One of the action steps in our new Strategic Plan is to provide a meal program for students during the summer months. We know that often it’s difficult for children to receive nutritious lunches when school is out of session—perhaps because they are home alone if both parents work or perhaps because household budgets are stretched tight these days. I am pleased to say that after some research on available grants for such a program and teaming with the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC), there will be a free lunch program available to Hicksville kids this summer.

Lunches will be available for any Hicksville children, ages three to eighteen. There are no requirements whatsoever to take part in the summer lunch program. Initially, the program would just be available to any students on the free or reduced lunch program, but because Hicksville Schools now has a free and reduced lunch percentage over 50%, the summer lunch program is available to all students. There is no need to fill out any paperwork. All a child would have to do is show up between 12:00 and 12:45 at the Rotary park pavilion to enjoy lunch.

The summer lunch program will begin next Tuesday, June 1st, and run to Friday, August 13th. Lunches will be served Monday through Friday each week. The lunches will be prepared in Defiance and then delivered to Hicksville. Sandi Brown, one of our first-grade teachers, will be supervising the program, and she will be aided by Jordan Kinn, a Hicksville graduate who is now in college majoring in education. They will be overseeing the program each day, and they will be aided by volunteers.

Mrs. Brown’s goal was to provide activities after the lunch each day for those students interested in staying. Volunteers to help supervise lunch and provide after-meal activities will be from The Alley, our village’s youth center, the Johnson Memorial Library and the Hicksville Community Service Center. In addition, Mel and Marian Fahs will be representing Community Memorial Hospital as they volunteer to help out once a week. With our village swimming pool closed for the summer, it will be important to provide alternate activities for our community’s children. The worse thing we can do is let them spend the summer sitting in front of the television set or playing video games.

Once again, I want to emphasize that there are no special requirements to enjoy the summer lunch program, other than the fact that kids need to be between ages 3 and 18 to take part. There is no paperwork to fill out. All that children need to do is show up at the Rotary Pavilion in the park between 12:00 noon and 12:45 p.m. any day that that they want a free lunch. This lunch program is being offered as a cooperative effort between NOCAC and Hicksville Village Schools. It’s just another step we’re taking to make sure we’re helping to keep our kids healthy, happy, and safe.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the things the Chinese could learn (and are learning) from America as far as improving their education system. Among those points of improvement were making students active participants in their learning, assessing students at regular intervals and in multiple ways, and providing educational opportunities for the disabled. I will give China credit in the fact that they are studying educational systems from around the world, and integrating the best of what they are finding into their system. They are determined to be the best. It is also important for the United States to learn from other countries. Though we do a great job in many aspects of education, we don’t “have it right” in all areas, and there are things we can learn from others. There are aspects of the Chinese culture that would serve us well in our country.

First, the role of the parents is paramount in the success of Chinese students. The students in China will say that their parents pressure them too much, but I admire that parents accept full responsibility for the success of their child in school. Parents understand that it is not their role to dictate curriculum or delivery of instruction. But they do understand that if their child is not doing well in school, then it is their responsibility to provide the help and support needed to get their child to the levels of achievement expected by the school. Really, expected by their society. I have to say that we run ourselves thin trying to get some students to perform. Trying to get some students to understand the importance of education. Trying to get some students to give their full attention to doing the very best they can in school. The schools don’t spin their wheels doing this in China. The students come prepared to learn. And if they don’t, then their parents will take care of that matter. If it means getting extra tutoring, they do it. If it means an attitude adjustment, they take care of it at home. If it means saying no T.V., no video games, no dating, no skateboarding, no part-time job (actually, their students wouldn’t think of working during the school year), then they take care of that at home. Learning is number one in Chinese homes. It is in a lot of American homes too. But there are far too many people dropping their kids off at our doorstep when they’re 5 and returning at age 18 to see what kind of job we’ve done with them. The first and primary educators of children are their parents. We’re getting too far away from that in our country.

Second, there is an incredible emphasis to the Chinese children that they must work hard in school to be successful so that they can do their part in making China a great nation. They stress national pride, and it is ingrained in their children. I’m not so sure that we’re doing a very good job of that in the United States. We talk to kids about success. Our mission statement reflects that we want to make students productive citizens. But do we really emphasize to them that if we want the United States to maintain its status as the world’s greatest country, then we need each and every child to prepare to contribute to this great democracy? Quite honestly, not enough. It’s not a message that we’re sharing consistently with our students, and we should.

When I was at Yiling Senior High School, they began their week with a flag raising ceremony. Three thousand students stood at attention on their athletic field as the flag was raised. The students were addressed by a fellow student who was chosen to speak on the theme for the week: “Saying ‘thank you’ to others more often.” Students who performed well the week before were honored in front of the student body. Now, we do a lot of this in different ways. We say the Pledge of Allegiance. We recognize Students of the Month. We work on character issues through our guidance program in the elementary and our Advisor/Advisee program in the middle and high school. But I tell you, they take it to the next level in China. When they say they want to produce productive citizens, they mean it.

One thing I note to people is that when the students and teachers in China spoke with me, many of them spoke of their dream of coming to the United States one day. We cannot ever forget that we are stillknown as the land of opportunity to the people and nations of our world. They are jealous of our democracy. They envy our freedoms. They want the chance to dream the way that we can dream. They want the American dream where it’s possible to be what you want to be. Where it’s possible to advance your lot in life if you’re willing to work, work, work. Where there may be obstacles, but they can be overcome with hope and putting your nose to the grindstone.

We have to make sure that we don’t lose site of our status as history’s greatest democracy. And if we’re going to keep our eyes on that status and maintain it, we have to make sure our children comprehend its importance. It’s why going to China was an experience of a lifetime, but coming home to the United States—that’s what made it all worthwhile.

My plan this week was to wrap up my columns concerning my trip to China, but if I may, I want to just take this week to call your attention to a special event coming up at Hicksville Schools.

Please note the ad in this week’s Tribune concerning our upcoming Senior Citizens Brunch, to be held on Friday, May 21st. This brunch is for Senior Citizens in the Hicksville School District, and we define those people as anyone aged 60 or older. The brunch will be held from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. on the 21st. All you have to bring is an appetite.

The food will be prepared by our staff members and will be served by our students. In addition, you will be entertained by Hicksville students. There is no charge for the event. We simply ask that you make a reservation ahead of time. You can do so by calling the elementary school at 419-542-7475. You may also email your reservation to our elementary secretary, Anita Daniels, at danielsa@hicksvilleschools.org. We would ask that you make your reservation by next Monday, the 17th.

We’ve been doing our Senior Citizens brunch (actually, it was first a luncheon) for a number of years now. Sometimes people ask us why we would have such a special event. The answer is pretty simple. First, we want to honor our community’s Senior Citizens. We know that we are the school that we are today, and we are the community we are today, because of the investment of time, talent, and treasure that our Senior Citizens have given over the years. We want our students to understand the importance of the generations that came before them. Second, we want to show our students off to you! As I noted, you will be served by our students, and they will provide the entertainment for the morning. We want you to see our brightest and our best. We think you’ll leave convinced that our students are pretty neat kids, doing neat things. In a world where the negative seems to occupy so much of our time and attention, it’s nice to pause and reflect on all that is good and right with the world around us.

If you haven’t attended our Senior Citizens brunch before, make this the year that you come out for this event. I promise you that you’ll be glad you came.

The last few weeks it’s been my pleasure to share my experiences in China as part of the Ohio Department of Education’s China Exchange Initiative. The trip was a good mixture of seeing the sights and enjoying the Chinese culture while also spending time in seminars and observing in China’s schools, especially our partner school, Yiling Senior High School. It was good time for reflection on our own educational practices in the United States and realizing that if both nations take the best of what the USA does and combine it with the best of what China does, then we will have the world’s premier education systems. As a means of summarizing the trip, I will first overview those things that I believe China can learn from the USA’s educational system.

First and foremost, students need to be an active part of their learning. In China, high school class sizes are about 65 students per class. The students are in the same “class” throughout the school day and they stay in the same classroom. It’s the teachers who move from room to room. But the students are pretty packed into the classrooms and there is not much room for movement. The traditional practice is that the teacher stands on a platform in front of the classroom and lectures for the entire 40 minute class period. Students take notes and it’s their job to memorize the information.

In the United States, the teacher is not the center of the classroom—the students are. It is the role of the teacher to guide the learning of the students, not stand in the front of the classroom and constantly lead and lecture. In the USA, we do a good job of teaching our students that they should be the owners of their education. We want our students to understand that what they’re doing each day is learning how to, one day, learn on their own.

