n Special Edition – September 20, 2012
E-News Special Report
Dear CCS staff members, supporters, and friends:
On Tuesday evening, September 18, I met with the Board of Education in Executive Session to inform them of my plans to retire at the end of the current school year, on July 1, 2013.
This is something that I have been considering for more than a year. This is a decision that has been made with considerable thought, prayer and conversation with my family. I have had a wonderful career in Columbus City Schools – spanning 35 years, with nearly 12 of those serving as District Superintendent.
When graduating from Linden-McKinley High School in 1971, it was one of my lifelong dreams to become the superintendent of my hometown school district. I don't think anyone could be as fulfilled and fortunate as I feel today. I chose this path for two reasons – the students and the people in the Columbus City School District. To be able to give back to a system that laid the foundation for my life, my love for learning and for who I am today, is a gift that most people never experience.
Our work will continue, and one of my highest priorities over the next several months is to continue to work with the Auditor of State and the District's Internal Auditor to resolve the ongoing statewide investigation into student attendance record keeping. I asked the Auditor of State to investigate the attendance reporting concern, and I plan to see it through and to get this challenge behind us before I leave, in July.
I also want to step up our efforts to increase our engagement between our schools and the community. More than 80% of our students live in poverty, and their needs are many. Forty-two percent of our entering kindergartners need intervention services, 8,700 CCS students have a special need or disability, and we have a growing population of students whose primary language is not English (more than 95 different languages are spoken across the District). Getting every element of our community involved to help us in this important work is critical, because our schools can't do it alone.
I have already spoken with Mayor Coleman about my concerns. He has been an avid supporter of our students – and our school district, and he has expressed an interest in becoming even more active in Columbus City Schools. He has mentored some of our students and he has a true connection with them. He has his own Capital Kids program and he knows how critical it is to our future workforce to make sure every child graduates with a high quality education.
Together, we have accomplished many great things for the students of CCS. A sampling of these includes:
- District schools earning an A or B academic rating on the State of Ohio Report Card has increased from 15 in 2004 to 29 in 2011.
- Our graduation rates have increased by more than 30 points, from only 55% in 2001 to 85.1% in 2011.
- Twelve CCS schools were named among the nation's best in 2010 by U.S. News and World Report.
- We created the Higher Education Partnership to provide a single point of contact between CCS and eleven Central Ohio colleges/universities, as well as I Know I Can; designed to develop programs that boost student achievement and college readiness.
- We established a no-cost Summer Institute to help students pass the Ohio Graduation Test.
- We created The Virtual High School Program that enables students to earn high school credits online.
- The District's Seniors-to-Sophomores Program was developed, enabling high school students to earn one year of college credit from a local college or university.
- In 2010, the District earned a Standard & Poor's bond rating of AA, placing us among the twenty highest-rated school districts in Ohio.
- We've had tremendous success with the development of our capital improvements program. To date, 39 Columbus schools have been rebuilt or substantially renovated.
- We continue to work hard to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible, closing underutilized buildings, reducing expenditures and/or restraining budget growth by nearly $280 million over the past 11 years.
- Secured voter approval of two operating levies and two bond issues (In 2002, voters approved a 2.96 mills levy; in 2004 a 6.95 operating levy; and in 2008 a combined bond and operating 7.85 mill levy).
- We have invested in our children reducing K-3 average classroom size, providing new school buses and textbooks, adding critical instruction time back into the school day, and providing innovative programs such as a new international high school; two, gender-based middle schools, a K-8 international studies program, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-focused schools located throughout the district.
As part of the recent discussions with the District's Levy Millage Committee, I introduced efforts to:
- Expand CCS Pre K to substantially increase capacity to 50% of incoming Kindergartners and dramatically impact readiness skills
- Create an Innovation Fund to aggressively improve persistently low-performing schools through collaborations with high-performing district and charter schools.
- Launch a Leadership Academy with The Ohio State University to maximize principal leadership capacity to create transformational change leading to high-performing schools.
There are many more successes in store for Columbus City Schools, our students and our staff in the future.
It's been twelve years since the District last searched for a new superintendent, and I have made a commitment to the Board of Education – and I make that same commitment to our staff and community – that I will make sure the transition to new leadership goes smoothly. I will not allow my departure to slow down our progress. We have a great leadership team, and a focused and caring staff who are committed to the students of Columbus.
Thank you for the support and encouragement you have provided me throughout this exciting 35-year journey. Please know that we will keep you apprised of our progress and the efforts on the part of the Board of Education to find my successor.
Respectfully,
Gene T. Harris, Ph.D.
Superintendent/CEO
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