The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Commission members picked
Lorain Schools meets its new team
In a joint statement between the Ohio Department of Education, City of Lorain and Lorain City School Board, the five members of a new Lorain Academic Distress Commission were announced April 6 through a news release.
Three members of the commission chosen by Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria include Michele Soliz, assistant vice president of student success and inclusion at University of Toledo; Patricia O’Brien, executive director of The Stocker Foundation; and Anthony Richardson, program officer of the Nord Family Foundation.
Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer chose John Monteleone as a resident to represent the interests of the city. Monteleone served as principal of Washington Elementary before accepting a position as assistant superintendent at Oberlin City Schools.
And Lorain School Board President Tim Williams chose teacher Dorinda Hall, an academic instruction coach, with an alternate of
Steve Cawthon.
“This is a very favorable commission,” Williams said.
“Lorain is a proud community. I am impressed by the commitment and dedication of teachers, administrators, civic leaders and
the community working together to make city schools better” said DeMaria. “The academic distress commission will go about its work valuing all that is taking place and building on the progress being made with the goal that all students
succeed. We are grateful to these new commission members for their expertise and willingness to support the goal of a high-quality education system in Lorain.”
Ritenauer said he is impressed with the quality of the appointees to the academic distress commission.
“Experience, diversity, intelligence, local roots and a strong belief in public service are all represented, Ritenauer said. “These attributes are essential in earning community trust in the academic distress commission process. The appointees to the commission represent a positive step forward for the schools and for the entire Lorain community, and I look forward to doing my part as mayor to assure that our students have access to quality education and opportunity.”
The commission will carry on the duties laid out in law to support improvement and excellence in the district, the release related.
Lorain Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham said the teacher appointed to the commission is caught in an unusual situation.
“You have to be a strong person,” Graham said, “supporting and communicating with everybody else. We needed to find people who transcend the politics. The same applies with the community appointment. There are pressures coming from everywhere.”
Williams said he was looking at “top tier folks” during the interviews.
“You can’t be one-or-two-strength deep,” Williams said. “There were some exceptionally gifted individuals on the list. I think Tony Richardson brings a dynamic to the commission that is unique.”
Graham and Williams say they feel like education officials in Columbus heard a plea for collaboration and for appointment of local commission members.
“For me it was the feeling that we are being understood,” Williams said. “We thought they were listening. From what we’re seeing right now, they were listening. It’s multiple things, such as the way all the commissioners were announced together. They have appointed people who are community-engaged people. All these things are indicators we are in a collaborative relationship.”
The commissioners serve as volunteers. The new commission will build on four years of work from the previous commission, Graham said.
“We will get a chief executive officer with all the responsibilities of a superintendent and a school board have been placed in the hands of the CEO,” Graham said. “I think we have a very effective and communicative board.”
“The way we’re approaching it is our board will be engaged in leadership and governance as prescribed by our community,” Williams said. “Our role as leaders in our community and advocates for the children isn’t going to change.”