In the United States, we practice Socratic methods in our classrooms. It’s not always “sit and git” for our students as it is in the Chinese classrooms. Instead, our teachers use question and answer sessions with students. Teachers get students up out of their seats to explore and work in groups to discover answers to questions, instead of being spoon-fed the information, as is often done in China.

Chinese teachers do an excellent job of sharing knowledge with students, and the students do an excellent job of learning that knowledge in order to do well on classroom tests. However, there is not much practical application. Students don’t understand how to take the knowledge and apply it in a real-world, hands-on situation. To be able to provide such an environment, China will need to decrease their class sizes to give teachers and students room to get out of their chairs and become active participants in their own learning.

Second, China can learn from the United States’ philosophy of testing and assessing. In China, there is tremendous pressure on students to do well on the Gaokao. This is the test that students will take at the end of high school to determine if they can go to university or not. If a student does not do well on the Gaokao, then that student is not going to university and is most likely destined to a life of poverty, as the best paying jobs go to college graduates. In the USA, we understand that there is no single test that should be responsible for a student’s failure or success. We do have very important tests, such as our achievement tests, our Ohio graduation test, the ACT and SAT, but in no way is a student’s failure or success determined by one single test. Instead, we give students constant formative assessments to determine their strengths and weaknesses, which allows us to change instructional strategies to meet the needs of students. There is one path to success in China, and that is by doing well on the Gaokao at the end of high school. In the United States, there are many paths to success.

Third, China could learn from our own school’s mission statement that “We believe that each student can learn when given enough time, assistance, and opportunities.” Basically, China does not educate their disabled children. These children stay home. There are some schools for the disabled and the number of disabled students being educated is growing; however, there are far more disabled children who never have the chance to see the inside of a school. The United States has an incredible Special Education system in place, providing each disabled student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help that child find success in accordance with his or her abilities. In most cases, disabled students are in regular classrooms, learning right alongside regular education students. Disabled students in China deserve the same opportunity.

China is fully aware of their shortcomings in their education system and they are working to address those issues. That’s half the battle. But the magnitude of the number of students that are being educated in China makes it a challenge to change anything with the status quo. But they are a determined nation, and ten years from now, I believe that they will indeed be instituting many things that they are learning from the USA and other countries.

As I begin typing my article for this week, I’m in a Boeing 777 airplane, flying over the ocean somewhere between Tokyo and the International Date Line (I’m going to gain back the day I lost over 2 weeks ago). We have flown 2,517 miles since leaving Shanghai Airport at about 4:00 on this Sunday afternoon, with about 4,969 miles yet to cover before arriving in Chicago at about 4:00 on the same Sunday afternoon. Our ground speed is 635 mph. We are flying at 33,000 feet above sea level, and the temperature outside our airplane is currently 50 degrees below zero. I know all this because this information, along with a map, is constantly being shown on the little screen that is located on the back of the seat in front of me. Technology is amazing.

The same amazing technology allowed me to teach a lesson to Mrs. Timbrook’s 2ndGrade class the other day, all the way from China. It was 9:30 at night for me, but 9:30 in the morning for them. I had emailed pictures of many scenes from China ahead of time, and I spoke about the pictures via Skype as the students saw the pictures on the Smartboard in their classroom. The students could see and hear me and I could see and hear them. I answered their questions after my presentation, which included an overview of the major sites I had seen in China. In addition, I spoke to them about the comparisons and contrasts between the American and Chinese cultures. (Just like me, none of them wanted to try scorpion on a stick either). We had an enjoyable time together and I believe that it was a great learning experience for the students. Mrs. Timbrook emailed me later on to tell me that the rest of the day, the students went around saying, “Ni Hao” (prounounced “knee how”), which means “Hello” in Chinese. It’s another example of the incredible things we can do because of technology.

One thing I have found to be more and more true lately is that parents are often trying to define their child’s education in terms of what education was like for them when they were in school. And these are not parents who went to school in the 60’s and 70’s. These are parents who went to school in the 80’s and 90’s. But I’m here to tell you, education in 2010 looks far different from what it did even 10 years ago. And though technology is a major factor in major changes in education, there are a variety of other factors.

One of those factors is the emergence of other nations in the world to challenge the United States as a world power. One of those nations, and one of the biggest challengers, is China. As I’ve noted in a previous article, China’s economic growth since their open door policy began is astronomical. And when you couple that with the mass of people in the country of China, well, it becomes very clear that China is a country which cannot be ignored. I am completely aware of the feelings of Americans when it comes to our regard (or lack thereof) of China as a Communist nation. As an American who believes in the power of a democracy and a representative government, I am no more in favor of Communism than the next person. But my trip was not a political trip. It was an educational trip. And the purpose was to share the best of what we are doing with education in the U.S.A. and also to find out the best of what China is doing with education. The purpose was to create connections, because in doing so, we also create understanding.

The students of 2010 and the coming decades must have a global perspective. They must understand how to interact with, team with, and do business with people of all cultures. They must have an appreciation not only for our country’s history and heritage, but also for the history and heritage of nations with which they will work. We can no longer expect all other nations to beat a path to the door of the United States and regard us as the world’s economic leader. Instead, we must become increasingly competitive. How do we do this? We continue to refine our education system. We continue to find new ways to challenge our students. We find ways to give our students a world view that extends beyond Hicksville, beyond Ohio, and yes, beyond the United States.

Our students’ backyards are a whole lot bigger than mine was when I went to school in the 70’s. It is easier for them to speak (live) to someone from China than it was for us to get good reception on our black and white television on Sunday nights to watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Is education tougher for our kids now than it was when I was in school in the 70’s (or when you were in school in the 80’s or 90’s)? You bet it is. It’s a lot harder. And it’s not going to get easier. Because there are nations like China who are catching on. They’re out there, learning from the best educational systems in the world. And then they are applying that knowledge. They’re doing it quickly, and they’re doing it well. And if we don’t do the same, we’re going to get left behind.

Over the next few weeks, I will overview what I feel we can learn from the Chinese, but I’ll also overview what the Chinese can learn from us. We’re doing a lot of things right in the American education system. If we weren’t, we would not have sustained our position as a world power for the last several decades. But to continue that position, we’ve got some things to learn.

I’m not quite sure where to begin this week’s entry. There is so much that has happened in the past week that it’s next to impossible to summarize it all. I do try to do so on my daily bog, but I know that some of you do not have access to the internet. If you do, then please check my blog on our school’s home page at www.hicksvilleschools.org.

Some of you might question why I am in China as part of the China Exchange Initiative, which is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education and our state superintendent’s organization. We have to realize that the rise of China is one of the central facts of the Twenty-first Century. China’s impressive economic performance over the past twenty years is well known. Less well-known are the great strides it has made in education—in a relatively short period of time. Chinese education leaders seem determined to improve education to raise their people out of poverty and produce a highly skilled population to compete in the world economy.

In response, we must make learning about China and other world regions a top priority. Business, political, and education leaders need to stimulate a national discussion of the skill set American students will need to compete and cooperate in the interconnected world of the Twenty-first Century. This includes, among other things, making sure our curricula includes international knowledge and skills and connections to schools in other countries. My goal is to begin making connections to the international community for our students and teachers and our community. China has become a major player in the world’s economy, and we must address this fact and address it appropriately.

Today (this is Monday evening as I write this), I spent my first day at Yiling Senior High School. I began the day at their flag raising ceremony. This is a school of 3,000 students, grades 10 through12. All 3,000 students were lined up on their athletic field, at attention while a chosen student made a speech to the students on the week’s focus. Their focus as a school for the week is saying “thank you” more often to others. Not a bad focus. And then, top students were called to the stage to be recognized. As all this was occurring, I was lined up on the field with the students, standing in the line of teachers and principals.

And then I was called to the stage. I was to make a “welcome” speech to the students and then present my gifts to the school. As I walked up there, I thought, “I am about to address 3,000 students—that’s the largest audience I’ve ever spoken to. I’m in Yichang City, China. How in the world did I ever get here?” I spoke to the students about three characteristics that I saw in the Chinese people since I arrived: Their graciousness, their industriousness, and their friendliness. And I noted that this day was the beginning of a new friendship between Hicksville Village Schools and Yiling Senior High School.

I spent the day touring the school and visiting classes. Now, you may not believe me, but I feel like a rock star here. I am constantly followed by photographers and news reporters. When I walk into a classroom, the students break out in applause. I keep looking behind me to see if there is some famous actor with me! But the students are very hungry to learn more about America and American culture.

