Ideas for TPS

School Security

For the most part, TPS building and campus is 'an accident waiting to happen'. Most of the buildings were designed when shootings and/or hostages were NOT a security factor. I counted the number of ground level doors at Waite several years ago. Care to guess how many there are? Knock on a side door of an elementary building and chances are some unsuspecting student will open the door .

While employed for TPS, I was sent to California to inspect several alternative schools. The one thing they all had in common was a security fence that protected both the campus and building. When school were in session a guard manned a control point for auto traffic and personnel.

My point is- there are many things that could make TPS COULD do that would not coast an arm or a leg.

Food ,Transportation & Janitorial Services

Work more than 20 hrs. per week for TPS and and you're eligible for full time health/medical benefits. Farm out both Food Service and Building Services. Many sites are cleaned in 4-5 hours. Security Services has had video of empoyess talking on the phone claiming overtime pay. While your at it, look at Transportation Services. What a waste of money to subsidze TARTA and have buses sit the entire summer. I'm a retired TPS employee. Not once have they contacted me to volunteer, tutor and/or work on a levy.

New TPS website

I'm all for open access to elected officials. You do know that emails to the Board members are screened within your (Administration) building don't you? Board members don't want to be bothered with petty annoyances like public questions. Administrators and supervisors I work with like to keep them in the dark on purpose. (Oh well, it's a job!)

So, direct your emails to board members personally (unless they change these soon) -- for all who may need them --

originalcowboy@aol.com (guess who this is!), ssteel@accesstoledo.com, darlene.fisher@tns-global.com, robert.torres@toledo.oh.gov, jmford@bgsu.edu

Let them know how you really feel!

Community Information

It would be helpful if the members of the Board were highlighted on the TPS web page along with their educational backgrounds and their occupations.

Better School Board

Have a bunch of citizens support good school board candidates, like:

http://thurbersthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/04/job-description-for-board-o... And Lisa Renee has one as well: Glass City Jungle - http://glasscityjungle.com/wordpress/?p=1129#comments

Get rid of uniforms

School uniforms seem to be more of a way to suspend students than anything else. Get rid of them.

Talk to an architect/contractor

I have been following this OSFC building process for several years. I personally know two people that work for firms that work on these school bidding projects . These guys tell me that the architects and construction guys like these building projects- they make money on them . But they tell me that they are wondering why good solid buildings are being demolished to build buildings that are new, but not contstructed as well , and will not last as long as the demolished buildings. Of course they will not admit this in public or in front of a school administrator. But talk to one of these guys in private, and I get the same answer virtually every time. I was over by the Westfield school building as it was being torn down. As a demolition guy was walking by the fence , I went over and asked him his opinion about the project . He shook his head , telling me they could hardly get that steel out of the building , it was built so well. He said the new building will not be as strong as the old one.
One example is Burroughs school. Yes , an old building , but very solid . So teachers , and you could put a teachers name here to make it more personal and meaningful, they are being laid off because we are short of funds. Save Burroughs , for example, we could have saved alot of money.
I live in an old house , have high speed internet access , modern heating , insulation for heat retention.
We taxpayers can't afford to tear down our houses when they get old, we update them . TPS can update, too.

The TPS share is over of this project is over 150 million dollars . Is this prudent in tough economic times ? Toledo is in a very tough economic situation, and it could get worse. New buildings are an option in good times, these are not good times in Toledo . We must face that fact.
Is TPS really serious about saving money ? Much could be saved here.
It is not a new building that makes good schools, it is the good teachers and healthy families. You can't make emotionally healthy and stable families with new buildings.
I attended Waite high school, and old building when I was there . It is committed family structure that makes a student succeed !
Re-think this building project !

End manditory school uniforms

In order to implement this policy in the first place, the school MUST offer free uniforms to those who qualify for them according to income guidelines.
This process entails many costly things. The school now has a new department and staff to pay for. When I called to express my discontent I was sent to the "Uniforms Office" They are paying for the office and they are paying a wage to those who answer the phones and process the free uniform applications. Money people, just going down the drain! The costs of these free uniforms for those who cannot afford them cannot be cheap.
Its a huge waste.

Perhaps that money could be spent on learning materials that will get the majority of these schools out of the failing state according to the guide lines set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Teacher Buyout

Offer a buyout to teachers with over 30 years in the system and hire new teachers - two for the price of one!

Implement district school choice

If you remove district boundaries, schools would need to be much more efficient in their operation. Students would flock toward the good schools rather quickly, and bad schools would be forced to get better and become innovative. This competition will create efficiencies.