School levy season is upon us once again in beautiful Ohio. As election day approaches, Issue 18 – the substitute levy for Springboro Schools – is a hot topic in town. Our streets are once again filled with signs in favor of our local school levy. Our yards are once again littered with rock-filled plastic […]
Live Your Dream – 2015 SAA Commencement
Posted on May 30, 2015 //
Today, I had the incredible privilege of delivering the commencement speech at the 2015 School of Advertising Art Commencement Ceremony. I always thought it would be fun to speak at a graduation ceremony. Sure enough, it was. I am so thankful to my friends at SAA for trusting me with such an honor. I hope […]
What Makes Teachers Special?
Posted on November 19, 2014 //
The Ohio House Education Committee recently voted to remove the minimum pay scale for teachers in Ohio. With the committee vote completed, this measure now moves to the full house. If this becomes law, House Bill 343 will make Ohio’s system of public education less stable, less viable, less equitable, and less effective. In short it is […]
Any Way You Want It, That’s The Way You Need It?
Posted on November 14, 2014 //
It’s been quite a run recently for Ohio’s schools. We made national news a few weeks ago with a politically motivated education bill in the Ohio House that would destroy our science and social studies curriculum. Not to be outdone, The Ohio State Board of Education followed that up with proposed changes to 5 of 8 […]
What’s the Big Deal?
Posted on November 12, 2014 //
The Ohio State Board of Education has been at the center of controversy and conversation in recent days due to changes it has proposed to Ohio’s 5 of 8 requirement. Some people are asking, “What’s the big deal?” “Why the outrage and uproar about the proposed changes to 5 of 8?” “Isn’t this just overblown and […]
Lowering the Bar
Posted on November 10, 2014 //
The Ohio State Board of Education is considering a policy that would remove and redefine baseline requirements for the number of school counselors, library media specialists, school nurses, social workers, and potentially art, gym, and music educators required per thousand students in a school district. In education shorthand, this is known as the 5 of 8 rule […]
Double Standardized
Posted on October 30, 2014 //
Last year charter schools cost the taxpayers of Springboro $605,000 – money that could have gone to support our own schools, funded gifted and special needs programs, hired additional teachers, or helped pay for arts, sports, and other enhancements. What did we get for our money? Two C rated charter schools, five D rated charter […]
Science Is Not Trivial
Posted on August 28, 2014 //
The Ohio House of Representatives is considering changing the way that science is taught in school, as is evidenced in the pending legislation H.B. 597. As currently written, instead of focusing on providing the children of The Buckeye State with a foundational understanding of the scientific method, legislators are currently proposing that our schools focus […]
Better Education
Posted on May 13, 2014 //
Springboro, Ohio is fortunate to have an excellent school system. We are consistently ranked among the best school districts in the Dayton region and in the State of Ohio. We have outstanding teachers, high-performing students, excellent facilities, dedicated staff members, strong administrative leaders, and a board that is focused on supporting the success of the district. […]
The Family That Codes Together, Grows Together
Posted on January 5, 2014 //
Do you know how to write code? Do your kids? Just a few days into 2014, and thought I’d take a moment and share one of the things I’m working on for 2014 – coding. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a very basic, patch-work knowledge of things like html, php and css, having messed around […]