Which leads to my favorite part of the day. I spent about an hour with around 35 members of the school’s speech team in a question and answer session. Now please know that China is now teaching English to all students, so these students were very, very proficient in their English speaking skills. They had many good questions, some of which I will share here (just the questions, not my answers—that would be too lengthy). “How is the American high school curriculum different from the Chinese curriculum?” “Do American students work hard in their classes?” “Do you (meaning me) think that playing video games is bad?” “Do you (again, meaning me) think that parents should push their children so hard to succeed?” “Are television shows like ‘The Gossip Girls’ a true reflection of what high school life is like in the United States?” “What is the value of hard work?” “Why are so many Americans overweight?” “Do American students have to take examinations?” “Do American students work part-time jobs so that they can have pocket change?” “What is American doing to protect the environment?”

There were many good questions and a lot of good discussion from the students. One thing they stressed to me was they feel American students have a broader opportunity to “dream” and to become what they want to become. They feel that American students are encouraged by their teachers to be who they are and to “dream big”. And, I agree with them. It was a great time of doing what I enjoy doing the most—talking with kids about life.

If you have a chance, please check my blog on our school’s home page. I am trying each day to review the day’s events during my trip to China and to include photos so that you can share in this experience with me. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to represent Hicksville Village Schools as part of the Administrator Exchange Program in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Education and the Chinese Ministry of Education. Following is an excerpt of my blog from Sunday, the 11th of April.

Today was a humbling day. The past few days, we’ve been seeing the sights of Xi’an and it’s been intriguing to see the history and people of China and this city. It’s a country with an incredibly rich history and also a vision for a future as seen by the extensive construction taking place in the city. But today was a reminder that this is also a country of well over a billion people, many who are poor and struggling. It was also a reminder that the human spirit seems to prevail, no matter the circumstances.

Our group went to Pangliu to visit this village that is about 30 kilometers from Xi’an. It’s the village where our tour guide, “Richard,” grew up. On the way to the village, Richard told us about his childhood in Pangliu, where his family, like all villagers, was very, very poor. He also told us about the Chinese system of “registration” which basically categorizes each person as “rural” or “urban.” And if you’re rural, there’s not much hope that you will ever rise out of the condition of poverty and go to the city, where there is a chance to get a job and make a decent living.

Our main objective was to visit the Pangliu village school, which houses about 150 students from Grades 1 through 6. It was a delightful part of our journey. But we also got to look through the village of about 2,500 people. It was clear that this was a village made up of people who have very little. The job opportunities are few. Although we did see that there are those who are trying to make a living by starting private businesses raising watermelons, grinding flour, and making bricks, most villagers work for the government in the fields, where they plant and harvest winter wheat followed by corn. As poor as it is, the village we saw is considered one of the more well-to-do villages in the country. But still, the most poor in Hicksville would be considered very well off compared to the people of Pangliu.

The high point of the trip was definitely our visit to the village school. Even though it was Sunday, all children were at the school to welcome us. As we arrived at the school, we walked through a tunnel of children clapping, playing drums and cymbals, and wishing us a “warm welcome.” It was really a festive occasion and we could tell that they were quite excited about our visit.

After meeting with the school’s principal, we visited the students in their classrooms. Some sang songs for us, some showed us how they would work on their lessons in reading or other subject areas. All children will go to middle school after they leave the village school (that was not always the case in the past). After middle school, they will take examinations. Some will go to high school. Some will go to vocational school. Some will drop out of school and continue the life of poverty that generations before them have lived in.

The real story is Richard, our tour guide. As I noted, Richard grew up in Pangliu. Knowing that the only way “out” was to be switched from “rural” to “urban” by the government, Richard was determined to be a good student because going to university was one way that a citizen of China could hope to receive a registration of “urban” and go to the city to get a job that earns decent wages. At that time, the village school was much larger because families were large. It is much smaller today because of the government’s edict of one child per family. So out of Richard’s class of 60, only 5 were allowed to move on to middle school because of their examination results. After middle school, only 2 of the 5 were allowed to move on to high school. Imagine that. Only 2 of the 60 village students from Richard’s class were allowed to get a high school education. Richard was one of those two students.

Ultimately, Richard returned to his village to be a teacher for a couple of years (the government assigns all teachers and principals to the schools at which they will work). After that, he was able to finish his university education (where he learned to speak English fluently) and was sent to the city to work for the government, where he made decent enough wages to help his parents and 5 younger brothers. To make a long story short, Richard ultimately was able to study in the United States for 1 year in the hotel, restaurant, and hospitality industry and he returned to China to manage a hotel for many years. Ultimately, he retired and purchased his own tour business, and he works for the China Exchange Initiative when their groups come to Xi’an.

Richard has never forgotten his roots in Pangliu and his poor childhood, and he is a great champion for the little village school where he got his start. At the school, his picture is on many classroom walls as he has provided money for the school library, computers, and many other projects. Our group made a donation to Richard, which he will give to the school to help them fill a need they might have. Each winter, Richard fully funds the purchase of coal to keep the school warm. It was an incredible story of someone who worked to rise above his surroundings. But after doing so, he didn’t forget where he came from, nor did he forget the needs of the people who still struggle every day.

After the visit to the school, we broke up into 3 groups, and each group went to a villager’s home for lunch. Though the surroundings might have been humble, the generosity was that worthy of kings and queens. The food was delicious and the sincerity of our hosts was overwhelming.

Today was a good lesson in the fact that no matter what, children are children, and they have a way of always seeing the best in the world around them. And it was also a lesson in how one man can make a tremendous difference when he is willing to share his blessings and good fortune with others.

A few weeks ago, I told you about staff member Holly Kobee’s selection as the Defiance County Special Education Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Kobee was honored at the Franklin B. Walter Banquet, held at our Educational Service Center in Archbold. Also honored at this banquet was our Franklin B. Walter scholarship award winner, Joey Adams, and teacher Bob Pelton.

The Franklin B. Walter All Scholastic Achievement Award was established in 1990 by the Ohio

Educational Service Center Association to recognize an outstanding senior from each school within the

State of Ohio. Eligible students must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement as indicated by high

school grades, test scores and awards. The award honors Franklin B. Walter, who served as state superintendent from March 1977 until August 1991. Joey Adams was the Hicksville Senior honored at our annual banquet.

As part of the awards program, our Educational Service Center invites each Senior to pay tribute to a teacher who has had an impact on that student’s education career. The teacher is also invited to the awards program and is recognized along with the student. This year, Joey chose Mr. Bob Pelton as the teacher he wanted to honor. In his tribute to Mr. Pelton, Joey wrote the following:

“At first this seemed like an impossible task; picking a favorite out of all the teachers that Hicksville Schools has was daunting. Then, I realized that I was reading it (the directions) wrong. My objective was to pick the teacher that influenced my successes the most. Without hesitation, I chose Mr. Robert Pelton.

Mr. Pelton stretches students’ minds and imaginations. He has the habit of starting discussions that might not relate to the lesson, but are important, nonetheless. Through these talks, I began to develop a better a sense of the world and a hunger for more knowledge. Also, Mr. Pelton’s wide array of experiences has given him plenty of wisdom, which he offers to his students if they will listen to it.

More than that, though, is the simple fact that Mr. Pelton has a passion for his job that is rarely seen. He cares about his students as if they were his own children. I have been blessed to have a teacher like Mr. Pelton, and I firmly hope that he will continue to inspire children like he has me.”

Joey’s words are a fitting tribute to Mr. Pelton. And may I add my own in noting that at the March 29th board meeting, Mr. Pelton shared an overview of the Adult Education/GED program which has been held at Hicksville Schools for many years. Mr. Pelton has been an instructor in the program for over twenty years. Each year, Mr. Pelton works with about 35 to 40 students not only to help them prepare to take the GED, but also to help them improve their skills in a variety of other areas. In the Adult Education/GED program, Mr. Pelton helps students with getting ready for college admission, improving reading skills, reviewing resume´s, learning basic computer skills, and registering to vote. Every Tuesday and Thursday, after Mr. Pelton spends his day providing excellence for the students of Hicksville Schools, he then gives several more hours teaching adult learners as part of the Adult Education/GED program. He won’t readily offer this information, but I will tell you that typically 100% of his students pass their GED test, which is no easy task.

Congratulations to Joey Adams for being our school’s Franklin B. Walter award winner for 2010, and congratulations to Mr. Bob Pelton for being recognized by Joey as one of Hicksville’s outstanding teachers. If one indicator of being a great educator is making the world around you a better place, then Mr. Pelton meets that criterion in many great ways. Mr. Pelton continues to positively impact the lives not only of our students but also of the many adults he works with in the evenings. And we’re a better world because of it.

