State of Ohio Board of Education Vote to Eliminate Mandatory Art, Music, Library, Phys Ed

First, I want to say that I rarely post on this blog.    It seems as each child I give birth to depletes the time that I would otherwise give to posting on this blog.    I say this even as my 22 month old is eating a marshmallow to keep him quiet and has climbed up on a kitchen chair to try to destroy his older brother’s Lego set.

Having said that, I received an email from my son’s teacher today regarding the subject of this post.   Since I was not able to find online one location for the information I was seeking, I wanted to provide it here to you.

First, the email I received:

 On Tuesday (11/11/14), the Ohio State Board of Education will discuss and vote to eliminate mandatory Music, Art, Phys. Ed., Media Specialists, Guidance Counselors, Nurses, and Social Workers for Elementary Schools from the Ohio Administrative Code.

Currently, school code states that for every thousand elementary students, schools must have in place five of the following eight specialists: art, music, counselor, school nurse, librarian/media specialist, visiting teacher, social worker, or phys ed.

The revision would eliminate the section that includes that language. What would be left is this definition of staff:

Educational service personnel are credentialed staff with the knowledge, skills and expertise to support the educational, instructional, health, mental health, and college/career readiness needs of students.

Email the school board http://education.ohio.gov/State-Board/State-Board-Members or just give them a call (614) 728-2754 and tell them how awful this is for students and schools.

I offered to post this to this blog in hopes that those who still receive the updates would get this in their inbox, and those seeking information would find it.

I wanted to learn more about this and get my hands on some specific email addresses, here is what I found:

On Cleveland.com it sounds like the vote isn’t happening until December.   If this is the case it gives parents more time to contact their District Representative.     http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/is_the_state_school_board_kill.html

We are in District 5 so our board rep is Brad Lamb, his email address is Brad.Lamb@education.ohio.gov

The email addresses for the Board President, Debe Terhar, is Debe.Terhar@education.ohio.gov

The Board’s Vice Chairman, who is quoted in the Cleveland.com article explaining why this change is being discussed, is Tom Gunlock.   His email address is Tom.Gunlock@education.ohio.gov

I am willing to believe they are not voting on this tomorrow because it is not on the agenda:

http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/State-Board/State-Board-Meetings/State-Board-Meetings-for-2013-1/Nov-2014-Time-Schedule.pdf.aspx

Looks like the December meeting will take place December 8-9, but they do not have the voting agenda and time schedule posted for that meeting yet.  http://education.ohio.gov/State-Board/State-Board-Meetings/State-Board-Meetings-for-2013-1

Lastly, there is a presentation online where you can find more information about the specific change:

http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/SusanYutzey/stand-up-for-your-child-presentation-41081030/6

If you would like to determine what District you are in and who you should contact specifically for your district, you can go to http://education.ohio.gov/State-Board/State-Board-Members for a District map and contact information.

Hope this helps!

Lorelei

I’m So Lame

Really.   I feel so lame.   I am a stay-at-home mom and can’t consistently write a blog post to save my life.   I am blessed to have my children’s three surviving grandparents live within 15 minutes of me and can barely juggle my 3 children’s schedules, and one of them is only 15 months old!

Anyhow, I wanted to write briefly that I am really looking forward to all that Cleveland has to offer in the summer…assuming summer ever actually shows up here.    I want to take the kids to Blossom for an Orchestra concert.   I am once again stalking the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s website for their summer schedule so I can once again sign up our almost-8-year-old and now his 4 year-old brother for Jr. Ranger activities so they can add badges and patches to their super-cute Jr. Ranger vests their auntie got them.   I want to take the kids out to Put-In-Bay to drive around on golf carts and maybe to Cedar Point.   I am excited the oldest is now old enough for Classroom Antics’ LEGO Jr. Robotics Camp and will be returning to Camp Invent (put on by the National Inventors Hall of Fame).   And then there’s our usual places to go in the summer, like the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Akron Zoo,  Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Art to visit, and places we haven’t visited yet, like Holden Arboretum, the Soap Box Derby or a Cleveland Indians game.   Yes, the boys and I get around in the summer.   I love living somewhere where it is so easy to get out and do things!

