SPECIAL PHASE III BOARD MEETING DEC. 3

[Betsy Voinovich]

Ken,

Don’t leave! You and your wife understand what’s so great about living in Lakewood and are willing to speak up to try to keep it that way. You are the kind of people who need to stay here!

Lakewood, as it stands, is a great city for little kids. Watch the Lakewoodites come out when the elementary schools get out. Watch the parents and big brothers and sisters picking up the little kids on foot, walking them home, everybody talking to everybody else in their neighborhood.

You know what I’m going to say, yeah, that experience is at risk, with the School Board considering closing the neighborhood school in the heart of the city, in the heart of the densest community of families and children in the city.

I’m with your wife in terms of being upset over the last minute changes at the September Phase 3 Community Forum, where a bait and switch was pulled on the whole city—changing the criteria at the last minute from what was best for students and families to what was best for developers. I am unnerved by the 50 year committee being run by the same person who headed up the group that wanted to turn the West End into a mall. I’m unnerved by a member of that same group being the person who pulled that last minute switch, taking out important information about housing density, and the actual viability of building sites, and replacing it with a made-up fact about “best for re-use,” when the potential for “re-use” had not in any way been studied by the committee in the nine months we had been working and was not one of the factors we had been tasked with studying. The irony here is that the buried architect’s report showed Grant school, the school at the center of the city, to be BEST FOR USE AS A SCHOOL, a good site for rebuilding: big enough to suit any version of renovating or rebuilding that would be required. Back far enough from busy streets to be a great site for a signature school in the middle of our walkable city. It also wouldn’t require that any houses on either side of it be torn down. None of these things can be said about Lincoln, though at the forum, the schools were made to look exactly the same.

HOWEVER, though the school district seemingly rushed to announce the “findings” of the “forum” (Does your wife know that the community was not allowed to speak at that forum? There was no question and answer period, though many on the Phase 3 committee requested it. It was denied by the same person changed the criteria at the last minute. What kind of forum is that?) on their website, as if they were going to follow through with the dishonest forum’s results, THEY HAVE NOT.

This is tough. Obviously some heavy maneuvering is going on here or the School Board would have just made their choice. Grant school meets every one of the criteria if you want to put a school where kids and families are, where they have been for the last fifty years, and where they will be in the future. If you want a site big enough to fit any template in the center of the city that will see the city through the next 50 years and beyond. If you have to close a school, you would close Lincoln. Its site size is rated poor for renovation. Houses will have to be purchased and even then, the school won’t fit the template that the state of Ohio requires for new schools. One fourth of the students enrolled there, don’t live in the neighborhood so the neighborhood would be disturbed LEAST. Many of the families who go there are used to driving their kids long distances (relatively speaking for such a small city as Lakewood) to get to school. If the families who do live close are worried about their kids crossing the train tracks, Horace Mann and Emerson don’t require that. As for the small number of kids who would have to walk the furthest—though not that far-- because they live right next to the lake, it’s safe to say that their families are among the most able to get them to school by car in the winter and in bad weather. This could not be said of many of the families at Grant, and in the April Community Forum, the community expressed its desire that this decision not hurt the most vulnerable families in Lakewood.

Having said that, as I said in an article I wrote for the Lakewood Observer last month, Grant and Lincoln are the only two excellent-rated elementary schools in Lakewood, though Grant is the more impressive, as it has the greater challenges: 1 in 10 students who speak English as a second language, a higher number of economically challenged families. However, both schools are impressive, and prove the point that it’s not a shiny new school that causes a school to be rated excellent. It’s what goes on inside the school. Maybe they ought to reconsider closing EITHER of these schools, again, the only two excellent-rated elementary schools in Lakewood.