Last school year, I noticed a request for applications from the Ohio Department of Education and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators for Ohio superintendents to take part in a first-time program called The China Exchange Initiative. Administrators selected for the program would host an administrator from China at their school for a week in the Fall of 2009, and then the American administrators would visit their counterparts in China in April of 2010. I was excited about the possibility of our school becoming a partner with a school in China, opening up a variety of possibilities for our students to communicate with students from another country, perform projects with students from another country, and perhaps even host or visit students from another country. So I applied, and to my surprise and pleasure, I was one of nine administrators from across Ohio to take part in the inaugural year of The China Exchange Initiative.

Last Fall, we were fully prepared to host our Chinese administrator for a week during November. We had a great week planned. Not only would our visitor observe in many of our classrooms through the week, but he would have enjoyed many activities such as a welcome concert performed by our students, an evening at the Huber enjoying the concert series, an Amish meal, and a preview of the elementary’s musical, “Mulan.” Unfortunately, at the last minute, my Chinese counterpart was not able to make the trip. However, next Wednesday, April 7th, I will depart for China to visit Yiling Senior High School, located in the province of Hubei.

The China Exchange Initiative facilitates educational exchange programs between schools in the United States and China. It is funded by the Freeman Foundation. The leaders of the Initiative note, “Given that the United States and China will be the word’s leaders in the 21st Century, it is essential that the people of our two countries develop understanding and friendship in order to work together in the global economy and to build a more peaceful world.” The goals of the Freeman Foundation also note, “The next generations of students will need a different set of knowledge, skills, and perspectives than previous generations. They will be called upon to provide leadership on sustainable development, conflict resolution, social justice and human rights—issues that may be local in origin but whose impact is felt around the world. This is one of the most compelling rationales for creating school-to-school U.S.-China partnerships for students and teacher exchange and for infusing curriculum in international perspectives and skills.” My hope is that in the future, Hicksville Schools and Yiling Senior High School would be able to take part in shared distance learning projects and real time telecommunications conferences. Perhaps even one day, we can host students from China and our students can visit Yiling Senior High School. That would be my ultimate goal.

As I noted, I will be departing next Wednesday, April 7th and taking advantage of a few days of sight-seeing with our group before our “official” business begins. We will be flying to Beijing and then to Xi’an, where we will be taking a bicycle tour and seeing sites such as The History Museum, The Museum of Forest of Steles, and The Terra Cotta Warrior Museum. We will see various Chinese handicraft demonstrations, visit a village school, and have lunch at a local farmer’s house. All of these sightseeing adventures that are not part of the official trip are funded by me personally.

Then, starting Monday, April 12th, our group will take part in a week of seminars hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Our Chinese visitors did much the same thing with the Ohio Department of Education when they were here to visit last Fall. Seminars will cover a variety of topics, such as Chinese Education and Reform; The Role of the Principal, Curriculum, and Examination System; Moral Education, and Mental and Physical Education in School; and School Finance.

On Saturday, April 17th, we will visit the Great Wall, which is the one sight I’m most looking forward to seeing. And then on Sunday, the 18th, I will travel by train to the Hubei Province to Yiling Senior High School, where I will spend the week observing their classes, meeting with their teachers, and meeting with parents of students. I have been told by my contact at Yiling Senior High that I will begin the week by addressing their 300 teachers. I’m a little nervous about that. At the end of the week, our group will gather together in Shanghai for a debriefing before heading back to the United States.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m thankful for the Freeman Foundation and the China Exchange Initiative for making this possible, and I’m thankful to the Ohio Department of Education for choosing me to be part of this trip. It will open up a new door for our school, our teachers, and our students that definitely fits into the global awareness necessary for a Twenty-first Century education. I plan to post a daily diary as often as I can via a “Wiki” (it’s kind of like a blog) that will be on our school’s home page. So please consider going to www.hicksvilleschools.organd keeping up with my adventure in China as I share stories and pictures of my trip. And upon my return, I will be putting together a presentation that I would be happy to share with any area group. In the meantime, I will be working on learning to say “Hello,” “Thank you,” and “What am I eating?” in Chinese.

Last week, I attended the Franklin B. Walter Banquet at our Educational Service Center in Archbold. Honored at the banquet were our Franklin B. Walter scholarship winner, Senior Joey Adams, and teacher Holly Kobee, who was selected as Defiance County’s Special Education Teacher of the Year. In the future, I’ll tell you a little bit more about Joey and a teacher that he honored, Mr. Bob Pelton, but this week, I wanted to share our administrative team’s nomination of Mrs. Kobee to receive this honor. Following is our nominating essay.

“Holly Kobee is an outstanding special education teacher for several reasons. First, Holly’s journey to becoming a special education teacher has been one full of challenges, and her perseverance in becoming a teacher of special education students is a tribute to her love of teaching. Holly tutored for Hicksville Schools for a year before being assigned to a special education position. Holly was not certified as a special education teacher, so she received temporary certification and immediately began work on a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Learning the ropes to everything from alternate assessments to writing IEP’s to differentiating instruction for her students while also tackling her course load as a Master’s Degree candidate made for a hectic life for Holly. But she handled it all with great steadfastness and her usual cheerfulness. Today, she is a fully licensed, successful Special Education teacher.

Second, Holly has an amazingly positive attitude. Honestly, upon first meeting Holly, one would think that no one can be as happy and positive as Holly is. But it’s not an act. Holly has a tremendous outlook on life, and she brings this attitude of ‘we can do it’ to her students each and every day. When students come to Holly’s classroom, they know that they are coming to an environment where they are safe from ridicule, free to learn from their mistakes, and surrounded by the positive support of their teacher.And third, Holly brings a unique energy to all she does. As noted, Holly spent some time tutoring students for our school district. She worked with students at a variety of grade levels in a variety of subject areas. It’s quite a challenging task. But Holly never waivered in her belief that she could impact each and every student, and we admired the great energy that she invested as a tutor. That is why we offered Holly a special education position when it came open. We knew that even though special education was not her background, she would do everything within her ability to become a master teacher of special education students. And she has. She’s like the Eveready Battery Bunny: She just keeps on going and going and going. And we’re a better school district because of it.

Mrs. Kobee is a constant in the lives of her students. They know that in her, they have a great teacher, but also an awesome mentor. As Mrs. Kobee leads her students through the rigors of their studies, she also helps to guide and direct them through life’s challenges. As noted before, her students know that when they are with her, they are in a good place with a person who cares about them. A former student named her baby daughter “Holly” after the teacher who meant the most to her. What more proof would one need of the impact that Holly Kobee has on her students? Truly, Mrs. Kobee’s friendly disposition endears her to all students at Hicksville High School, and not just those she teaches.

Holly co-teaches with Mr. Davis, our social studies teacher, in Freshman Global Studies and Sophomore American Studies. She co-teaches with science teacher, Miss Retcher, for Freshman Physical Science. And she co-teaches with another science teacher, Mrs. Laney, for Sophomore Biology. Anyone who has taught knows that it can be very difficult to share your classroom with someone else. But these teachers gladly do so because they know that Mrs. Kobee will add to what they’re doing, not detract from it. Their respect for Mrs. Kobee, her knowledge of effective instruction, and her spirit of teamwork mirror how the rest of our staff feel about her.

Across the board, parents tell us that their kids ‘love’ Mrs. Kobee. It’s not surprising. When speaking to the parents of Mrs. Kobee’s students, one hears such words as ‘confidence,’ ‘happy,’ ‘respect, and ‘try harder.’ These are attitudes and characteristics that Mrs. Kobee inspires in her students, and when parents see the difference in their children, the mark Mrs. Kobee is leaving on the lives of those she works with is unmistakable.

As administrators, we work with all types of teachers. We are blessed to have a very solid, amazing staff here at Hicksville. But even among an excellent staff, there are those teachers who stand out because they just take care of things, and they do it so very well that we don’t have to worry about them. As a matter-of-fact, we depend on them because they have “a call beyond oneself” that drives them to deliver excellence each and every day. Holly Kobee is such a teacher. She makes us a better school because she does everything that we’ve asked of her (and we’ve asked a lot)—and more. She is most deserving of being recognized for the great instructor she is.” Congratulations, Mrs. Kobee for being named Defiance County’s Special Education Teacher of the Year!

A few weeks ago, Hicksville hosted the Division IV boys sectional basketball tournament. It was pleasing to see a few letters to the editor in the newspaper last week that expressed how well the tournament was run and what a good experience it was for those in attendance. I wanted to share a bit more about Hicksville’s hosting of the tournament and share a few more thoughts because upon reflecting upon this event, it reminded me of a few things.

