Hardy outlines plans for district

Pre-kindergarten, new computer data part of academic plan, CEO says

More pre-kindergarten programs for young learners and new data tools for parents are among the means of improving education in Lorain.

On Jan. 11, school district Chief Executive Officer David Hardy Jr. spoke to at least 38 people who came out to a Town Hall meeting at Lorain Public Library System South Branch.

Hardy spent almost two hours outlining

the rough draft to integrate The Lorain Promise academic turnaround plan into school buildings, classrooms and the homes of scholars.

The plan outlines five commitments that Lorain schools will make to reach goals for 2022. Each of the commitments had three strategies to reach the goals, and Hardy used community input to select one of those three to focus on for the 2018-2019 school year.

“The last time we met we talked about those five big commitments and aligning them to four P’s: What are our priorities? What is the purpose, the procedure and the policies that will fall out of it?” Hardy said. “So today I want to dive into how we got there, how we get there.”

Each strategy will have commitments from the community, from the school district and from each school.

For the strategies, methods will include the new Classlink program for scholars, parents and teachers, and a data dashboard for anyone to observe Lorain achievement. He called for full-day prekindergarten programs for the 10 Lorain elementary schools, with at least a few dual language classrooms for the youngsters.

For district leadership, Hardy said he has finalists for the chief people officer, chief family officer and chief schools officer. He did not name them and no one has been appointed yet, he said.

There will be some staff transitioning out of the district, starting as early as February, Hardy said.

He anticipates 30 to 35 positions will be reorganized so new leadership

will not cost more money from the school budget. The presentation included the tagline: “Zero new costs to the district through the general operating budget.”

The changes will help ensure Lorain schools have the right leaders, Hardy said. The changes also will help the district financially to offset the costs of new staff, he said.

The district has begun advertising for “turnaround principals” to guide its school buildings.

Hardy said his conversation with the current school principals were tough. He said he wanted the school leaders to know he valued them as individuals and he wanted to give them space and time to think about what they want to be part of going forward.

For timing, they had those talks in December last year instead of June this year for adequate time, Hardy said.

Lorain Ward 6 Councilman Angel Arroyo Jr. pressed the question of building principals.

“I know a lot of the principals have a heart for the city, have a heart for the kids, they know the kids, know the city,” Arroyo said. “I’m fine with you going through the system, going through the resumes, but we’re not going to see a flush of, I don’t know, 30 new principals?”

“I agree with your statement that our principals love all of our kids,” Hardy said.

But Hardy said he has an obligation to ensure every student gets what they need to be successful.

“So I have to make sure the right people are in front of your kids all the time,” Hardy said. “They might have the right heart, their heart might be in the right place, but if the results don’t match, I’ve got to get the right people.”

Changes may be coming to school start and end times. The Lorain 20182019 school year calendar is in draft form and could be set by the end of January.

Hardy said he would like the school year to start earlier and finish earlier, front-loading days so the first semester of school ends at the winter break. He said he would like to prioritize professional development for teachers before the school year starts so teachers are not leaving classrooms for that.

Lorain’s New Beginnings Academy will move out of the St. Mary School facility on West Seventh Street, Hardy said. Lorain Schools should bring back early college as an option for scholars, while keeping Titan College.

Much of the group applauded Hardy when Imam Paul Hasan complimented Hardy’s approach.

In Lorain people are quick to criticize or judge someone, Hasan said, but Hardy should get the opportunity to do what he can to save the children through the schools.

“I remember about the ‘good old boy’ stuff and I’m glad that you represent something that’s not part of that ‘good old boy’ stuff,” Hasan said.

Those attending should “get out of the old way of thinking and get into a new way of thinking, because that’s what you represent,” Hasan said to Hardy.

In the near future, Hardy will compile the five major initiatives by Jan. 31. The implementation plan will begin Feb. 8.

By Feb. 28, the district will finalize a budget and have the new chief positions identified.