9/30/08

The Other Paper

Steph Greegor

It’s a tenuous time for Columbus City Schools-education reform is perhaps the state’s hottest topic. The economy is sagging to Depression-era depths as Columbus Public works to pass a levy. At the center of it all is Superintendent Gene Harris, desperate for funds to continue the momentum of recent years, validated by increased graduation rates, increased scholarship money and a steadily improving state academic rating. Suffice it to say, folks in Columbus have high expectations of her.

She’s one of us-homegrown-the first Columbus supe in generations to rise from the ranks of the Columbus classroom to the top spot. And, from public officials anxious to grow the city and recruit industry, to private citizens who expect their hard-earned tax dollars to provide their children with a solid education, there’s a lot riding on Gene Harris’s success or failure. The expectations are exceeded only by her own.

Here’s our sit-down conversation with the person who may have the toughest job in the city right now-overseeing 8,000 employees, 55,235 students, 128 schools and a $695 million budget.

TOP: Do you feel like when you got here in 2001 that the community had given up on Columbus City Schools?

Harris: I don’t know that people had given up, but I think there was some real doubt that had really set in. I think, for whatever reason, that even our staff was feeling demoralized, that no one believed that they could get it done.

Our staff, working together with a common goal along with our parents and the community, has moved this district light years since then. And it should be noted that our district has faced increased poverty during that time-we have moved from about 60 percent of our students qualifying for free and reduced price meals to about 73 percent of our students qualifying for free and reduced price meals.

Our teachers have taken it as an opportunity and not accepted that as an excuse. We will not accept poverty as an excuse for lack of academic achievement. These are our kids, this is our community, and we know that if they’re not successful, we’re not successful.

TOP: When you initially took the job, your primary goal was to lift the district out of “academic emergency” status on the state report card. Seven years later, you’re two steps higher, now rating “continuous improvement” and holding.

Harris: Well, that was the initial goal, but the long-term goal was always to move the district as far and as high as we possibly could. Because when I talk about the district, in my brain, it’s very clear what I’m talking about-I’m talking about children, so I’m not talking about this blob, you know, that you can’t define. I’m talking about the performance of children, the lives of children and making sure that our children are performing at the highest levels they possibly can.

TOP: You’ve made a bold move by practically guaranteeing that 90 percent of 2012’s class is going to graduate. Tell me a little about how you came to that number and if you feel you’re going to make that number by 2012.

Harris: We are very, very optimistic, based on the progress that we’re making. We came to that number because the U.S. Department of Education, through No Child Left Behind, established the year of 2014 as the year that there would be 100 percent literacy in reading and mathematics. Our thought was, if we continue to build the systems, such that we have 90 percent of our students meeting graduation requirements that would help us move to that 100-percent literacy. And we wanted to do it before 2014 because, obviously, we wanted to make sure that we were on track to meet that federal goal.

TOP: How do your accomplishments play into the $241 million levy-bond issue that’s coming up on the November ballot-what are you asking people to support?

Harris: We’ve got a story to tell. We’ve got a story to tell of accomplishment and I’m asking the community to continue to invest in our children.

This front-end investment is absolutely worth it and I think we’ve shown that. And we’ve shown that, given the right resources, we can make them work for our students and their families.

If we don’t make that front-end investment, then there will be a back-end investment in more social services, in more mental health services, in perhaps even incarceration, and we certainly don’t want that.

TOP: The last time you asked for money in 2004 you promised taxpayers a spending cap of no more than three percent per year. This time around, you’re not promising a spending cap, but you’re promising to stay off the ballot for four more years. Is it common for school districts to bargain with their constituents in hopes of getting their levies passed?

Harris: I think it’s a relatively new phenomenon because of the current economic condition-that we have to be respectful of our constituents. We know that our society is becoming much more results driven, both financially and economically, and we just need to be respectful of that. I know that folks like to plan, they like to look ahead, they like to know, “What are you going to do with this?” So, we’ve been very clear with the public about new programs, that kind of thing, and we’ve also been very clear with the public that this levy will not get us out of the woods of reducing our budget. We’re still going to have to make about $76 million, over the life of the levy, in reductions.