We were delighted to be asked by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) to host the tournament. When we first built the school we noted that it would be so nice to be able to host some kind of tournament in the new gym, but frankly, I figured that geographically, we weren’t located in the right area to host. So when the OHSAA contacted us to host a basketball sectional, we were excited because we knew that the district board was extending the request because they had heard very good things about our new school and new gym. So the first great reminder to me that came out of hosting the tournament was that we had met our goal in designing a school that could be used for a variety of activities beyond the school day.

A friend from Wayne Trace who has literally been going to basketball tournaments for decades, found me after their game on that Friday night to tell me, “I’ve been going to tournament games for a long time, and I have never been treated as well as I’ve been treated tonight.” He was referring to the fact that after the second half of the first sectional final game began, we allowed fans for the second game to come inside into our Main Street hallway. Then, during fourth quarter of the first game, we allowed the fans for the second game on into the Commons area. They could buy refreshments at our concession stand and watch the thrilling finish to the first game on our television monitors. The fan noted, “We were so happy we didn’t have to stand outside. To be allowed to stand in the hallway was great, but when you let us into your Commons, well, that was the nicest thing any school has ever done.” It made me smile and reminded me that when our Design Committee designed the school with the Main Event Entrance and Main Street tied together for events such as this, they really did their job right.

Dave Blue received an email from Larry Long of Napoleon that stated, “ Just wanted to pass onto you and ask that you pass onto the others our thanks and compliments to you folks at Hicksville for running a great sectional basketball tournament. FIRST CLASS all the way!! I am the proud father-in-law of Coach Ripke at Edgerton but I am also President of the Napoleon Board of Education. Having served as an AD/tournament manager/administrator myself and being on the NWDAB (Northwest District Athletic Board) and OHSAA Board of Control, I believe I have some background in observing when a tournament is run in a professional manner. Your folks were great to work with and we could tell they were enjoying it as much as the fans from the respective schools were. Again, my sincere congratulations and thanks for a job well done!!” Mrs. Dangler also received an email from an appreciative fan: “I attended the boys basketball tournament games held at Hicksville last Friday. I was very impressed with the organization of the event; the attention to details and overall friendliness of the staff and volunteers working; and the cleanliness of the building. All together it made for a very nice event to attend. Please share my congratulations with those responsible for the success of the evening.” Comments such as this reminded me of the great staff members and community members who always come running when we need help at the school. As always, they represented us so very well as volunteers at the sectional tournament game and made the event a first-class experience for those in attendance.

It takes a lot of work to host such a tournament, and I tip my Aces’ hat to athletic director Dave Blue who did an amazing job of organizing this event. He will tell you that his job was made easy by the many, many volunteers who did everything from take tickets to announce to run the music to help with crowd control, but Dave was the man behind the scenes who made it all go so very well. I also want to extend recognition and thanks to the Hicksville Police Department who did a great job of directing traffic. I received comments from those in attendance that the traffic flow went very well thanks to our police. And I also want to give a special thanks to Twyla Thiel who hosted the hospitality room for coaches, officials, volunteers, and other noted visitors to the tournament games. Twyla fixed enough food for an army on both nights of the tournament. And as I told her, she made us all look really, really good!

I wanted to share all these good thoughts with you, because when it’s all said and done, remember that this is your school district and your school building, being used in ways that extend beyond the normal school day and for events that bring positive recognition and good public relations to our entire village. I don’t forget that it couldn’t be done without the support of our district residents to build such a wonderful new school and the support of so many who volunteered to help at the sectional tournaments. It’s always good to be reminded of such things.

By far, we received the most nominations for the Crystal Apple Award in our Teacher of the Year Category. I think the amount of nominations are testimony to our great staff and the excellence they create each and every day. Because of the level of excellence among our staff members, the first recipient of this award certainly stands out as the best of the best. From several nominations, six semi-finalists were referred to the Foundation’s Board of Directors by the administrative team, and the Foundation Board then determined the three finalists and the award winner. Among other things, each finalist demonstrates a mastery of subject matter, inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, and demonstrates high motivation, initiative, integrity, commitment, and exceptional judgment.

Our first finalist, Mrs. Sandi Brown, was nominated by fellow teacher, Mrs. Janice Wesolowski. In her nominating statement, Mrs. Wesolowski noted, “Sandi Brown is dedicated to the education of children. She challenges her students to achieve their full potential. She also helps put on the Veteran’s Day Assembly and spends time planning and judging the students’ projects. She sent the students’ patriotic pictures to veterans in the hospital and promoted the Socks for Soldiers collection. She is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and her church. She is also a class advisor who handles many fundraisers. The best feature of Sandi Brown is her smile. She lights up the halls of Hicksville Elementary.”

Our second finalist, Mr. Nathan Ferrell, was nominated by Kathy Green, who wrote, “Nathan is an honest, determined person. He has great strength of character. Nathan goes above and beyond his capabilities in everything he does in the classroom and life.” Parent, Deb Willis, also nominated Mr. Ferrell and she noted, “Both my children, Andrew and Jordan, were lucky enough to have Mr. Ferrell for the fifth grade. He brought excitement to learning for them. He used unconventional techniques to get their attention and keep them interested.” Another nomination for Mr. Ferrell was received by fellow teacher, Angie Provines, who wrote, “He teaches his classes with enthusiasm, encouraging all his students to take part, and reaching out to those who are academically challenged. Nathan has a deep love for God and I believe he shows this each and every day as he reaches out to those around him.”

Our third finalist, Mrs. Angie Provines, was nominated by 4 different individuals. Fellow teacher Lisa Slattery wrote, “Angie Provines not only teaches students with special needs, which takes a special person, but she also gives of her time and loving, caring talents to Hicksville Schools.” Another colleague, Deanna Wise, added, “ Angie is an active participant not only in our school, but also in our community. Angie’s involvement and energy are unmatchable.” Another nominator, Bob Weatherhead noted, “Angie is the smile of the school. Directing traffic each day, she is the last person many see when they leave the school, and I can’t think of anyone who could represent the district any better than she does.” And finally, student Aubrey Kemerer also nominated Mrs. Provines for this honor, stating, “Mrs. Provines has dedicated her time to helping everyone and does so much around the school, never asking for anything in return. This award would recognize all of her hard work.”

The recipient of the first Crystal Apple Award for Teacher of the Year was Mrs. Angie Provines. Mrs. Provines is a fitting representative of a staff of amazing teachers. She not only goes to great lengths to ensure success for her students, but also volunteers so much of her time and energy to do “over and beyond” projects for our school and our community. Earlier this year, Mrs. Provines organized a chili cook-off here at the school, with the revenue benefitting Relay for Life. She doesn’t have to do things like this, and goodness knows she is extremely busy. But it’s this type of thing that makes Angie so very special. She is a doer, and our school and community are the fortunate beneficiaries of her kindness and generosity. As the Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Provines is receiving a $500 stipend from the Hicksville School Foundation to fund a project in her classroom. This cash award is given in honor of not only Mrs. Provines, but also The Hicksville Rotary Club, the recipient of the Crystal Apple Award as the Keith McDonald Outstanding Community Partner and Mrs. Carol Early, recipient of the Crystal Apple Award as Outstanding Support Staff Member. Thank you to our three award recipients for being part of the excellence that is Hicksville Village Schools.

The various people nominated for the Hicksville School Foundation’s Crystal Apple Award for Outstanding Support Staff Member are all people who are exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled in their positions. Nominees for this award have provided exemplary service to the students and staff of the Hicksville Schools, earning the respect and admiration of students, parents, colleagues, and the community. The members of the Hicksville School Foundation Board of Directors chose the three finalists for this award from the many nominations that were submitted. All three are to be congratulated, but also thanked for their extraordinary service to Hicksville Schools. This week I’d like to share a little bit about each of our finalists.

It was my pleasure to nominate middle school/high school principal, Sue Dangler for this award. In my nominating statement, I noted, “Truly, no other staff member has done more to positively impact the Hicksville Village School system and do the work necessary to create excellence in this school system than principal Sue Dangler. For over 14 years, Mrs. Dangler’s vision, high standards, and enthusiasm have been key in helping Hicksville Middle School/High School become one of the premier educational institutions in the area. Sue Dangler exudes great passion for the Hicksville School System, and the importance of her efforts and dedication in taking this school district to the next level in all areas cannot be overstated. Her legacy at our school system will become the students who have met with success because she refused to accept anything but success from them.”