Having said that, overall, Lakewood has good schools, with great staffs and teachers and a School Board which has been able to accomplish that. You say some pretty harsh things about them, “zero leadership” among them, but this is the same School Board that has protected Lakewood schools for many years. I have said some harsh things too but they’re hanging in there. They work hard for very little money. Right now they have a very hard decision to make, and it has to be the right one. There’s no money for mistakes. If they empty out the center of the city of the families who live there and who came there because it was easy to get to school, for the idea of building a mall—or something--- someday-- behind Mark's, and it’s as empty as other malls close to Lakewood--if it's ever built, and the families who patronized the businesses already in the center (who would LOVE the competition from a mall!) have left, so there are even more empty storefronts in the center of the city, that will be on their consciences, and it doesn’t have to be! They don’t need to worry about building malls anyway, that’s not their job, they just have to worry about keeping and running good schools. That’s a big enough job.

Lakewood was just rated the best city in which to raise a family (by someone authoritative, I know not who, but I’m sure people on the Deck do.) Our school system was rated excellent in the State of Ohio rankings, though that’s not the case with the federal No Child Left Behind rankings, but those are bogus anyway.

And you have little kids, if there was anything worth speaking up for, and fighting for, wouldn’t it be this? A chance to raise your kids in a city that values its families, children and its own history? Maybe some of the new people have to remind the people who have always lived here, what’s so great about the city. How about trying that? Why did you come here in the first place? It sounds like you guys must have done a lot of research. You must have chosen Lakewood. Gary Rice is right when he says it’s going to be hard to find a place with no problems. This is a small city with a VERY active population. It’s possible to know who is in charge, and to play a part, the way you are right now.

Stick around. Times are tough everywhere in Ohio, but I don’t know a better place to be when times are tough, with better, more knowledgeable or more caring neighbors and citizens, than here.

Betsy Voinovich

[Corey Rossen]

Betsy, you reference the 50 Year Committee -- My understanding was that Lincoln was not even in the original consideration to be on the chopping block during the 50 Year Committee tenure, but that Grant has always been on the block.

Corey Rossen

[Scott Meeson]

Ken,

Don’t leave! You and your wife understand what’s so great about living in Lakewood and are willing to speak up to try to keep it that way. You are the kind of people who need to stay here!

Lakewood, as it stands, is a great city for little kids. Watch the Lakewoodites come out when the elementary schools get out. Watch the parents and big brothers and sisters picking up the little kids on foot, walking them home, everybody talking to everybody else in their neighborhood.

You know what I’m going to say, yeah, that experience is at risk, with the School Board considering closing the neighborhood school in the heart of the city, in the heart of the densest community of families and children in the city.

I’m with your wife in terms of being upset over the last minute changes at the September Phase 3 Community Forum, where a bait and switch was pulled on the whole city—changing the criteria at the last minute from what was best for students and families to what was best for developers. I am unnerved by the 50 year committee being run by the same person who headed up the group that wanted to turn the West End into a mall. I’m unnerved by a member of that same group being the person who pulled that last minute switch, taking out important information about housing density, and the actual viability of building sites, and replacing it with a made-up fact about “best for re-use,” when the potential for “re-use” had not in any way been studied by the committee in the nine months we had been working and was not one of the factors we had been tasked with studying. The irony here is that the buried architect’s report showed Grant school, the school at the center of the city, to be BEST FOR USE AS A SCHOOL, a good site for rebuilding: big enough to suit any version of renovating or rebuilding that would be required. Back far enough from busy streets to be a great site for a signature school in the middle of our walkable city. It also wouldn’t require that any houses on either side of it be torn down. None of these things can be said about Lincoln, though at the forum, the schools were made to look exactly the same.

HOWEVER, though the school district seemingly rushed to announce the “findings” of the “forum” (Does your wife know that the community was not allowed to speak at that forum? There was no question and answer period, though many on the Phase 3 committee requested it. It was denied by the same person changed the criteria at the last minute. What kind of forum is that?) on their website, as if they were going to follow through with the dishonest forum’s results, THEY HAVE NOT.

