We have prepared a page full of PARCC info, district testing schedules and links to practice tests. Our intent is to provide information for families to research the PARCC and make informed decisions about PARCC testing. We are not endorsing for or against PARCC testing but merely providing information for families to make their own decisions.
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Parent Group Airs Concerns
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, January 28, 2015: Reynoldsburg City Schools Superintendent Tina Thomas-Manning, celebrating one year on the job January 27, 2015, continues to operate in her role as the district’s top administrator without goals. Raider Strong and its membership feels this is a breach of contract between Thomas-Manning and Reynoldsburg’s Board of Education. Thomas-Manning entered into a ‘Superintendent Elect’ Contract on January 27, 2014, with Reynoldsburg’s Board of Education, as witnessed by then-board President Andrew Swope and current Treasurer Tammy Miller. “The Board hereby employs the Employee, and the Employee hereby accepts employment, as Superintendent Elect of the Reynoldsburg School District commencing on May 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2014.” The contract was “entered” on January 27, 2014. In a subsequent contract, transitioning Thomas-Manning to the full role of Superintendent beginning August 1, 2014 (also dated January 27, 2014), the agreement clearly states, “The board shall evaluate the Superintendent at least once each year and in accordance with Board policy. The Board and Superintendent shall mutually adopt goals consistent with the job description of the Superintendent.” (Italics added for emphasis.) Raider Strong has addressed this concern with Thomas-Manning, asking publically for her goals at the December 16, 2014, regular monthly meeting. Later, the group adopted a position statement asking for Thomas-Manning’s goals by January 27, 2015, one year after her official hire. It is Raider Strong’s position that goals are key to the success of any individual or organization. “District goals are measured by the state through the Ohio Department of Education’s annul state report card. Teacher goals are measured according to contract language negotiated in the fall of 2014. Superintendent goals are also required, as stated in the contract Tina Thomas-Manning signed. It is these goals that are used in her annual review clearly stated in her current contract with the Reynoldsburg City School District and the Reynoldsburg Board of Education,” the group’s Position Statement outlines. “There are systems in place to measure student achievement, educator achievement, administrator achievement, our district achievement – yet the system to measure our superintendent’s achievement remains unaddressed,” said Margaret Mary Luzny, president of Raider Strong. “We asked for goals by January 27, 2015, but none were adopted at the regular January board meeting. We are clearly disappointed.” Raider Strong is a non-profit Political Action Group that was created to support excellence and high quality education in the Reynoldsburg City School District. Our vision is to foster an open relationship between the community, teachers, the administration, and the Board of Education in Reynoldsburg in support of our mission in the hopes of creating a high quality educational system in which all children achieve their educational goals. Raider Strong meets on the last Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church in Reynoldsburg. For more information, contact Debbie Dunlap, Communications Chair, at (614) 581-2870, or Luzny at (614) 5703173. Raider Strong PAC meeting- January 27th, 2015
Meeting called to order @ 7:00 P.M by Margaret-Mary Luzny Reading of Agenda • Motion to approve agenda for January 27th, 2015 Moved by Beth Thompson, Seconded by Sabrina Gray Approval of Minutes • Not Available Business • Concerns for Standards Based Reporting - Discrepancy between buildings - Lack of teacher input - Inital conferences cancelled - Report card issues - Lack of comments from teachers - Still getting A,B,C,D letter grades ◦ Not Happy about assignments being chosen ◦ High Schools may be going to standard based grades as well ◦ Not enough consistency even in the building from teacher to teacher *Note from teacher, Jana Alig went into her grade book, adding things the teacher didn't intend to add. Schedule of all Assessments of our District • Not going well, we've decided to make a formal request • schedule on website is not accurate • asking a teacher from each building to try and let us know more about when the testing occurs. -How much reviewing is being done for each test. • Send an e-mail to Kim Cooper for teachers to do an anonymous survey Communications Committee Report – Chairperson Debbie Dunlap • Adopt a teacher program - Five businesses donated, handed off to the REA to be distributed - Press release regarding Margaret-Mary Luzny's denial to speak - Third press release regarding Tina Thomas-Manning's contract - Signed up for Tomato Festival Booth New Business • We need to develop a fundraising/finance committee • We need to develop an advocacy group for IEP and 504 families • Jana's report at last board meeting was inaccurate - Schools not following policy - Busing open enrollment students - Suspension shortening for open enrollment students Roundtable PARCC • We are not endorsing opting out simply providing information School Board Members Meet but Deny Public Participation