TOP: Has it been decided yet where those budget cuts are going to come from?

A: We’ve looked at how we can become more efficient in some broad operational areas, but we have not defined exactly where they’re going to come from. We’ll do that in the budget process and we want to be very thoughtful about it. That is, if the levy passes. It gives us more time to be thoughtful and it gives us a longer time to make these budget cuts work.

If the levy does not pass, then we’ll have to make some immediate reductions. And again, we’ll be thoughtful about them, but they will touch the classroom. And we’ve made such great progress, we’re on such a good trajectory and we would hate to lose that opportunity. We already, over the life of the last levy, made about $150 million in cuts.

TOP: Why has the district chosen to not promise the three percent spending cap on this year’s ballot?

Harris: Couple things: One is there’s unpredictable costs-utilities, gasoline.

The other piece is the board wanted to have the flexibility to invest in certain years-we’re going to do new programs, bringing on new theme-based schools, that kind of thing. It may be that we need to invest more in some years and less in others because of the new programming.

The end result is the same: I still can’t be on the ballot for four years. I’m still going to have to make reductions. I’m still going to have to report to the board, who is committed to reporting to the community every quarter about how we’re doing with our revenue and expenses. None of that has gone away.

TOP: Governor Ted Strickland is traveling around the state talking about his six principles for education reform. You represented Columbus schools at the first forum earlier this year and offered your suggestions. How is Columbus Public meeting each of the six principles the governor is touting, starting with Principle No.1: “We cannot address our education challenges without strengthening our commitment to public education.”

Harris: Well, wow. In so many ways, our community has stepped up. I would think an example of that is Project Mentor-the fact that we had over 1,000 folks in our schools last year. Business communities, civic organizations, parents who said, “Yes, I will take on mentoring a child to keep that person focused and in school.” To me, that means that you’re making a commitment to education, that you understand the importance of, not only high school, but going beyond high school, and you’re willing to put your personal commitment there.

We also have a number of business partners-well over 200 business partners-who are committed to our students all the time. We just had one of our partners out at Arlington Park Elementary school that built the most incredible playground for our students. It was unbelievable. And then, obviously, the commitment to education in Columbus-the levies that have passed, the bond issues, the fact that our community has come together to help us design our new schools on our local committees, our planning committees on our schools; our higher education partnerships, where we have students on our campuses. Those are all evidence of the community’s commitment to education.

TOP: Principle No. 2: “A modern education must be directly linked to economic prosperity.”

Harris: I just want to say “Yes!” Obviously our short-term goals in moving up academically and our long term for that 90 percent graduation rate acknowledge the fact that we understand that education is essential to the economic engine of any community.

TOP: Principle No. 3: “We need to identify the great strengths of our schools. There are features in our education system that the rest of the world seeks to emulate…”

Harris: When you think about our specialized programs-the magnet programs and alternative programs that we’ve had for 30 years, even our new drop-out recovery programs, the fact that we’re willing to sponsor a charter school that will allow us to have flexibility for students to learn in different ways-it’s outstanding. Our career and technical programs- they’ve been touted nationwide.

Here’s one that the world can emulate-we have students representing 87 different languages in our schools and the work that we’re doing through our English as a Second Language program, with the children who do not speak English as their first language, is absolutely unparalleled. Those kinds of programs should be emulated.

TOP: Principle No. 4: “Our best teachers can show us what works best in the classroom.”

Harris: Columbus had a green value-added score this year (on its report card), meaning that we got more than a year’s worth of growth for a year’s worth of work.

I have students come in, there’s nothing wrong with their minds, they absolutely can learn, but because of their lack of exposure to some things, they come in behind. The only way we’re going to get them graduated with a high quality diploma, on time, is for our teachers to get more than a year’s worth of work for a year’s worth of growth. And in an urban district, where we are fighting for resources, that our teachers were able to get that done is just unprecedented. So there are practices that we are mining, that we are looking at, to see what folks are doing to get these gains with our students.