This is tough. Obviously some heavy maneuvering is going on here or the School Board would have just made their choice. Grant school meets every one of the criteria if you want to put a school where kids and families are, where they have been for the last fifty years, and where they will be in the future. If you want a site big enough to fit any template in the center of the city that will see the city through the next 50 years and beyond. If you have to close a school, you would close Lincoln. Its site size is rated poor for renovation. Houses will have to be purchased and even then, the school won’t fit the template that the state of Ohio requires for new schools. One fourth of the students enrolled there, don’t live in the neighborhood so the neighborhood would be disturbed LEAST. Many of the families who go there are used to driving their kids long distances (relatively speaking for such a small city as Lakewood) to get to school. If the families who do live close are worried about their kids crossing the train tracks, Horace Mann and Emerson don’t require that. As for the small number of kids who would have to walk the furthest—though not that far-- because they live right next to the lake, it’s safe to say that their families are among the most able to get them to school by car in the winter and in bad weather. This could not be said of many of the families at Grant, and in the April Community Forum, the community expressed its desire that this decision not hurt the most vulnerable families in Lakewood.

Having said that, as I said in an article I wrote for the Lakewood Observer last month, Grant and Lincoln are the only two excellent-rated elementary schools in Lakewood, though Grant is the more impressive, as it has the greater challenges: 1 in 10 students who speak English as a second language, a higher number of economically challenged families. However, both schools are impressive, and prove the point that it’s not a shiny new school that causes a school to be rated excellent. It’s what goes on inside the school. Maybe they ought to reconsider closing EITHER of these schools, again, the only two excellent-rated elementary schools in Lakewood.

Having said that, overall, Lakewood has good schools, with great staffs and teachers and a School Board which has been able to accomplish that. You say some pretty harsh things about them, “zero leadership” among them, but this is the same School Board that has protected Lakewood schools for many years. I have said some harsh things too but they’re hanging in there. They work hard for very little money. Right now they have a very hard decision to make, and it has to be the right one. There’s no money for mistakes. If they empty out the center of the city of the families who live there and who came there because it was easy to get to school, for the idea of building a mall—or something--- someday-- behind Mark's, and it’s as empty as other malls close to Lakewood--if it's ever built, and the families who patronized the businesses already in the center (who would LOVE the competition from a mall!) have left, so there are even more empty storefronts in the center of the city, that will be on their consciences, and it doesn’t have to be! They don’t need to worry about building malls anyway, that’s not their job, they just have to worry about keeping and running good schools. That’s a big enough job.

Lakewood was just rated the best city in which to raise a family (by someone authoritative, I know not who, but I’m sure people on the Deck do.) Our school system was rated excellent in the State of Ohio rankings, though that’s not the case with the federal No Child Left Behind rankings, but those are bogus anyway.

And you have little kids, if there was anything worth speaking up for, and fighting for, wouldn’t it be this? A chance to raise your kids in a city that values its families, children and its own history? Maybe some of the new people have to remind the people who have always lived here, what’s so great about the city. How about trying that? Why did you come here in the first place? It sounds like you guys must have done a lot of research. You must have chosen Lakewood. Gary Rice is right when he says it’s going to be hard to find a place with no problems. This is a small city with a VERY active population. It’s possible to know who is in charge, and to play a part, the way you are right now.

Stick around. Times are tough everywhere in Ohio, but I don’t know a better place to be when times are tough, with better, more knowledgeable or more caring neighbors and citizens, than here.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy,

It sounds as though the school board tried to run over the people of Lakewood, but because they stopped for few red lights along the way-- we should keep the faith???

[sharon kinsella]

Betsey -

Good post. You have made it clear the twisted maneuvers that were at play in this whole mess.

As you know, I truly think we need to wade through the field and roust the manipulators. Sit everyone of them in a room with people such as yourself, Colleen, Meg and Danielle and call them on it and see what is behind their actions.

We already have a cliff in the Valley that has been mutilated, do we need to allow these people near our kids?

I think not.

Blessings to you and the rest of the people who stand up and say "The emperor has no clothes".

[Danielle Masters]

I am going to weigh in on this too. Ken, Lakewood is an amazing city. We are not from here but Lakewood is our home. My husband and I are both westerners and to us Lakewood seems like such an awesome place. We've left Lakewood (and Ohio) twice since we first moved here in 1995. Once we went back to California and once back to Arizona, both of those are our home states. But both times we realized that Lakewood is our home. And the main reason it is our home is because it fits our family lifestyle. Is Lakewood perfect? Absolutely not but nowhere is. The schools despite the bickering you here from many of us are great which is why we are so passionate, the passion and frustration is because we care. But Lakewood is not for everyone, so if it doesn't fit your lifestyle then begging you to stay won't help. But as far as kids getting a quality education Lakewood is tops. I come from this at all sides, special education, regular education, gifted education, they are all tops.

