Metro 08/04/14

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RESS August 4, 2014

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Serving i Th The E Eastern astern t Maumee M Bay Communities Since 1972

The movies are coming See page 4 M

Another bill takes aim at Common Core By Tammy Walro and Larry Limpf Press news editors

Wood County Fair fun

(Top left) Josie and David Miller of Bowling Green have a screamin’ good time on the Go Gator roller coaster. (Bottom left) Jessica Kazmierczak of Toledo and eight month old Sophie enjoy a carousel ride. (Right) Derek Ferrera, Allyson Maicni and Ethan Ferrera take a trip on the Ferris wheel. (Press photos by Stephanie Szozda)

Oregon

School board to seek 5.9 mill levy The Oregon school board on Thursday voted 4-1 to place a 5.9-mill emergency operating levy on the Nov. 4 ballot. The levy, if passed, would raise $2.8 million annually for a period of five years. The levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $207 per year in additional taxes. The financially strapped district has been losing millions per year due to decreases in revenue from real estate and tangible personal property taxes as well as cuts in state funding. Superintendent Lonny Rivera told The Press after the meeting Thursday that he understands many people are struggling financially. “These can be tough times for a lot of people,” he said. “But, I also know the importance of making a good school district. It costs money. I understand for many people, levies are hard to do. But I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an absolute necessity for our kids. I also want the community to know we are making big strides in improving outcomes for kids.”

And I’m in a situation where I’m potentially the face of a levy.

By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com

The school board, he said, cut some programs for students a few years ago. “During the reconfiguration, some things were brought back. I don’t want us to take a step backward on the things we’re doing. The reconfiguration is showing a lot of promise for our kids. We’re moving in the right direction.” Board member Jeff Ziviski was the lone vote opposed to placing the levy on the ballot. “Our last levy was passed in March of 2008 - that was 6 year ago. A normal levy cycle for public schools is closer to 3-4 years, so the fact that we were able to go this

long is a testament to our ability to tighten our belts and live within our means,” he said. “At the same time, we have not been able to improve the educational aspect of our district and are falling behind.” The district has made “some really positive improvements over the past year,” he said. The biggest improvement, he added, was hiring Rivera in 2013. “He truly puts the children first and ensures that every decision made in the district has a positive impact on the children and the educational process,” said Ziviski. “But with that being said, while I generally believe the community supports him and believes in his leadership, I think he needs a little more time to show additional improvements and ensure we are doing everything we can internally to save or reduce our costs.” New teachers’ contract Also at the meeting, the board approved a new two year contract with the Oregon City Federation of Teachers, the union that represents 250 teachers in the district. The contract replaces a three year contract that expired on Thursday. Rivera said the district went with a

A sponsor of a bill in the state legislature to repeal Common Core educational standards that are set to be implemented in Ohio schools said his bill will get several hearings this month and, if passed, will allow parents and local school boards to have more say in designing standards. House Speaker Pro Tem Matt Huffman (R- Lima) said HB 597 is an improvement over a similar bill in 2013 that didn’t offer standards to replace the Common Core standards adopted by the Ohio Department of Education in 2010. The bill has been assigned to the House rules committee, chaired by Huffman, and has the blessing of House Speaker Bill Batchelder. “I worked with the sponsor of that bill (HB 237) to establish what we want and don’t want in this bill,” Huffman said last week. “We want higher standards but the first thing we don’t want is to have the federal government involved in determining standards.” He described his bill as a “path forward for better, Ohio-centric standards.” Forty-five states have fully adopted the Common Core – a set of expectations for what students should know in math and English at each grade level. The standards were developed by teachers, math and language experts and others in an effort organized by governors and state school leaders. In addition to new math and English and language arts standards, the Ohio State Board of Education adopted new learning standards in science, social studies, fine arts, world languages, and several other subjects. The standards, which the ODE says is geared to college and career readiness, will drive learning in Ohio classrooms this fall. A new system of standardized tests aligned to the Common Core will replace Ohio’s existing state standardized tests. The tests were developed by a group of states called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Ohio is a member of PARCC. Rep. Huffman said his bill would end the PARCC testing model. Locally, the Lake school board in June Continued on page 2

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