Mrs. Carol Early was nominated by district treasurer, Barbara Sprow-Kieffer. In her nominating statement, Mrs. Sprow-Kieffer emphasized the following: “For the many years, Carol has worked for the district, one could say that her primary job has been to keep the many superintendents and treasurers she has worked with on time and on task. Carol recognizes that we are a service industry and that service comes in many forms—whether it’s on the phone, face-to-face, via email, or voice mail. She very quietly and steadily perseveres and guarantees the day-to-day details for all aspects of the district are correct, including student reports that she is responsible for, such as open enrollment, the district’s free and reduced lunch program, and others. Through it all, she maintains a positive attitude.

Paula Scranton, an aide in our special education classrooms, was nominated by Tyler Scranton, Ryan Scranton, and Carrie Zimmer and by teacher Holly Kobee. The nominating statements pointed out, “Anyone who has had Paula assist them in the classroom would tell you that she is a kind and compassionate soul who truly cares about the success and well being of every student. This is apparent by the countless hugs, ‘high-five’s’, and the ‘hey Mrs. Scranton!’ shouts she receives from current and former students while attending school events or just being out and about in the community.” Mrs. Kobee noted, “Paula Scranton is dedicated to providing the staff with excellence on a daily basis. More importantly, she is a nurturing and loving person to some of the school’s most needy students. She has provided so many services for students over the years, even holding a graduation party one year for a student who would otherwise have never had one.

Each of these ladies is an integral part of the success that we experience every day at Hicksville Schools, and we are so fortunate to have them each as a member of our team. The recipient of the first Crystal Apple Award for Outstanding Support Staff Member, as chosen by the Hicksville School Foundation’s Board of Directors, was Mrs. Carol Early. Certainly it is a fitting tribute to Carol, who has been a consistent in the district offices for 33 years, serving with nine different superintendents, and various treasurers and board members. Thank you Sue, Carol, and Paula for all that you do for our district. Each of these ladies represents the importance of our support team in daily achieving our district’s mission to help all students reach their full potential.

Saturday night’s Hicksville School Foundation was a real spirit-lifter for me. It was a real reminder to me, and everyone else in attendance, of all that is good and right with our school district, our students, our staff, and the wonderful community that supports us. I don’t know that anyone could walk away from Saturday’s event and not feel good about your kids, all dressed up and doing a wonderful job of providing serving duties for the crowd. And the Crystal Apple Awards—what a fitting tribute to some of our finest. I’d like to overview our nominations over the next few weeks, giving due recognition to those organizations, businesses, and staff members who were honored by being named finalists and award recipients in their respective categories. Our first category was Outstanding Community Partner, now officially named the Keith McDonald Outstanding Community Partner Award in honor of a man who has meant quite a bit to the success of the Foundation since its formation.

The Hicksville Village School District enjoys tremendous support from many individuals, families, organizations, and businesses in the Hicksville area. This means that the selection of this year’s finalists for the Keith McDonald Outstanding Community Partner Award have definitely set themselves apart as distinguished partners with our school system. This award goes to an individual, organization, or business which has made a positive impact on Hicksville Schools through the sharing of time, talent, and treasure. Certainly, all of our finalists have done so, for many years. Here are the three finalists chosen by the Hicksville School Foundation Board of Directors.

Our first finalist, Community Memorial Hospital, epitomizes what an outstanding community partner is for a school district. The examples of their generosity to the school range from providing physicals for the district to helping the district with a wellness program through providing Healthfit memberships for staff members. As CEO of the hospital, Mel Fahs models the spirit of giving back to the community as he is always ready, willing, and able to give his time for the district. He and other hospital staff members volunteer as part of the district’s mentoring program, spending time each week with students in need to provide them with the support of a positive role model. Sometimes the hardest thing of all to give is one’s time, but the staff of CMH have freely given of their time and their efforts—from providing medical care at athletic events to serving on school committees. Community Memorial Hospital is a point of pride for the Hicksville Community, and their partnership with the school is a point of pride for Hicksville Village Schools.

As one looks through our new school, one can see the impact of The Hicksville Bank, our second finalist. From the funding of the courtyard landscaping to the underwriting of the clock on Main Street, the inclusion of the bank’s name is testimony to the commitment the bank has made to share generously with the school district. Recently, the school board began a long-term strategic planning process and needed a representative of the business community to serve on the Core Team. The first name that came to mind was Larry Coburn of The Hicksville Bank. Without hesitation, Larry agreed to serve on the Core Team. His response is indicative of what the Hicksville Bank has done through the years. The people of The Hicksville Bank have always been ready and willing to partner with the school district to offer excellence for the students of our school. And what’s more, their generosity to the entire Hicksville Community is just as impressive. The Hicksville Bank is a perfect example of the great things that happen when a business and the school partner together.

Our third finalist was The Hicksville Rotary Club. When one walks in the Main Event Entrance of the new school, one sees a plaque that reads “Main Street, Presented by the Hicksville Rotary Foundation.” It is a fitting reminder of the strong partnership between The Rotary Club and our school. Rotary funds a variety of activities in our school and also provides a variety of scholarships for graduating Seniors. The Rotary also sponsors exchange students each year, giving our students the opportunity to experience cultures from around the world. In addition, Rotarians volunteer in the school in a variety of areas: from Project M.O.R.E., a reading program, to our mentoring program. We would not be the community or school that we are if it weren’t for the Hicksville Rotary Club. The financial involvement of our town’s Rotary is significant, but even more so, the influence and involvement of the Rotary’s members in all facets of our village’s life, and our school’s life, has been powerful through the years.

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Hicksville, named the first recipient of the Keith McDonald Outstanding Community Partner Award. I extend heartfelt thanks to the Rotarians and the people of The Hicksville Bank and Community Memorial Hospital for their ongoing partnerships with our school system. They are, indeed, integral parts of our success.

Not long ago, someone asked me if I thought that education in Ohio was stronger than it was 10, 20, or 30 years ago, and my answer was, “Absolutely.” As a matter-of-fact, Ohio is earning regard across the nation as one of the best when it comes to delivering a quality education. Actually, Ohio is ranked fifth best in the nation.

Since 1997, Education Week newspaper has rated the educational systems of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, based on a variety of factors. Ohio’s 5th-place rating this year is our state’s highest, and follows a 6th-place finish last year, and a 7th-place rating the year before. Obviously, Ohio is moving up through the ranks due to many positive factors. I would agree with State Superintendent of Instruction, Deb Delisle, when she says, “Despite a challenging economy, people are working really hard—educators and students—and Ohio’s focused work on improving student learning is working.”

Ohio received a grade of B-minus from Education Week. The national average among all states was a C. The highest graded state was Maryland, which received a B-plus. The lowest grade was received by the District of Columbia with a D-plus.

The ratings are established by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, a non-profit organization which publishes Education Week. The rankings are based on six general categories, such as student achievement, school funding and curriculum standards. Also included in the rankings are over 150 indicators, such as graduation rates, teacher licensure requirements, and family income.

When it came to education spending, Ohio was ranked sixth in the nation for the percentage of taxable resources spent on education, but 33rd for funding uniformity among districts. This points to the fact that there is still not a fair and equitable system of school funding in our state.

One of the highest marks for Ohio was in the category of state standards. Ohio was rated third in the nation for grade-by-grade guidelines on what knowledge students should master at each grade level. This third-place rating also included the quality of our state achievement and graduation tests to measure student performance and our state’s policies for improving schools.

Ohio topped the national average with 45 percent of fourth-graders and 36 percent of eighth-graders scoring at proficient or above on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. But the state was below the national average for the percentage of students who have the opportunity to take algebra in eighth grade. I’m glad to say that Hicksville Schools does offer Algebra to eighth-grade students.

Other indicators where Ohio was below average included the percentage of adults with two- or four-year post-secondary degrees, annual income of adults, and percentage of adults working full-time, year-round jobs. The loss of jobs and sorry state of Ohio’s economy would also explain why we were ranked 25th when it came to considering a student’s chances for success upon graduation. As Superintendent Delisle pointed out, “We don’t have direct control over that (lack of jobs and economy). But we have to remain committed to working to lift the education level of all students in the state, and long-term, hopefully, that will have an impact on a lot of those (negative) factors.”

By the way, the top four states rated ahead of Ohio, besides Maryland, were New York, Massachusetts, and Virginia. The lowest ranked in the report were Mississippi, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, and the District of Columbia

From the Superintendent’s Desk

Week of February 8, 2010

Kevin S. Miller, Ed.D.