As for housing, if you like quirky old homes that are all a bit different then stay, if you like suburbia then you won't find it here. If you like your neighborhoods diverse and you want your kids to understand that world is fast and people practice all sorts of religions and speak tons of different languages then Lakewood is the place for you.

I do love this city, I worry about change but change is part of life. I hope that whatever you decide to do you do what is best for you.

[Scott Meeson]

I am unnerved by the 50 year committee being run by the same person who headed up the group that wanted to turn the West End into a mall. I’m unnerved by a member of that same group being the person who pulled that last minute switch, taking out important information about housing density, and the actual viability of building sites, and replacing it with a made-up fact about “best for re-use,” when the potential for “re-use” had not in any way been studied by the committee in the nine months we had been working and was not one of the factors we had been tasked with studying.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy,

Please provide the names of the persons you are referring too? That would be a valuable service for your fellow citizens/families!

[Betsy Voinovich]

Hi Scott,

Jay Foran is one of the people I was speaking of. He worked with the group that was set on turning the West End into a strip mall. He was a founder of the Lakewood Alive PAC, now the Lakewood Alive 501c3 and he was one of the leaders of the 50 year committee. I learned that history from one of the threads on here. I will find it and refer you to it.
Here it is:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... f=7&t=8495
(It’s on the third page of the thread, halfway down, starting with
“a short observation on the history of the ‘cult’ known as Lakewood Alive”)

I know Lakewood Alive’s aim is economic development in Lakewood, my question is and has been, why are members from this group so involved in future of the schools, and which schools close and which ones stay open? Are they experts on which environments are best for teaching and learning, for students and families? My fear is that the school system and its school buildings, families, students and teachers get used as chess pieces in city planning. I wasn’t on the 50 year committee and I don’t know that much about it. I know that the goals of the Phase 3 committee were EXPLICITLY trying to make decisions that would be best for Lakewood’s students and families, and teaching and learning, for the next 50 years. There was no mention of city planning, and deciding anything about which site might be better used if it was closed.

This brings me to Kirsten Senger. She is the person on the Phase 3 coordinating council who unilaterally decided the day before the Community Forum that “best re-use” was suddenly a category that was going to be in the presentation to the community, instead of things like maps of housing density that showed where students and family live and are likely to live in the future. She is a member of Lakewood Alive and was a member of the 50 year committee. In an email to Phase 3 members when we protested this last minute category being used she said that the justification for adding this category was that “best use of closed school properties” had been a part of what the 50 year committee was thinking about. I don’t know much about the 50 year committee but I would hope that “best re-use” came way after what was best for teaching and learning and families in their committee. As I said, it unnerves me that city planning enters into these kinds of discussions and people whose mission is to do developments in Lakewood are prominent leaders.

Having said that, whatever the 50 year committee was about, what to do with closed school properties was NOT one of the four criteria stated for the Phase 3 committee at any time. Having said that, it was subjective in the extreme to say that the Grant property was “best for re-use” when our committee had not studied that issue for one second. This Community Forum was supposed to be about presenting our findings after we had worked and collected information for NINE MONTHS, and this category was added the day before. If the City of Lakewood wants or needs to join hands with the School Board to discuss the future of the city and where its buildings are, and they need to jointly work on what is best for students, families, teaching and learning, together with where buildings would best suit the City, they they should form that committee. And even then, that would be the City, not Lakewood Alive, which while it is a CDC (Community Development Organization--- learned what those letters stood for this year too) it’s not the City of Lakewood.

Okay, so Ken, where are you? How about some good news? Why did you and your family move here? I’m pretty sure if you liked it enough to come here, that most of what you liked can still be saved. We need to study what is RIGHT about Lakewood. So many other inner ring suburbs have collapsed, but not us, we’re different, let’s figure out why and protect that, and build on that.

