It’s hard to believe, but, according to Kettering’s Interim School Superintendent, Jim Schoenlein, the school district of Kettering has destroyed its entire historical record of North Central self-study reports.

Prior to recent times, school districts were accredited by accrediting agencies.  Every five years, school districts, in order to maintain their accredited status, conducted an in-depth self-study and made a detailed report.  These reports represent decades of community and school history. According to Dr. Schoenlein, this whole record of self-study in Kettering was thrown out a few years ago.

Kettering has always been known as a progressive, thoughtful community.  I believe the historical record of how Kettering community leaders and Kettering educators previously analyzed their system of public education is very relevant to understanding our system today. These self-study reports contained a wealth of data, and, so far as I can tell, none of this data was ever digitized.

I requested to see the historical record of these self-studies several weeks ago and reached a dead-end.  I telephoned Dr. Schoenlein and asked him to verify that these self-studies are actually gone — and not in some obscure file cabinet somewhere.  He confirmed they were gone and I made the observation that no secretary or custodian or principal would ever throw away such material without orders from someone in authority.  Dr. Schoenlein noted that these records were destroyed when Robert Mengerink was superintendent, but did not indicate whether he knew exactly how it came about that these self-study records were destroyed.

I particularly wanted to read in these old reports how previous generations in Kettering thought about the purpose of public education.  For every self-study report, a committee worked to write a statement of educational philosophy that should guide the actions and policies of the district.  The idea of the self-study was for the district to first clarify its purpose / philosophy and then show the plan by which it intended to fulfill that purpose.  It was a thoughtful process.  Have I mentioned that in Kettering the historical record of all of this was destroyed?

Kettering for decades was accredited by the group considered the gold standard for school districts — The North Central Accreditation Association.  Kettering dropped its North Central association five or six years ago.  Now Kettering simply uses the state report card system for its evaluation and, unlike North Central, the state system is almost 100% student academic tests based.

I’m wondering, and I will attempt to investigate, if maybe the North Central organization, itself, might have records of its member schools.

I wish I could take a time machine to West Carrollton about 1971 when I first started teaching.  I was a member of the “Philosophy Committee.”  I guess everyone in West Carrollton with strong opinions about school purpose got on that committee.  I remember we had intense discussions and debates.

What we were discussing in 1971, I don’t remember, but we were passionate about whatever it was. I would like to be refreshed as to what it was all about. The committee finally came to a consensus and made its written report, and then, as I recall, nothing happened.  The report languished in some file cabinet, and the school kept going pretty much as always.  But to read that report today would be valuable, because at least it would give a snapshot in time of how at least one group of young teachers and concerned citizens in West Carrollton in 1971 defined school purpose.

In my view, there is a huge need here in 2009 for public education to define its purpose / its aim.  If “local control” is to have any meaning, a local community, like Kettering, must periodically clarify its purpose and analyze how well its system of public education is doing in accomplishing its purpose.  I believe we need to bring back the whole concept of “self-study.”

In order to see clearly a path to the future, we need to be guided by some of the wisdom and thinking of the past.  I’m amazed that historical record — the work of thoughtful citizens and gifted educators in Kettering — was discarded.

In my campaign to be elected to The Kettering Board of Education, I’ve decided to return to what motivated me in the first place last May. In this article for the KO Times to be printed Thursday, October 22, I use the word “appalled” to describe my reaction to the advertisements for the 6.9 mill renewal levy. Here is what I submitted to the KO times — with picture.

The Kettering Public School System, like most all American public school systems, is bureaucratic and wasteful.  We spend $11,200 per year per student.  

I believe in public education.  I believe it is of crucial importance that we build a better system for the future.  I believe Kettering should be a leader. 

Kettering’s total tax base is declining. In order to raise the same total revenue for schools, individual property owners must pay more tax.  For example, in 2002 Kettering borrowed $102 million to make school building improvements. Last year, the effective rate for this bond was 3.6 mills.  This year it is 4.5 mills.

I was appalled by the advertisements for the May 6.9 mill renewal levy that promised “ZERO Increase In Taxes,” and “Not a Penny More.”   But the truth is, because of the declining tax base, the effective rate for this levy is increasing. By renewing the levy, voters gave approval to increase the effective rate for this levy by as much as 12%.   

Current board members approved the misleading levy advertisement campaign. Kettering voters need to assert local control. The push to transform the system must come from the community via board elections.

As a board member, I would:
1) Insist on transparency.
2) Create a public group to study in detail Kettering Schools and to make recommendations for the future.

Go to CitizensTogether.com for more information. (I should have this greatly expanded in a few days.)