Last year, popular teen fiction writer Margaret Peterson Haddix visited Hicksville Schools and made presentations to students in Grades 7 through 10. By having Haddix visit, it gave our students a writer's perspective on what goes in to building a successful novel, and it helped them realize that they are capable of doing more than they might have thought possible. All of the students in those grade levels read a novel by Haddix. I enjoyed reading four of them myself in preparation for her visit. The novels were funded with a grant by The Hicksville School Foundation.

With high stakes testing and the push for differentiated instruction, it is important to provide all students with the materials needed to maximize their learning potential. Five iPod Touches are being used to enhance students’ experiences at all academic levels in the Fifth Grade. Software for the iPod specific to the student’s learning needs helps students to work independently. Students with deficits in math work independently with the aid of programs that meet their needs and skill levels. Students with reading difficulties read with audio books. Advanced students explore beyond the lessons that are presented during regular classroom time. The iPods are helping students achieve academic success, and they were purchased with a grant from The Hicksville School Foundation.

An archery program has been incorporated into our physical education classes. This activity adds a component for our physical education curriculum that teaches life-long skills to students. The archery program fits in with the district’s current wellness plan that the Federal Government has required schools to incorporate in physical education programs. Students are taught the safety procedures, correct form and rules that govern target shooting. The archery equipment was purchased with grants from the National Archery in Schools Program and The Hicksville School Foundation.

This school year, elementary staff and students are implementing a program called “Bucket Fillers,” based on the children's book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The book explains what it takes to be a bucket filler--showing love and kindness to others. But it also points out the detriments of being a bucket dipper--criticizing or bullying others. The program also helps students understand the importance of having a lid--knowing how to stop others from dipping into their bucket and taking out good thoughts and feelings. The goal of the program is to help students understand and express feelings about their home and school environment as well as tolerance and appreciation for others. The program included student presentations and teacher training. It has enhanced the atmosphere at the elementary school, and was funded by The Hicksville School Foundation.

Analytical balances are important to meet curriculum needs in chemistry and Advanced Placement chemistry, but they’re expensive and we cannot afford them with our materials and supplies budgets. But we now have two brand new analytical balances, funded with a grant from The Hicksville School Foundation. The Baby Think It Over Program gives students life experience with taking care of a “real” mechanical baby. Mrs. Leon, our Family and Consumer Science teacher, can program the baby to be an easy-to-care-for baby to a baby with colic. Students are graded based upon the level of care given to their babies. More importantly, students understand that having a baby is a lot of work, and not a decision to be taken lightly. There is no way that we could afford the Baby Think It Over babies with our general fund money, but we have brand new babies for the program, thanks to a grant from The Hicksville School Foundation.

During the 2008-2009 school year, Hicksville Schools took a bold step with the district’s band program by starting a mandatory band class for all 5th Graders. The initial year of the program was tremendously successful, with about 65 5th Graders learning an instrument. Of course, many students are able to buy or rent an instrument, but some families cannot do so. Even so, as we are in the second year of the program, every student in 5th and 6th Grade has an instrument to play, thanks to the generosity of so many in the Hicksville Community and a grant from The Hicksville School Foundation.

The examples are numerous. I could go on and on. But suffice it to say, that our students and school district are impacted in tremendously positive ways because of The Hicksville School Foundation. We are fortunate, indeed, to have such a resource. Without it, there is so much we would never be able to offer our students.

This Friday is the deadline for purchasing tickets to the Foundation’s 2nd Annual Gala, to be held Saturday, February 20th in the school Commons. Please consider attending this grand event. You won’t be disappointed. And you will be helping to support an organization that does great things for the kids of our school. Tickets are available from any member of the Board of Directors, or there was an order form in last week’s Tribune. I guarantee you an evening of creating great memories for yourself on the 20th, and great opportunities for our students in the future.

Perhaps you’re getting tired of me writing about school finances (believe me, I grow weary of worrying about them every day). So I promise you, this article is my last in a series of articles regarding our school’s finances. You also might be thinking, “He’s setting us up—here comes another levy.” And the answer to that is “Absolutely not.” I’ve pointed out that our five-year forecast is as strong as any you’ll find in the area. I’ve pointed out the struggles we’re experiencing because of the current economic downturn. And I’ve pointed out what we’ve been doing to live within our means. The purpose of these articles has not been to persuade you, but to inform you. We hold ourselves accountable to the taxpayers, and I want to make sure you’re “in-the-know” when it comes to your school district’s financial condition.

The last topic I’d like to cover in this series is the Governor’s new school funding plan, which is called the Evidence-Based Model, or EBM, and how it impacts our school system. In the past, school districts have been funded on a per-pupil basis. Depending on the district’s ability to raise taxes locally, the state would provide school districts with so much money per pupil. As I’ve noted before, this money comes in the form of monthly state foundation payments. Some school districts in the state receive hardly any money because they have a strong local tax base due to the industries, hotels, shopping malls, etc. located in their districts. Some school districts are made up mainly of farmland with very little industry. These districts with low tax bases receive a large amount of state funding per pupil. Hicksville falls in the middle, with about 54% of our funding coming from the state.

The Evidence-Based Model does away with the per-pupil funding plan and instead concentrates on what it takes to run a school district to ensure student success. The EBM basically says that Hicksville Schools is made up of about 1,050 students, so Hicksville Schools need X amount of dollars for teachers, X amount of dollars for administrators, X amount of dollars for transportation, X amount of dollars for professional development, X amount of dollars for special education, X amount of dollars for the library/media center, X amount of dollars for a school nurse and so on. I think you get the idea. The EBM basically asks, “What does it take to run a school so that students can be successful?” That amount is then funded by the state. Or not.

The state calculated how much each school district should receive under the EBM. Then they looked at how much money they had and determined that they would not be able to fully fund the EBM model during this biennium. Some schools actually would receive less money under the EBM system than they did under the per-pupil system of funding. Hicksville Schools would receive more, but the state capped any increase at 1.0075% of what the district received the year before. So Hicksville’s state foundation payment under EBM this fiscal year is about $600,000 less than it should have been.

Now, of course the state can’t give schools money that they don’t have. But in the end, the EBM doesn’t provide any more money to our school district than the old per-pupil funding formula. The vocabulary has changed, but the end result is still the same. The hope is that this will change over the years as the economy improves and the state’s revenues improve. If the EBM can be fully funded, it will be great. However, at this point, I would have to say the Evidence-Based Model is no better than the old model of funding schools on a per-pupil basis. As a matter-of-fact, the EBM might be worse, since it will ultimately require schools to hire more personnel and develop more programs without the appropriate state funding to do so. Then all districts will find themselves in the same boat of going to their local taxpayers on a regular basis to help fund their local schools.

The Hicksville School District has asked for one increase in taxes for operating expenses in the last 19 years, and that was the ¾%, 5-year income tax passed in 2004 and renewed in 2009. The average school district in Ohio asks voters to raise taxes about every 5 to 7 years, so I would say we’ve got a pretty good record going. We’re working hard to keep it that way, and keeping you informed of our district’s financial condition is always an important step in staying fiscally healthy.

Over the past month, I’ve been using my weekly article to shed some light on different aspects of our finances in the school district in an attempt to give you an overview of where we are with revenues and expenses. I want to emphasize that if any taxpayer has a question about anything I’ve written or would like to discuss any topic more in-depth, please give me a phone call. I would be glad to sit down with anyone to discuss the finances of our school district. This week, I will overview federal stimulus funds and how those impact us locally.

Basically, we received three different “pots” of federal stimulus funds. None of these funds came to us directly. They were all filtered through the Ohio Department of Education. The first type of federal funds we have been receiving are called State Foundation Stabilization Funds, or SFSF money. Each month, we receive State Foundation money. This is the “state’s share” of funding our school system. About 54% of our revenue comes from State Foundation payments. Because of the decrease in state revenues (which I covered in an earlier article), the state was falling short in being able to fill their State Foundation payments to school districts, so they filled that gap with federal stimulus dollars. This fiscal year, we will receive about $261,000 in SFSF funds. But please note, these are not extra funds at all. These are federal stimulus dollars the state is using to make their payments to school districts. Legislators are using federal stimulus dollars to meet their state obligation. So in the end, for us, it’s a break-even proposition. We’re not receiving any additional Foundation funds at all.