Betsy Voinovich

[Rhonda loje]

Quote from Betsey Voinovich:
And even then, that would be the City, not Lakewood Alive, which while it is a CDC (Community Development Organization--- learned what those letters stood for this year too) it’s not the City of Lakewood.

Betsey,
The problem that I see is that this CDC (LA) is becoming part of the City of Lakewood. To me that is a conflict of interest. See the content on the Executive Board and At-Large Board Members (as taken from the LA website and listed below).

Note: You have the Mayor, 2 Council Members and the Planning & Development Director for the City of Lakewood all prominent member of the Board of LA.

But I like your idea....

let’s figure out why and protect that, and build on that.

President:
Mikelann Ward Rensel
Nonprofit consultant

Vice-President:
Jack Gustin
President, Lakewood Hospital

Treasurer:
Mary Sue McGorray - Finance Committee Chair
McGorray Funeral Home

Secretary:
Curt Brosky
Exec. Director, LSC Service Corp

Past President:
David Shaw
Senior VP, First Federal of Lakewood

At-Large
Jenni Baker - The Bullock Group; Development Committee Chair

Paul Beegan - Beegan Architectural Design; Housing Committee Chair

Steven Clark – Lakewood Chamber of Commerce; Treasurer

Randy Doi – Collins Gordon & Bostwick

Ed FitzGerald – Mayor, City of Lakewood

Jay Foran - Team NEO; Community Engagement Committee Chair

Chas Geiger – Geiger’s Clothing & Sports

Nathan Kelly – Planning & Development Director City of Lakewood

Mary Louise Madigan - Ward 4 Council Representative

Tom McConnell - Discount Drug Mart

Steve Ott Esq. - Ott & Associates; Governance Committee Chair

Paula Reed – Prudential Lucien Realty; Downtown Lakewood Committee Chair

Mike Summers - Summers Rubber; Ward 3 Council Representative

Terry Vincent - Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Board President

[Kristine Pagsuyoin]

To Everyone who has mentioned the 50-Year Committee in this thread:


The job of the Phase III Committee was never to build upon the work of the Fifty Year Committee. This committee was supposed to start from scratch based on the new conditions that the State had set before us. Originally, the third phase of the facilities plan was not to close any additional schools. However, the State will not pay, due to shrinking enrollment in Lakewood, for a third building to be renovated or rebuilt. In other words, it doesn’t matter if Lincoln was included in the Fifty Year plan or not. In fact, we spent a lot of time within the Phase III Committee trying not to rely on that experience and that report. Things have changed drastically in Lakewood and with our economy since that report came out. Referring back our using that report as a basis or foundation for what happened with Phase III is just not correct. It was not offered has a piece of data that should be considered in the report that was submitted to the BOE.


Kristine Pagsuyoin

[Jim O'Bryan]

To Everyone who has mentioned the 50-Year Committee in this thread:


...It was not offered has a piece of data that should be considered in the report that was submitted to the BOE.


Kristine Pagsuyoin

Kristine

While Jay Foran has said that, and I believed introduced that idea to the Phase III Committee.
It should be noted that Kristine Senger is on record saying that it was, and
that the number one idea from the 50-Year-Committee be the single biggest point for
consideration, ie. best reuse.

FWIW

.

[Danielle Masters]

My frustration was and still is that the whole point of the phase III committee was to start from scratch. We were told that the slate was to be wiped clean. That there were no preconceived ideas as to what would happen but yet people keep going back to the 50 year report. Why? Because phase III didn't come up with the "right" recomendation.

[Betsy Voinovich]

Hi Danielle,

Well, what can we do? That seems to be a popular topic. We've got the frustration thing down, it's time to move past that.

One thing we can do is make sure that everyone knows who the School Board takes their marching orders from if that is what happens. We can connect all the dots again and again. Who is on which committee. When and why? Economic development for whom? What happened last time? What does this have to do with what is best for students and families and neighborhoods? For teaching and learning?

