School board members in action

The Sandusky City Schools' board members are committed to a two-year effort to impact Board Governance. Board Governance is a framework that gives structure to a board to ensure district leadership is focused on student achievement. The board wishes to connect our district goals to our strategic plans with purpose, accountability, and active direction. Our board members — President, Mrs. Martha Murray; Vice President, Mrs. Jennifer Chapman; and members Mr. Thomas Patterson Sr., Ms. Ebony Sizemore and Mrs. Shelisa Johnson — are passionate about our students, families, staff members, and community members as they embarked on the Board Governance sessions last month. Education is always evolving to reach the needs of our students, families and community. Mr. Thomas Patterson, Sr., board member, states the following, "We are at a pivotal point in education. Education is changing. Factors involved in this change include how we educate our students with options such as virtual learning; school financing/funding; general issues regarding society and how it affects students and their education. We cannot isolate ourselves from these changes; we need to be proactive in how we address them. While doing this, we must maintain our focus on providing a well-rounded education that will impact our community." Dedication to the school district is evident in the board members' actions and their attention to our district and the needs of our students. Board President, Mrs. Martha Murray states, "The Sandusky City Schools' Board of Education would like to become the best board possible. We are willing and eager to spend the time necessary to ensure that all of the board's decisions are focused on student achievement and growth. This is important for both our students and community. Certainly, our stakeholder's willingness and active participation will help support and strengthen the students educational opportunities in our district." Each board member took an active role in the development of this process and are diligently discussing each topic as we move forward with the meeting agendas. The initial meeting was designed to explain board governance, board mindset and student achievement. The meeting lasted nearly two hours and included significant interaction between board members and district staff members. "Being a fairly new member, I found the first meeting very helpful in understanding the proper way to work with my colleagues to achieve a successful outcome. I look forward to the upcoming meetings," said Board Vice President, Mrs. Jennifer Chapman. "As a board member, I want the community to know that I am doing everything in my power to help the students in their achievement and growth while enrolled in SCS and, hopefully, it will continue in their many years after graduation." Sandusky City Schools' Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mrs. Chris Norwell-Fischer, identifies the differences between student achievement and student growth. "Student achievement is based on the student meeting their grade level benchmarks and standards," Norwell-Fischer said. "Student growth is measured over a period of time, by evaluating academic programs, reviewing the students' learning cycles, so we may impact each student and adjust practices in a positive manner within our district. Student achievement and student growth also include the areas of social-emotional learning and the ability to collaborate with others around common goals, ensuring we impact the whole child and not limit our collective impact on students to just test scores." Students are much more than a test score. Each student is unique, they are our future, and we will continue to do everything possible to provide them with wonderful learning opportunities and prepare them for a promising future. We know our students and families very well. As educators, we will continue to be a positive force and supportive throughout the students' educational learning experiences at Sandusky City Schools and beyond graduation. After all, these students are our future and our hope is that they all continue to work diligently to change the world for the better. The Board Governance efforts will continue to strengthen the board's leadership and form a cohesive team working for our students. Mrs. Shelisa Johnson, board member also shared, "I look forward to the upcoming Board Governance meetings. I see the meetings as important opportunities to solidify and strengthen as an individual member of the board and collaboratively as a school board. I was able to ask pointed questions, receive a deeper understanding of our school district and offer feedback, which aids in steering and decision-making. I believe the meetings will also be useful checkpoints during the school year to help maintain our focus of supporting the achievement of every child as a whole in our Sandusky City Schools family. I look forward to the seven additional meetings over the next two years." In closing, board member, Ms. Ebony Sizemore shared the following, "The devotion to our students, families, and staff is evident in the actions of our board members individually and collectively. I am dedicated to SCS & our community. Our Board Governance sessions will help me individually, and our team collectively, grow and continue to make the best decisions for our district. I look forward to our future sessions. A district with a strong board and dedicated leaders can do amazing work…our students, staff, and district as a whole, will be better because of the work we are all putting in." There will be additional topics covered as the process evolves. The ongoing conversations between board members, district staff members and anyone who would like to attend the meetings will help determine the direction of the meetings or addition of any topics. We encourage the involvement of our community within our district and at our school board meetings. These meetings are open to the public. The meeting details will be listed on our district website. The Board Governance sessions are set to occur approximately every three months. The next meeting is on May 13.