The second type of federal stimulus funds we are receiving is Title I funds. In general, we receive Title I funds each year. The main use of Title I funds is to improve reading for students in kindergarten through third grade. We receive a little over $100,000 in Title I funds each year, and we use these funds to pay for our Title I tutors, for instructional supplies, and for professional development. However, we have received additional Title funds totaling almost $69,000 as part of the federal stimulus package. This additional money is for use this fiscal year and next fiscal year, so these funds are available to us through the summer of 2011. We have not started using the Title I stimulus funds yet, as our regular Title funds are covering our needs to this point. But we will be using these stimulus funds throughout the rest of this year and next year for things such as after-school and summer programs and needed instructional supplies.

The third type of federal stimulus funds is related to special education. Each year, we receive federal IDEA Part B funds. This money goes directly to the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center (NwOESC) to pay for services they provide to us, such as school psychologist services, preschool services, speech services, and more. As part of the federal stimulus program, we have received additional IDEA Part B funds totaling over $220,000. We can use up to 50% of these funds to “supplant” services that we are already providing, meaning that we can use about half to pay our annual bill to the NwOESC, which helps out our general fund. However, the other 50% must be used to “supplement” our special education program, meaning that we must use the money for additional services and supplies over and beyond what we’re already doing.

Since these funds are only available to us this school year and next school year, we don’t want to use the money to fund new positions, as we would not be able to continue funding those positions once the stimulus dollars are gone. So as we’ve budgeted this money, we have tried to focus on purchases that would have a positive long-term impact for our district. We are using part of the money to buy additional Smartboards for our classrooms. The interactive Smartboard is an important component of a Twenty-first Century classroom and is also helpful to special education students because it helps visual and kinesthetic learners. Using the additional IDEA money, we will have 100% of our classrooms equipped with Smartboards. In addition, we are looking to purchase a small bus that can be used for our Defiance route, which transports students to the Independence Education Center and Multiply Disabled Units that are housed in Defiance. A small bus on a van chassis, fueled by gas instead of diesel, would be the most economical way to transport students to these units.

Through the use of federal stimulus funds that have come in the form of SFSF money in our Foundation payments, additional Title money, and additional IDEA Part B money for our special education programs, we have been able to maintain programs, while at the same time, offering some additional opportunities and supplies for students we otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Over the past month, I’ve been focusing on finances, not only for our school district, but for the state of Ohio, in an effort to be accountable to you regarding where we are with revenues and expenses within the school district. I have noted that we are facing some challenges with current economic conditions; however, our five-year forecast is as strong as you’re going to see in the area due to the support of our taxpayers and prudent spending on the part of the school district.

My philosophy as superintendent has always been that we don’t start making cuts when money gets tight. Instead, we constantly look for ways that we can decrease expenses to build as strong of a carryover as possible from fiscal year to fiscal year. For that reason, we have taken every opportunity possible to cut expenses over the past seven years. I will try to quantify for you what that means for us financially. Please understand that what I am presenting to you are major cuts that we have made during this time span. Eighty-five percent of our budget is spent for salaries and benefits. This is typical for a school district since we are a personnel-driven entity. In addition to what I share with you here, we have been holding the line on everything from supplies to professional development expenses, but honestly, in the end, addressing personnel costs is the most effective way to keep expenses in check.

I sat down to come up with a listing of cuts that we have made over the past seven years. Those cuts include: Reducing two classroom teachers at the elementary, reducing two aides at the elementary; reducing a cafeteria worker, changing the elementary librarian position from a certified to a classified position, eliminating the mid-day kindergarten bus routes (this was the result of changing the schedule to provide more instructional time to our kindergarten students who aren’t in all-day, every-day sections), changing the Title I positions at the elementary from contracted positions to non-contracted positions, eliminating the Career-Based Intervention Program (CBIP) at the high school, eliminating the French/Speech program at the high school, changing the supervised study position at the middle school/high school from a Certified position to a Classified position, and reducing overtime to the point of making it pretty much non-existent.

If the above cuts had not been made over the years, it would mean an additional $583,481 in expenses for us this school year. As it is, since the changes I’ve listed were implemented, the total savings to the school district over the years has been a little over $1.7 million.

Have we made some additions in personnel over the past seven years? Yes we have. Due to our high percentage of students with disabilities, we increased our school psychologist’s time from two-and-a-half to three days a week. We increased a high school math/science position from half-time to full-time to meet new state requirements in those subject areas (however, we also cut a half-day study hall position). And the third addition we have made is the establishment of an elementary Art program. These additions have cost us about $70,800 a year, or a total of $276,000 since they’ve been enacted. You can see that even subtracting the additions from the cuts we have made, we have saved almost $1.5 million dollars in expenses over the past handful of years.

Sometimes it is not always good to take the approach that we take here at Hicksville Schools as we have pretty much quietly made these cuts in expenses to preserve our carry-over. The risk we take is that people don’t really know about the cuts so they assume that we’re continuing on with business as usual, which isn’t the case. So often school districts will wait until they’re in financial trouble and then make a very public deal of making cuts to draw the attention of the voters. However, being responsible to the taxpayers of our district is a daily responsibility for us. I hope that the information provided gives you a sense of how we are constantly working to keep our expenses as low as possible while continuing our tradition of offering excellence to our students in all endeavors, inside and outside of the classroom.

Last week I provided an overview of where the state of Ohio is financially, and this week I’ll do the same for our school district. One of the first things to understand is that there are different categories of school funds. One is the Permanent Improvement (PI) fund. We collect 2.5 mils for our Permanent Improvement fund, of which half a mil is designated for the Maintenance Fund. Permanent Improvement funds are used basically used for items that cost more than $1,000 with a life span of at least five years.

When first collected, PI funds were used for upkeep of our tired old buildings. We had to use these funds for everything from roof repair to boiler upkeep. However, the purpose of the PI fund has transitioned over the years. Basically, PI funds are now used to purchase technology, textbooks, and school buses. Maintaining the PI fund is extremely important as it means that we do not have to use general fund money for these important purchases.

We have another fund now which did not exist before the construction of our new school, and that is our Maintenance Fund. The Maintenance Fund is required by the OSFC, and it exists for the upkeep and maintenance of our new building. As I noted, one-half mil, or about $45,000 of the 2.5 Permanent Improvement millage goes to the Maintenance Fund. In addition, once our building project is closed out, all interest earnings will go into the Maintenance Fund. One other source of revenue for the Maintenance Fund is the state equalization plan, which provides about $23,000 a year to our Maintenance Fund. Basically, the state of Ohio recognizes that the required half-mil required for an OSFC project does not collect the same amount in all districts. So they figured the average that a half-mil collects statewide. For those districts, like ours, who are under that average, the state provides the difference between what we collect locally and what the state average is, or about $23,000 for Hicksville. Superintendents don’t get to say this too often, but our Maintenance Fund is very strong and will provide the funds needed to maintain our building for many, many years to come.

The third fund, and the fund which provides continual challenges for school districts in Ohio is the General Fund. The General Fund provides the resources for salaries and benefits, school supplies, and the day-to-day running of the school district. Annually, each school district is required to submit to the Ohio Department of Education a five-year forecast, which provides information on revenues and expenses for the following five years. It is this forecast to which we pay very close attention to make sure that we are carrying over a strong balance from fiscal year to fiscal year.

When I first became superintendent seven years ago, our carryover was $750,000, which would be considered a weak carryover. However, the passage of the three-quarter percent income tax in 2004 along with cuts that we have made over the years have grown our carryover to an anticipated $3.8 million at the end of this current fiscal year.

However, we are facing constant challenges with protecting this strong carryover. The number one challenge for school districts is HB 192, passed years ago, which does not allow school districts to collect additional money on real estate that grows in value. A levy passed in 1978 collects no more money in 2010 than it did in 1978. The second challenge for us right now is the poor economy. Currently, we collect 1.5% in income tax (an ongoing three-quarter percent income tax and a five-year, three-quarter percent income tax). Typically, we can anticipate a slight increase in income tax collections each year as individual income grows from year to year. However, the loss of jobs to so many has had a significant impact on income tax collections. In the current fiscal year, our income tax collections are down $159,000, or about 11.6%.

A third challenge to the general fund is the loss of Tangible Personal Property Tax as a source of revenue. The state legislators did away with this revenue source for schools a handful of years ago. It was a good move to make Ohio a more tax-friendly state for interested industries. However, the legislators provided no revenue source to replace lost funds for schools. For Hicksville Schools, once the tax is totally phased out, it means a loss of about $300,000 a year. Currently, we are down to about $85,000 a year in tangle personal property tax collections.

Despite the economic challenges, our five-year forecast is as strong as any school district’s in the area. We have reached this point through the support of our taxpayers and through prudent spending within the school district. Next week, I’ll overview some of the ways we’ve worked to reduce expenses over the past seven years.