And let's not forget the best part. We can define in as strong a way as possible what is amazing and worthwhile and resilient about our city. And certainly a voter registration campaign or two would help, (and some new candidates) which at some of the schools will start with us helping our parents get their citizenship. These middle school kids are brilliant translators. They'll help. They've had a great education. Here in LAKEWOOD. Let's say it again. This very education has been PROVIDED BY and PROTECTED in the past by some of the very same people that are sitting on that school board now. They've done so many things right in the past. We have to keep the faith, baby.

Why would you close the best school in your city? The one that had proven it could take the hardest cases--- kids from refugee camps in Myanmar who had never been in ANY kind of classroom, kids from Cleveland whose math and reading skills were NEVER attended to in their former schools, and in a year-- as shown by the State of Ohio's new standard, the Value Added measure-- turn them around? The kids bring this success home to their families. Their families are grateful and pay attention and figure out how to support their kids at this great school, thus learning how to be better and better citizens of Lakewood.

Besides the fact that Grant school serves the most dense area of families and children in the city. An area that has served children and families for the past hundred years, as shown by the County Auditor's Office and the U.S. Census Bureau, and trends show, will continue to serve this kind of population, famiies and children, far into the future. People have told me that I only support Grant school because my kids go there. This is certainly why I know about it. But my kids going there doesn't really have any effect on the County Auditor's Office or the U.S. Census Bureau, or the State of Ohio's school report card.

Grant serves Victoria and Elmwood and Arthur and Lakeland and Belle. It's a diverse school. The Sesame Street of Lakewood. Unless it's closed to build a strip mall. Yes, I'm repeating myself for possible reporters and readers from the Sun papers who may never have read the Deck before. Grant is rated Excellent by the State of Ohio, has a population in which one of ten students speaks English as second language, and is at an over 55 percent poverty rating. It is on a large piece of property far back on a residential street, where the children are safe from traffic and have plenty of space for their playground already. Teachers and parents already have plenty of parking. The template is large enough for everything the State of Ohio requires. No additional houses on either side of the school would have to be acquired and torn down.

If this school was rebuilt, it could be a shining school at the center of this beautiful city. Especially if the School Board property was used also. It could be a showpiece, along with our library. The world apparently already knows what a great place Lakewood is to raise a family. We could show people that this is how you do it when you care, when you understand who you are, and what you're good at, and that Lakewood is a place to LIVE. In cool houses built by people who loved them, the way we still do. It's a place to WALK, and TALK to each other. And play music and drink coffee and shop at local stores, run by neighbors, and come home from work and school and do our homework.

Look at the time! Gotta get ready for school again. See you there.

Betsy Voinovich

[Corey Rossen]

The one that had proven it could take the hardest cases--- kids from refugee camps in Myanmar who had never been in ANY kind of classroom, kids from Cleveland whose math and reading skills were NEVER attended to in their former schools, ...
Betsy Voinovich

Are you saying that only Grant has teacher/student success stories? That Grant has the best teacher/student success stories? I bet I know a lot of teachers throughout Lakewood's School System that who might politely like to add to those success stories.

Corey Rossen

[Danielle Masters]

Is Grant the only success story? Absolutely not but Grant is a huge success and that should be noted. Grant is the only public elementary school in Lakewood to be a Blue Ribbon School. That is something that Grant alone can claim. Grant is one of only two elementary schools that are rated excellent and Grant has done so with a population of students that is extremely diverse. Grant is a success and I think it is a role model of what can happen in an inner ring suburb with hard work. That is not to diminish the work of the other amazing teachers in the district but once again Grant is succeeding and that needs to be celebrated.

[Corey Rossen]

Grant is one of only two elementary schools that are rated excellent and Grant has done so with a population of students that is extremely diverse.

In all fairness to the many Sun Newspaper readers that are reading this for the first time - would you like to mention, in name, who the second Excellant rated school is?

I believe that all of Lakewood and all of Lakewood's schools are diverse.

One thing that I can't leave unmentioned is my pure admiration of the "Ambush Method" of writing and promoting (as we used to call it in my school days) - and that is the overuse of the word or concept being promoted or advertised. Such as the word "Grant" is being used in your writing while ignoring and leaving out the word "LINCOLN." Trust me, I am not criticizing, just having flashbacks to Professor Imogene Bolls and Journalism 101, 102 and 103.

Corey Rossen