are no jobs for unskilled people.
Jack Ford – he first pitches COSI levy, in response to Chris Myers, policy on public commenting was in place before he got there, as one of five board members he’ll listen no matter when. You have a tough choice, I have experience managing a huge budget and making tough choices none of the other candidates have. Part of the job is to go head to head with the unions, knows every knook and cranny, we are going to have to have a levy and knows those in the legislature and Strickland administration.
Ted Jobe, he’s taught at every high school but Bowsher and Start, students who live in the more affluent neighborhoods come to school with a dream. They want to do something, kids in the inner city don’t come to school with a dream. One of the things I tried to do is to instill a dream in them, started a program to try to encourage kids to dream about what they wanted to be. In many cases they have only seen what they have seen on tv, basketball, foot ball, rap.
Harold Mosley, I have sat and I have listened to everyone’s pitch they have not touched on the safety of your children. They will not learn if they do not feel safe. There is not a person on this panel that can give you that, and I was so good that I was HIS body guard, (Jack) no other person has the expertise, the drive, the tenacity to get the job done. My job is to work with the board to get the job done, “what are you going to do and how are you going to do it” is what Toledo knows.
Chris Myers, his background is he has two degrees in Education, I asked you at the beginning to watch out for, he pointed out things he stated that other candidates did not mention. Issues such as declining enrollment, contract negotiations will be before this board. If you want someone who is pushing for academics, technology, openness.
Lisa Sobecki, we have a wonderful you are going find out what I’ve already been doing, as a PTO president I worked side by side with parents to change the perception of what they thought and what they heard is not exactly what they perceived it to be. Parent Congress chair we had three different learning summits and brought over 1300 1500 parents to meet their academic needs. I’ve lobbied for over four years in Columbus and have worked along side of some of your colleagues, Mr. Ford, Fedor, etc…. in regards to funding. I’ve been doing the work, I’ve hit the ground running, each and every child in TPS should have the same opportunity my child does.
First question from the audience was on the board and the past division, basically all of the candidates felt that they would be able to work with the current board members. With the exception of Cheryl who felt that the problem was purposeful by those who did not want change.
Question on safety, what would you do to improve security of school.
Cheryl, fully engaged students are not problem students, commends TPS for what they are doing so far, we need to improve our preoccupation with suspension. We need to focus on roots of problem and intervention, when you disengage children they do other alternatives. Metal detectors, cameras, all types of safety issues.
Jack, you can never be to safe and you will always have some kids that will get into trouble and other things manifested in society as a whole. We live in an urban community and there are things we can not be immune from, TPS has done safety audits and has worked with schools, board members have had executive sessions about what is going on, such as things like what if there was another 9/11. There is no system that is going to be totally immune would rather err on the side of too much safety, what happened in Cleveland has been a warning to all schools in Ohio and elsewhere.
Ted, security is always going to be an issue, in the world we live in someone will always find a way to get around the security. My take on that is that it’s 10 o clock do you know where your children are. If parents had more control over their children we would have less problems, it goes back to the parents. I was coming home late one night at 11 and there were two third and fourth grade children asking to pump my gas, they said they were going to school, but parents need to know where their children are. Until that happens security is necessary.
Harold, last week his campaign manager walked into his daughter’s school without being challenged, we need standardized security while there have been audits if you have someone who has the experience with security the job can get done. Based on all the knowledge and experience that I have, number one they need the security forces, additional police officers, additional training, additional equiipment, radios are not compatible with toledo police department. There should be a direct communication, those are the types of issues I’m talking about you need to have someone who is security minded.
Chris, the incident in Cleveland, there were metal detectors, no one can with one magic wand make things better for the students, we need to look at best practices, we can involve the community, bring in parents as hall monitors, are they being engaged, is the discipline process helping behavior? We have to have a secure environment.
Lisa, Cleveland did not have metal detectors inside the school building, TPS is in their fourth week of opening, and I had a press conference because I saw safety issues with unlocked doors and other complaints and was never challenged, I found this was alarming and asked for an independent audit. They put a phone number out there, never heard of it before, but it was stated it was out there, I can’t promise nothing else can happen, but I want things fixed before something happens.
Harold then talked about after school program that used to exist that he’d like to bring back, need alternative means to express themselves other than gangs, it’s been talked about for 25 years, giving them a place where they can socialize and be safe. I think since there was a place for me to go was important.
Jack stated there were many programs but the problem was more related to coordination.
Question was raised by Cheryl about sports, this is not a very child friendly community and there is disparity when it comes to the sports programs.
Chris, school has the responsibility to educate students during school hours, after school programs are the responsibility thats when you turn to the community partners to help provide that.
Harold felt that up until two weeks ago no one was focusing on safety, no one has focused on what happened at Scott and Woodward.
Lisa on after school programs, nothing except things like chess clubs, it’s not just the inner city schools that don’t have after school programs. We need to be able to navigate through the system to get information to people.
Jack said we told the community when we passed the building levy that we would have new schools and new neighborhoods, I think these new buildings would make great community centers, let’s re think how we use TPS buildings.