Where are you looking forward to going in and around Cleveland this summer?

I miss hearing from my Cleveland mommy friends!

Until next time…whenever that may be.

 

 

Awesome Super Bowl Recipes

Awesome Super Bowl Recipes

I accidentally came across this blog in search of a dip that a friend of mine used to make which can be found when searching “Aunt Judy’s Bean Dip”.      My advice is, if you already have high cholesterol, you may want to avoid the following blog.    Otherwise, go check it out, particularly the recipes tagged Football Friday:

http://www.plainchicken.com/search/label/football%20friday

 

If you are searching for last-minute recipes for tomorrow, there are some great ideas here.  I personally may try the “white pizza dip” recipe tomorrow.

The Common Core in Cleveland

Ok, so I know I haven’t written on here in a very long time.     There are so many fun things I would love to write about.    Like last year’s fun trip to Mr. Kringle’s Inventionasium which I think I just saw now has tickets on sale.    Or the really cool leaf wreath we are making with my 3 year-old’s class at school.    Or the things I have learned over the course of three childbirths, because our third son was born on New Year’s Day this year, which helps to explain my absence from this blog.

But, what I am going to write about, very briefly, is my limited experience thus far with the Common Core.    And I am writing this because it is unfortunately very difficult to find a non-political conversation about this topic.     I would like to open up a conversation here, for those living in and around the Cleveland area.     I want to hear, whether you are a teacher, or a parent, what you think.   

My current concern is basically this.     My son goes to a good public school.   We moved to our particular suburb for the school district.   In my son’s second grade class there is a boy who has been tested to have a 140 IQ.    He clearly isn’t dumb.    To test “addition and subtraction fluency” they have been required to take timed tests since the beginning of the school year.    On the first test, an addition test with 100 problems, the boy scored a 75/100.    On a subtraction test a few weeks into the school year, the boy scored a 65/100.     My son had similar scores.    On both my son’s tests and this boy’s the teacher wrote, “Keep practicing.”    What this actually means is, keep practicing at home, as with weekly homework they are expected to practice addition and subtraction facts at home.      My husband and I now have to do flash cards at home, which neither of us ever remember having to do with our parents when we were kids. 

My husband has several very well educated, intelligent colleagues in similar school districts.   With children in different grades.    And all of them have said the same thing.  “We are signing our children up for Kumon because they are not learning their basic facts at school.”

I am really hoping this isn’t the experience people are having everywhere, but it has come up in conversation often enough that it concerns me.     If it now falls on the parents to teach their children basic math so that the Common Core test requirements can be taught in school, I’m fine with teaching my kid.     But what happens to children in the Cleveland Public Schools, or other urban areas, or even in the suburbs, where the parents aren’t supplementing their children’s educations, either for a lack of interest or a lack of time?    We are doing these children a huge disservice by trying to “raise the bar” with the Common Core.

What have your experiences been?    I think some of the Common Core teaching has been implemented long enough for many of us to have an informed opinion now.   Positive or negative, I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Lorelei

Cuyahoga Valley National Park 2013 Summer Schedule

I have been stalking the CVNP website to sign up our oldest for the Junior Ranger classes. The 2013 Summer Schedule is finally out. So many great activities for adults, kids and families! I love the place.

Click to access CVNP-Summer2013-SOE_v9-final.pdf

2013 Summer Camps in Cleveland

Just wanted to post a heads-up that it is summer camp scheduling time again. A quick off the top of my head list includes:

Classroom Antics Tech and LEGO Camps – http://www.ClassroomAntics.com

Bricks 4 Kidz LEGO Classes – http://www.bricks4kidz.com/

Cleveland Museum of Natural History – http://www.cmnh.org/site/classesandprograms/summercamps.aspx

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland – http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org/2012/03/register-now-for-summer-camp/

Great Lakes Science Center – http://www.glsc.org/summercamps2013.php

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – http://www.clemetzoo.com/education/sdc/

Camp Invent – http://www.campinvention.org

Challenger British Soccer Camp – http://www.challengersports.com/britishsoccercamps.aspx

Cleveland Metroparks Summer Camps – http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Summer-Camps.aspx

Old Trail S’Camp – http://www.oldtrail.org/page.aspx?pid=523

 

If you think of more, please post in the comments!

