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Zelman Visits Lima Senior: State Superintendent Talks With Students, Staff About Small Schools

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By Beth L. Jokinen, The Lima News, Ohio

Mar. 7--LIMA --Lima Senior High School students had no problem telling the state superintendent of schools what they think about small schools Monday.

While it wasn't all positive, Susan Tave Zelman said just the fact that they talked says something positive about the high school.

"They felt safe and secure enough to explicitly say what they were feeling," she said. "And I think if there wasn't a healthy adult-student relationship, they would perhaps not be as candid."

Zelman was invited by Lima schools to spend a day in the district. Ohio Board of Education member Lou Ann Harrold joined her. The two visited various buildings, starting with seeing how the district's Breakfast in the Classroom works at Unity Elementary School. This is National School Breakfast Week.

At Lima Senior, Zelman met first with small schools staff and then about 10-students, who split much their time talking about what they don't like about school uniforms and small schools.

"We have so many opportunities at Lima schools, but we are limited because of small schools," senior Rachel Hoff said about not always being able to take the classes she wants.

The high school began implementing the three small schools at the high school last school year.

"The first couple years are hard with the changes, but it will be better for kids coming up," junior Michael Diaz said. "Now teachers care more because of the smaller class sizes. They have more time."

Zelman said it's important for staff to listen to the students and to work with them to refine and improve on the small schools. Students told her that they wanted more interesting and rigorous class time.

"If we are going to have twohour blocks of time to study a particular subject, well you better fill that up with engaging curriculum and curriculum that is relative to my life," she said, adding that the three schools should be sharing with each other and collecting more data.

Zelman said the nation will see more districts moving toward the small-schools concept.

"What our students are telling us nationally is, 'Care about me, know me, know how I learn, help me make my learning relevant,'" she said. "It is one solution to individualizing and making more personal the high school, but just to have small schools is not enough."

Zelman suggests the high school look at some curriculums that would improve literacy and math skills. She plans to talk to her board of education about providing money for professional development of teachers in redesigning high schools.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Lima News, Ohio

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Source: The Lima News

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