LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights
FEBRUARY 6, 2024 - regular meeting
- Public comment
- Recognitions and awards
- Board actions
- New math curriculum
- Superintendent comments
- Treasurer’s report
- Music program root cause analysis
Board members present were President Jodi Sourini, Gabe Crenshaw, Malia Lewis, and Phil Trimble. Dan Heintz was not present. Also present were Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby and Treasurer Scott Gainer. The meeting lasted about 1.75 hours.
Public comment
Rosemarie Fairman, Cleveland Heights-University Heights League of Women Voters representative, announced that the League will hold a Presidents Day program on democracy at the Lee Road Library.
Recognitions and awards
Violet Zickle and Rayven Ross, two eighth-grade students from Roxboro Middle School, were the East View United Church of Christ 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest winners. Sixteen students, winners of the City of Cleveland Heights 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest, presented their artwork and read their essays and poems.
January Tiger Team Members were recognized.
Student Cadre members Joziah Wyley and Eniya Lockhart presented athletic team updates. The students said they are grateful for the opportunities offered at Heights High that allowed them to be [the] best versions of themselves.
Board actions
The board approved membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Lewis said the community should be aware that OHSAA provides the opportunity for students in grades seven through 12 to compete. Recent Ohio legislation regarding trans students conflicts with OHSAA policies.
After the final reading, the board approved the calendars for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years.
New math curriculum
Michael Jenkins, director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Joyce Bukovac, instructional specialist for mathematics, presented the proposed new K–12 math curriculum, which has been piloted this year. Full adoption is recommended. This was a first reading with no vote. The math curricular materials align with the district strategic plan because they use evidence-based instruction and materials and encourage mastery of grade-level expectations to close achievement gaps. This is the first time that a single math program is being recommended across grade levels. This approach was evaluated as beneficial for students, aligning rigor and smoothing transitions across grade levels.
Superintendent comments
College Credit Information night took place Jan. 18 to inform students about opportunities to take courses at no cost to earn college credit.
Juniors and seniors participating in DECA competed in the District 8 DECA winter competitions in January. They will advance to the state DECA competition in Columbus in March. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the world.
In January, the cell phone safety symposium, held at the high school, focused on awareness of crimes against children.
The board will receive Incident Command System training, which provides an organizational structure for responding rapidly in an emergency and a common language for all emergency responders.
Treasurer’s report
Gainer reported on 1) interest on investments – use of interest funds from investments was authorized at the board organizational meeting under board policy 6144; 2) blanket purchase orders – a blanket order to purchase various items was authorized at the board organizational meeting, according to the Ohio Revised Code section 5705.41(D); and 3) board member remuneration – members receive $125 for a public meeting where roll is called. For each member, the maximum remuneration is $5,000 per year, according to the Ohio Revised Code section 3313.42.
Music program root cause analysis
Sourini thanked Karen Liddell-Anderson and Toia Robinson for leading the music program root cause analysis, which involved many community members, who, over seven meetings, focused on identifying causes and solutions for the declining involvement in district music programs.
LWV Observer: Rosemarie Fairman.
Documents for all board meetings can be accessed from the Board of Education webpage: www.chuh.org/BoardofEducation.aspx. Go to “BoardDocs” in the menu; on BoardDocs go to “MEETINGS” in the top menu; click on “Agenda.” Board meetings are livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/CHUHSchools) and recorded for later viewing.