Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Excuse me for not having kids in high school but why is all this press directed towards North and Central isn?’t mentioned? Are the two schools that seem to be in the same district operating independently and differently? Also are these changes at North because they are lagging behind Central academically? They seem to be focusing their changes to adapt to academic challenges. Can we expect to hear about changes at Central to remain competitive with North?

Help me out here, I honestly don?’t understand.



Article published Aug 7, 2006
Changes on tap for Pickerington North
By ALAINA FAHY
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
afahy@nncogannett.com
PICKERINGTON - Pickerington High School North students will see some changes this school year.
The school changed some of its policies that will impact the way grades are calculated, said Mike Smith, Pickerington High School North's principal.
The school also set goals for the new school year that help continue dedication to success and leadership, Smith said.
''I think they're reachable goals,'' Smith said. ''Very much so.''
The decision to change the grading period at the junior highs and high schools to nine weeks instead of six weeks was made about six months ago, said Pickerington Local Schools Superintendent Bob Thiede.
But this is the first school year students will work under the new grading periods.
The change means there will be more time for teachers to assess students and more time before interim grades are issued, Thiede said.
Final exams will be weighed as 20 percent of the student's final grade, Smith said. The exams used to count for 25 percent of the final grade
The school also set goals for the year, something it does once a year.
The district's goals include completing construction of its transportation center and performing an overall policy review of the manual, Thiede said.
Some of the goals for Pickerington High School North include seniors reaching 100 percent passage of the Ohio Graduation Test, students respecting everyone they come in contact with and having 91 percent of sophomores pass the Ohio Graduation Test.
The district begins classes Aug. 24.
Smith said Pickerington High School North has programs in place that will help it reach its goals.
''We're ready for it,'' Thiede said.

NorthCentral????

Folks I had the same reaction to this article. We have the school superintendent speaking on behalf of North and they are setting goals there but no mention of Central. So are they writing Central off or is Central all ready meeting their academic goals. Is this is an academic program that is only going to benefit North and not Central? Or is this simply a power play on the part of the principal at North to gain notoriety?

One of the issues that has bugged me for years is that the numbers and plans at our schools continue to change over time. First we lose a bond issue for $35 Million and next then you know they are promoting a $62 Million levy. This is not just a board member's opinion but they actually voted on the issue and made the request official. If you see some of the questions asked on their recent school survey you can see themselves in a big hole again in November. I think this board, believing the survey. that 60% will likely support a $62 Million bond levy go down in flames once more.

On any study you need a control. The control of this phone survey should have been a mail in poll. That mailer should have been sent to a demographic cross section of the most likely voters. You can't make your decision based on parents only. You must include those living and voting here that do not have children in the school system.

The Only Polls That Count

The only polls that count on these matters are the ones that are taken at the ballot box. These other polls usually are meant to provide political cover for unpopular measures -- which I am afraid that the new building levy will prove to be. I do plan to vote for it, with some reluctance, but it certainly is not the direction I would like to have seen the school board take.

As to the North/Central business, you can be certain that PHS Central's Principal Chuck Kemper has matters well under control. No need for publicity there. He just does his job.

By Yosemite Pam

Why is it Always C vs N

Why don't we stop making excuses and face reality. Why not focus on the big picture instead of something like Central vs. Pickerington North that will not really matter five years from now.

What about the fact that we have only built one new elementary school in the last 22 years but have added the equivalent of a school district in just the last five years (Pickerington school district added over 2000 students and the average ohio school district in ohio is just over 2100). School districts with comparable sizes like Weserville and Olentangy have many more school buildings. Why don't we stop making excuses and face reality.