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, January 21, 2015: A Reynoldsburg parent and the president of Raider Strong was turned away Tuesday, Jan. 20, when she arrived at the regular monthly board meeting asking to speak. In the past, anyone wishing to address school board members during the group’s Public Participation portion of the monthly agenda, could either contact one of the board members in order to express interest in speaking, or fill out a comment card just prior to the meeting. But at the Jan. 20th regular monthly meeting, Margaret Mary Luzny was told the option to fill out a comment card prior to the meeting was no longer available. According to the board policy, adopted in March of 2012, “It is suggested, although not required, that persons or delegates desiring to be heard before the Board regarding topics not on the prepared agenda notify the Superintendent and/or Board President of the topic no later than seven calendar days in advance of the meeting.” In the past, forms were available at the meeting for parents or participants wishing to address the board. A formal change in policy has not been adopted since 2012. The public was not informed of the abrupt change in procedure which appears to be a violation of policy. “It was my intent to address the district’s Open Enrollment Policy which was up for discussion last night,” said Luzny. “My notes indicated as much. But I was denied a voice. This has never been done in the past. The only time community members were denied a voice was during a recent month when the number of participants were clearly going to overextend the comment time allowed by the board.” [“At every regular Board meeting, the agenda may include a total of 30 minutes for public concerns where individuals may address Board members.”-- BDDH (Also KD)] Luzny feels this is a very conscious move by the board’s new president, Elaine Tornero, to control who speaks during the monthly meetings. What was common practice in the past was blatantly thrown aside, she said, with Tornero’s new role. Raider Strong is a non-profit Political Action Group that was created to support excellence and high quality education in the Reynoldsburg City School District. Our vision is to foster an open relationship between the community, teachers, the administration, and the Board of Education in Reynoldsburg in support of our mission in the hopes of creating a high quality educational system in which all children achieve their educational goals. Raider Strong meets on the last Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church in Reynoldsburg. For more information, contact Debbie Dunlap, Communications Chair, at (614) 581-2870, or Luzny at (614) 5703173. Local Businesses Donate Reynoldsburg, Ohio, January 4, 2015: Raider Strong, a Reynoldsburg Advocacy Group, was able to help out several Reynoldsburg City School District teachers over the holiday season through its first-ever Adopt-A-Teacher for the Holidays Campaign.
Five area businesses and families participated in the inaugural campaign, meant to off-set the financial burden of the holidays for local teachers involved in a three-week strike in Reynoldsburg this past fall. Park National Bank branches in Pataskala (Brian Elder, manager) and Reynoldsburg (Adam Dickover, manager), AAA Car Care Plus (East Broad, Columbus), Uno Pizzeria and Grill (Pickerington), Glory Auto Sales LTD (East Main, Reynoldsburg), and the Marcum family each donated to the campaign. The donations were handed over to the Reynoldsburg Education Association for distribution. “This was a wonderful opportunity for Raider Strong to spread some goodwill during the holiday season,” said Margaret Mary Luzny, president, Raider Strong. “As a community, we’ve been through so much in 2014. Even though it was a very difficult time for all of us, we were able to come together under a common goal which eventually strengthened our resolve as a community. We continue to heal well into 2015, so this ongoing appreciation of our educators was a just a natural outreach for us as a group. We hope next year’s Adopt-A-Teacher Campaign is even bigger and better.” During the work-stoppage, teachers were fighting for smaller class sizes and uninterrupted planning time, and against a pay system that was based on a new, unprecedented state teacher evaluation system and unchartered online testing. Teachers returned to work mid-October, but were not given back-pay for the days missed due to the strike. Raider Strong is a non-profit Political Action Group that was created to support excellence and high quality education in the Reynoldsburg City School District. Our vision is to foster an open relationship between the community, teachers, the administration, and the Board of Education in Reynoldsburg in support of our mission in the hopes of creating a high quality educational system in which all children achieve their educational goals. Raider Strong meets on the last Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church in Reynoldsburg. For more information, contact Debbie Dunlap, Communications Chair, at (614) 581-2870. |
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