Cincinnati, Ohio PPS

Chartered in 1995, PPS of Cincinnati understands the value of constructive relationships and works to foster these across lines of politics, race, and economics to be a positive force in their community.

The Cincinnati Public School District has approximately 42,000 students in 79 buildings.  The District is urban, poor, and about 70% African-American.   Many children attend school in aging, crumbling buildings (Ohio ranks in the bottom 20% of state tax dollars devoted to schools), the high school drop-out rate is unacceptably high, and far too many students do not pass the rigorous Ohio proficiency exams.  Cincinnati has historically had one of the highest rates of parochial school attendance in the country, some 30% of eligible students.  State-chartered "charter schools" have also diverted some families from the public school district.

Maintaining Diversity through Recruitment
Nonetheless, the District, due in part to the many volunteer efforts of those in the Cincinnati chapter, has managed to recruit and maintain large numbers of middle class students from a variety of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.  This is due in part to 5 high-quality public Montessori schools, the top-performing academic high school in the State of Ohio, a nationally acclaimed performing and fine arts K-12 program, and other high quality neighborhood and magnet schools and programs.

Working to Cross Barriers Between Parents
While this recruitment and retention of middle class families in the public schools is important for maintaining a diverse public school system, PPS works diligently to improve the public schools for all children including those who have no other more effective, quality educational options.

In a city as culturally diverse as Cincinnati, PPS members knew their message had to cross the divides of race and economics if they were to speak to and for all parents.  They participated in an urban chapter pilot project funded by Knowledge Works with the PPS chapter in Cleveland.

This project provided valuable lessons for the National PPS staff to share with other urban chapters and helped Cincinnati PPS better understand how to more effectively reach parents from all walks of life.

A New Culture for Decision-making
Changing the culture in which educational decisions are made drives much of what PPS does.  Members attend and speak to issues at school board meetings.  They try to speak on behalf of children's interests and what is best for them, even if that means changing "the way we have always done things."  They support other parents who bring issues to the attention of the school board.  They have demanded that the District include parents on all committees.  Last year, under the leadership of a dynamic educational leader who is the District's new Superintendent, Steven Adamowski, they were finally asked to become part of the CPS Budget Commission.  For the first time, parents joined with administrators, teachers, and other employee representatives to develop the District's $400 million budget.  CPPS members recently have served as parent representatives on other District committees, including the committee advising the district on the selection of the Master Architect and Construction Manager for the Facilities Plan, the Parent Community Review Board, Special Education Task Force, Core LSDMC Committee, and the Calendar Committee.

PPS Support for Tax Levy
Cincinnati PPS has worked hard over the past years to lead community support for the all-too-frequent local real estate tax levy ballot initiatives.  Under Ohio law, real estate tax revenues for schools do not increase with inflation and the increase in property values.  Unlike any other major public venture, Ohio voters are constantly being asked to increase their taxes to pay for schools.

The Cincinnati chapter is thus faced with the dual task of promoting what's good about public schools in order to help win at the polls, while patiently supporting and working for much-needed educational reforms within the District.

A Proven Track Record
Cincinnati PPS has a track record of events that promote the public schools:

PPS PLI: In July 2006, launched plans to create a Parent Leadership Institute to help develop more effective parent involvement in Cinncinnati Public Schools.  This initiative, based on the nationally recognized model from Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership, is set to begin in February 2007.
GEAR UP: Involved in organizing and implementing the parent involvement activities that are a part of the GEAR UP federal grant.  CPPS will also coordinate district wide workshops to provide parents with information in the areas of financial aid, SAT preparation, and other related information as needed.
Public Schools-Public Pride EXPO of Excellence: Over 34 public school districts participate and over 30,000 citizens have attended.  This event is a valuable recruiting tool that encourages parents to enroll their children in public schools.
Back to School Ready to Learn:  PPS spearheads an effort, in a team with the community, churches, and schools, to distribute school supplies to low-income families as part of an overall effort to increase attendance on the first day of school.
Spring Clean-up Days:  Parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community volunteers roll up their sleeves to trim bushes, wash windows, paint, and pick up and clean up in and around schools.
Extra Mile Award:  Begun in 2000, this award recognizes those teachers, non-teaching staff, parents, and volunteers who give extra of themselves and their time to Cincinnati public school children.
School Board Candidates Forum:  Hosted in cooperation with representatives of the Children's Defense Fund, NAACP, Urban League, local civic associations, and others.
Task Force:  Convened a volunteer task force to make recommendations to the District about how to make Cincinnati schools and the District more "parent friendly."
Training:  Developing "Parent Power," generalized training for parents; and training for parents and community representatives who are on school site-based management councils, known as Local School Decision Making Committees (LSDMC) and Instructional Leadership Teams (ILT).
Forums:  Hosting regular forums with the Superintendent and top management of the District where parents can ask questions and engage in dialogue with administrators.

In being sensitive to differences while looking for common ground, PPS of Cincinnati continues to make a difference in the community and to improve the quality of public education for all children.