Perspective

So my last post was August 1, 2012. Yikes. Well, since then, baby boy #3 has joined our household. This week I was given an amusing insight into the difference in perspective between pre-baby women and post-baby women. A pregnant-with-her-first-child friend of mine made this comment to me on Facebook:

“How are you handling all your boyz? Are you able to make it to the shower? I need to hear the baby boy scoop from a professional!”

Pre-baby woman’s definition of “shower”: a party where you have time to socialize and have adult conversation, get gifts, eat yummy food

Post-baby woman’s definition of “shower”: something that involves water and soap and on really good days, shampoo

PlayhousesSquare Cinema at the Square Groupon

I had just posted about PlayhouseSquare’s Cinema at the Square Series for the summer and then today came across this:

http://www.groupon.com/cleveland/deals/playhousesquare?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=grouponcle&dl=t31337

If you are planning on heading downtown for a show, I suggest you check out the Groupon for half-price tickets, with three days left to buy.

Cinema at the Square Returns to Playhouse Square

Along with several classic favorites of adults, take the kids to enjoy this unique movie-going experience with these family-friendly flicks:

The Muppet Movie – Aug. 5th at 2pm

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – Aug. 12 at 2pm

Mary Poppins – Aug. 19 at 2pm

Tickets are $5.  For a full list of Cinema at the Square movies, visit www.playhousesquare.org/cinema

Half Off LEGO Camps Next Week

Here are a couple of deals on a Parents’ Night Out for tomorrow as well as two LEGO Camps taking place next week at Bricks 4 Kidz in the Brunswick/Medina area:

PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT

Friday, June 22, 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm

HUGE DEAL!!! Kidz ages 4 to 12 years old can join us for our Bricks 4 Kidz Parents’ Night Out Party, and they can do it for 1/2 price.  Just bring a friend and split the cost of this 3 hour event.  Games, LEGO Building Time, Movie, Pizza and Refreshments.  The cost is normally $25 per child, tomorrow night ONLY is buy one get one free night.  Pre-registration is required online at http://www.bricks4kidz.com/ohio-brunswick-medina/ or by calling
(330) 722-2223 before tomorrow at 4pm, or until it sells out.

THE DEAL CONTINUES TO NEXT WEEKS CAMPS…

BRICKS 4 GIRLZ
6-12 Year Olds
Grab your Friends and come hang out with us for a girls-only week of crafting and creating with LEGO bricks.  Introduce your friends to our “Friends” as we get to know LEGO brands newest line of girl themed models.  We’ll do lots of other unique things with bricks from jewelry making to brick art and origami, with take-home projects each day.  And don’t worry…there are “NO BOYS ALLOWED!”  BECAUSE THIS WEEK IS ALL ABOUT THE GIRLS!

AMAZING ANIMALS
6-12 Year Olds
If you are facinated by the weird but true, wild and wacky, gross and yucky, then this is the camp for you! Spend the week discovering the zany biology of our animal friends. Each day we’ll explore fascinating facts about the animal kingdom, focusing on a “creature of the day”. Build a different animal model each day and fill your very own “Animal Grossology” booklet with crazy and cool facts you learn, complete with a picture of each model, to become a cerifified Bricks 4 Kidz Grossologist.

BOGO FREE
Both camps are BOGO Free next week only.  This means bring a friend and split the cost.  
The cost of camp is $160.  This can not be combined with any other offer and friends must participate in the same camp.
Registration and payments can be done online or by phone.  Mention the Bricks 4 Kidz email for the discount.