TOP: Principle No. 5: “We must strive to develop a specific, personalized education program that identifies how each individual student learns and use the teaching methods appropriate to that student’s needs and abilities.”

Harris: We’re getting closer to that by developing these different programs that students have an opportunity to take. And what that’s getting toward is “OK, how do I learn? Does this fit me? Yes, this makes sense, so I’m going here.”

Also, we are a school district of choice-they can go to any school where there’s a seat open and available. So, as a parent, if I believe that my child is going to perform better over here because of the program that is here, then they have an opportunity to go to that school. It doesn’t mean they always get it, the seat has to be open and available, but we have parents who have decided that, “I’d rather go here then there because this program is what is best for my child.”

TOP: Principle No. 6: “Testing and assessment will continue to answer accountability questions.”

Harris: When I started as superintendent we said we would become a data-driven organization; that we would make decisions based on what we see and what we’re able to compile through assessments. Our goal is to give teachers reliable information so they, the professionals, can make really good decisions with the students and their parents on the next level of learning for our children. And we’re not saying that we’re there and that we’re a perfect district, that everything is aligned and all in place, but that’s where we’re headed.

TOP: Did you like school when you were a kid?

Harris: Loved school. I’m the youngest child in my family and my mother tells the story that we used to play school. I’m like 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 years younger than my brother and sister and I was always the teacher. I would have them on the step and I was in charge, so my brother would say I’ve been in charge for a long time.

TOP: What was your favorite subject?

Harris: I was always a reader and so I was an English teacher. But I want all our students out there to know that I also took the highest level mathematics that one could take in high school. I think all of it was important, it all comes together.

But you know, school was a positive experience for me. I was a very social being. There were 2,000 students in my high school and I thought my job was to talk to all of them every day. It was a great environment. I loved it.

TOP: Who was the most influential educator on your life?

Harris: I think it’s probably a composite of people. But I would say locally, Dr. Marie Stinson, who started in the district as a secretary, sent herself to college, became a teacher, became a high school principal and retired from the district as director of personnel. What an incredible life story to me, that as an adult she said to herself, “This is what I’ve wanted to do, I’m going to get it done.” On a national level, Marian Wright Edelman, who has always fought for children’s issues and high-quality education.

TOP: Who was the educator that made you cringe?

Harris: I never had her, but by reputation she was one of the first women high school principal’s in the city-that was Francis Henning, and my brother and sister had her. And they would always come home and talk about Miss Henning, who made you get down on your knees and make sure that your mini-skirt touched the floor. She ran a tight ship and I was just petrified that I was going to go to 10th grade and she was going to be there. Well, she retired the year before I went. I avoided Miss Henning.

But the kinds of things that they said about her, the fact that she wanted students to learn, that she wanted a clear learning environment, I think that she probably had some influence on me. Because as a high principal, even as a superintendent, I’m pretty no-nonsense. I love kids, I love being with them, I love having fun with them, but this is business. You get to school, this is business and this is your business and this is what we need to do.

TOP: Tell me what inspires you to do your job.

Harris: The success of our young people. That keeps me going. I’m a person that, when you hear me talk about the district, I’m always talking about “We came from here and now we’re here,” and to me, that’s children. That’s children’s lives.

There was one young man, named Greg Green and he was a student at Mifflin High School, and I found him in a pre-algebra class and I told him “This will never do, you need to be in algebra because this is where you’re going and if you hang out here you’re not going to get there.” And I made him. I called his mother, and I made him change classes. And he tells me that story every time I see him. That’s what inspires me. The fact that I know we can, and that we are, having great influences on our children.

TOP: Finish this sentence for me: Education means the difference between…

Harris: Life and death.

TOP: You said before that you were writing a story. How does Columbus Public’s story end, where does it go?

Harris: The end of the story is that the community will talk about the asset that Columbus city schools is for this community because of the students that are coming out of this district.  But I don’t know if the story ever ends, because we’ve got to perpetually continue that. The story will go on.