As the political race for Ohio Governor heats up and people begin to jockey for political leverage, keep in mind that public education is the key to a solid economy and future for our state.
Through a partnership with the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and support from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, listed below are a statement of purpose and set of beliefs that a representative group of urban, rural and suburban Ohio School Superintendents put together. This represents the third iteration of these statements that have been continually molded based on feedback from parents, students and a multitude of other educational stakeholders. It consists of a collection of firm statements as to what the state of education should be in Ohio from those closest to the work, and those impacted by it the most. Regardless of political party, ask your elected officials, or those that aspire to be–where do you stand…what have you done…and/or what may you do to help support these conditions for the students in Ohio.
~Jim
| Statement of Purpose | In partnership with their local communities, strong public schools educate ALL students to achieve individual success so they can become contributing citizens. |
| Belief 1 | We believe in valuing diversity and are committed to the success of ALL students. |
| Belief 2 | We believe in providing educational experiences that result in ALL students understanding that they are part of a broader community and, as such, have roles and responsibilities to each other. |
| Belief 3 | We believe in establishing trust and collaboration among ALL stakeholders who are responsible for educating the students within our local communities. |
| Belief 4 | We believe students, schools and communities are best served when decisions are made at the local level and supported by state and federal entities. |
| Belief 5 | We believe that student assessment is most effective when it engages the learner to increase the quality of the work and when results arrive in time to help improve teaching and learning. |
| Belief 6 | We believe that a school’s and district’s performance are best and most accurately determined through multiple measures that are consistent, concise and clearly understood at the local level. |
| Belief 7 | We believe that the local community members (parents, students, educators, school board members and superintendents) must be involved in the development of educational policy for Ohio’s Public Schools. |
| Belief 8 | We believe that a quality educational experience addresses the social, emotional, and intellectual development and well-being of ALL students. |
OFCS Superintendent's Update 