It seems like that empty lot at 400 Brittain Rd. has been empty for
quite a while. The old Seiberling building was demolished last
fall, the ground leveled and filled in, but no signs of the beginnings of
the new Seiberling Community Learning Center.
Here
is the answer from Paul Flesher, Executive Director of Facility Planning and Capital
Improvements for the Akron Public Schools.
Here
is the resolution by the Akron Board of Education referred to by Mr. Flesher.
Akron Schools Face Further Budget, Staff Cuts
Say farewell to middle school sports
At its May 7 meeting the Akron School Board agreed to cut the budget for fiscal year 2013
by $18,163,966. These cuts will include the eliminaton of 139 teaching positions and
all middle school sports.
Further cuts will be needed in the next few months in order to totally eliminate the
projected deficit of $22,000,000. And because of declining property valuation
in the city — which means less revenue for the school district —
a further $2,000,000 in cuts may be necessary.
In addition to the above, cuts were also made in the budget allocations for supplies,
textbooks, technology, equipment, and purchased services.
East High Athletic Director, Ron Linger, has announced that Marques Hayes
will take over the school's football program as varsity head coach. Hayes
will replace outgoing head coach, Damon Beasley.
Hayes was an assistant under Coach Beasley, serving as defensive line coach in 2010 and
as defensive co-ordinator in 2011.
Said Hayes, "I think the best thing about this right now is that we are a grades 7-12 school
here at East Community Learning Center. We are connected and we want to keep these
kids from the middle school here to play ball at the high school level. We want to
keep these kids in the building and in our football program."
Coach Hayes played linebacker and defensive lineman at the University of Akron from
1999-2003. He earned his master's degree at the University and currently teaches
special education at East.
A.D. Linger adds "We are excited to have Marques. He has great rapport with our student
athletes. He is young, energetic, and he is a very positive role model for our kids.
We are looking forward to him getting things rolling in a positive direction."
Scholarship News
East seniors look forward to college
Congratulations to senior Tanai Cannady who has been awarded a full
four-year scholarship to attend Ohio State University.
Tanai serves as this year's senior class president, is a varsity cheerleader, a member of the
varsity volleyball team, and, for the second year in a row, a national finalist
at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City.
Fellow senior Matt Schertz has been awarded the Michael T. Hayes Adademic Scholarship
to continue his education in the College of Engineering at the University of Akron.
The scholarship, renewable each semester for four years, will amount to a total of $4,400 in aid.
Matt is this year's band president, National Honor Society president, and manager of
the stage crew.
Matt will join on campus 2010 Hayes Scholarship awardee, Iris Edmondson, who is currently
completing her second year at the University of Akron.
N.E.A. Takes on Bullies
The National Education Association (N.E.A.) has launched a new web site,
Bully Free: It Starts With Me.
This effort by the N.E.A. urges caring adults to get involved when they see
evidence of students suffering from bullying. Visit the site by clicking
here.
In a related matter, the award-winning and provocative 2011 film, Bully,
is showing in selected cities around the country. Below is a preview.
High School Will Be More Demanding
Beginning with the 2013-14 school year
Beginning with the graduating class of 2014, an Ohio high school diploma
will be a much more valuable document. With the implementation at that time of the
Ohio Core Curriculum, the standards for graduation will be a bit more demanding.
One of the most noticeable changes will be the requirement for four years of math
instead of the current three years.
The goal of the Ohio Core Curriculum is to expose students to a course of study requiring
higher-level skills and more critical thinking — things that colleges and employers
say they want in a high school grad.
Testing will also change. The current Ohio Graduation Test, required for a high school
diploma, measures knowledge only in the 8th to 10th grade range. Ohio, along with 23
other states, is working to develop more rigorous tests that will be part of the new curriculum.
Below are two sources with more information about the new curriculum.
Seiberling is the final school in the Cluster to be rebuilt or remodeled.
When the new school year began on September 1, 2011, Seiberling students (K-6th grade)
began attending classes in the former Goodyear Middle School building at 49 N. Martha Ave.
Meanwhile, their former building at 400 Brittain Rd. has been demolished and will be
replaced with the new Seiberling Community Learning Center.
For complete details about the changes to the East Cluster buildings, click
here.
There is a lot of talk in popular culture today about role models. There are
also some very questionable choices offered as examples. Here is a better example.
Author, lecturer, and activist, Loung Ung, survived the genocide of the "Killing Fields"
in Cambodia although much of her family did not. She was able to escape and
come to this country in 1980 and currently lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Author of "First They Killed My Father" and "Lulu in the Sky,"
Ung can be heard in this recent
interview
on Cleveland radio station, WCPN.
Looking for a college internship in northeast Ohio? Know a college student looking for an
internship in northeast Ohio? Visit the NEOintern web site
here.
Goodyear Heights Resources
For a list of resources helpful to Goodyear Heights residents, click
here.
What is a Cluster?
The Akron Public Schools are divided into seven neighborhood groups or clusters
— each headed by the high school located within that cluster. The rest of
the cluster is made up of the middle school that feeds into that high school and the
various elementary schools that feed into that middle school. The clusters were
formed to increase community identity within a large school system.
The East Cluster schools work among themsevles, and
with parent and community groups, to develop a partnership to best serve our student
population.
The cluster concept helps to make a large school system much more personal and responsive
to the needs of its students, parents, and the larger community. The
East Cluster has always been a very active, engaged
cluster with great school and community pride.
At its May 7 meeting the Akron School Board agreed to cut the budget for fiscal year 2013
by $18,163,966. These cuts will include the eliminaton of 139 teaching positions and
all middle school sports.
East High Athletic Director, Ron Linger, has announced that Marques Hayes
will take over the school's football program as varsity head coach. Hayes
will replace outgoing head coach, Damon Beasley.
Congratulations to senior Tanai Cannady who has been awarded a full
four-year scholarship to attend Ohio State University.
Fellow senior Matt Schertz has been awarded the Michael T. Hayes Adademic Scholarship
to continue his education in the College of Engineering at the University of Akron.
The scholarship, renewable each semester for four years, will amount to a total of $4,400 in aid.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2014, an Ohio high school diploma
will be a much more valuable document. With the implementation at that time of the
Ohio Core Curriculum, the standards for graduation will be a bit more demanding.
One of the most noticeable changes will be the requirement for four years of math
instead of the current three years.
The Akron Public Schools are divided into seven neighborhood groups or clusters
— each headed by the high school located within that cluster. The rest of
the cluster is made up of the middle school that feeds into that high school and the
various elementary schools that feed into that middle school. The clusters were
formed to increase community identity within a large school system.
