Another Letter We Have Received ....

Editor's Note:   We would like to take a break from sharing "negative" issues (but are informative), and take some time to share more positive letters that our SEA members have often received!  We have obtained the letter writer's permission to publish their thoughts to the Strongsville Community.  Enjoy!  :-)

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I feel very blessed to have received an education from Strongsville High School.

The faculty willingly stayed after school to help me with research papers, college applications, letters of recommendations and many other projects. The chief reason I pursued History and Political Science at the college level is because of the Social Studies program at SHS. I became motivated and interested in these subjects because of my teachers at Strongsville. Although many faculty members taught the same subjects daily for many years, they remained vibrant and eager to help those who wanted to learn. I was an aid in the Mezzanine for the majority of my tenure at Strongsville. I can honestly say that teachers took a vested interest in their classes and instilled within us a thirst for learning.

Due to the many well taught AP classes, I was able to graduate from college two quarters ahead of schedule. I found Chemistry, Physics and Calculus to be less cumbersome than many of my peers in college because I took these classes from competent and caring teachers at the High school level.

            

I fervently believe Strongsville High School gave me an edge over my peers at Ohio University. I will always be grateful for the knowledge I accrued from Strongsville teachers. Soon, I will be attending graduate school in England to pursue a Masters in International Relations, and I just want to show my gratitude to the teachers that helped me find my true calling.   

Jay Medlock, SHS class of 2006

Another Letter We Received ...

Editor's Note:  We are changing the tone in the next few blogs.  We would like to share with you a sampling of the many letters our SEA members receive from their former students.  We have obtained the writer's permission to publish their letter.  They let us know that what we do is helpful to those in which we are entrusted.  Enjoy!


Dear Strongsville Board of Education:

 I am writing this letter as a reflection upon my thirteen years of education from the Strongsville City Schools, but most notably the last four I received from Strongsville High School.  I am a proud 2006 graduate from Strongsville High School.  At Strongsville High School I was both academically and athletically involved having played three years of golf and four years of baseball.  I am a proud member and captain of the 2006 Division I State Championship baseball team.  The education I received both in the classroom and on the ball field prepared me for a successful college career, and laid the foundation for a successful professional career.  The college preparatory curriculum taught at Strongsville High School allowed for an easy transition to the demanding courses I encountered at Baldwin-Wallace College.  At Strongsville High School I was taught the proper way to write letters and research papers, how to effectively give presentations, and efficiently manage my time given the workload and extracurricular activities I was involved in.

 Being a college athlete, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the constant school work and practice demands, but I was thoroughly prepared for the challenges thanks to my Strongsville education.  I am an accounting and finance major working towards my MBA in accounting, all of which I will receive this coming spring.  At Strongsville High School, I was able to take entry level accounting and finance courses which laid the foundation for the courses I took at Baldwin-Wallace. In my first accounting classes, I was one of the few students who had prior accounting education and was at a distinct advantage over my peers. 

The most important asset at Strongsville High School isn’t the curriculum though; it is the talented and dedicated educators who work tirelessly to push all students to reach their potential in life.  I write this letter today as a former student touched by the hard work and belief the teachers of Strongsville High School had in me.  My teachers pushed me to be prepared for college and to reach the potential they knew I had.  With their encouragement and care I was able to go on to Baldwin-Wallace College where I have been a Dean’s List Scholar for four years, a member of multiple honors societies, captain for the baseball team, and have signed a contract to work for the respected Big-Four accounting firm Ernst & Young.  The foundation for my success occurred at Strongsville High School where I cannot thank my teachers and mentors enough for their dedication and belief in me.  I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the quality of education I received in Strongsville and know I would not be in the position I currently am to succeed without it.

Thank you,

Justin Novak

Letters We Receive ....

To our community: we are changing the tone in the next couple of blog postings.  We would like you to  see a sampling of the many letters our SEA members receive from their former students.  We have obtained the writer's permission to post their letter to the Strongsville Community.  Enjoy!

One of the best measures of a successful high school education is the extent to which the students feel prepared and in a position to be successful at the undergraduate level.  Using this means of analysis, I would certainly say that Strongsville High School provided a successful and meaningful foundation on which to build upon graduation.

        As a senior biochemistry major at the University of Mount Union, I can attest to the exceptional foundation that Strongsville High School provided.  As a freshman, new to the undergraduate level of work and standards, I found myself far better prepared than most of my peers.  Whether it was in a freshman calculus course or an honors composition seminar, each day was a continual reminder of the great effort and commitment of each SHS faculty member who I had the pleasure of encountering.  What distinguished me from students from other districts was the extreme amount of critical thinking and application of concepts of which I was familiar.

        More importantly than academic success, SHS was most influential in demonstrating to me the ways in which to become an effective leader and a more mature student.  Faculty and Administration always held students to a higher standard and pushed students to think “outside the box” and truly be individuals.  As the Senior Class President of ’07, I had the pleasure of interacting with a diverse group of people throughout SHS.  These interactions were crucial in developing my leadership skills and primed me to become a critical leader at the collegiate level.

        The exceptional experiences and education that I received at SHS were instrumental into developing me into the student and leader that I am today.  Currently I am the Senior Class President at the University of Mount Union (Class of ’11), I am a presidential scholar, serve on a number of faculty and administrative committees, I am the president of two campus organizations and a founder of a third organization.  I plan to continue my education in dental school upon graduation and pursue a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

        I owe a great deal to the faculty and mentors that I encountered during my time at SHS.  I was fortunate to learn from teachers who brought their passion for their courses and their life’s experiences to the classroom each day.  These are the same individuals who worked tirelessly to provide me with practical applications of the concepts being covered and pushed me to grow as a student.  I feel fortunate to be a Strongsville High School alumnus and cannot speak highly enough about the education and preparation that I received.

Michael Border
Class of ‘07

(Editors Note:  It's letters like these that really mean a lot to us.  Regardless of what others have said about us in the press, letters like this let us know we fulfilling our end of the deal as responsible Educators of our Community's children.  Best Wishes to all!)

Why Not Join The Suburban Health Consortium and Save Money?

·         What is the Suburban Health Consortium?

o        The Suburban Health Consortium (SHC) is a shared-risk pool for insurance that currently consists of 14 member school districts.  It allows these districts to receive significant savings on insurance premiums.

·         What school districts participate in SHC?

o        Bay Village, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Brunswick, Cuyahoga Heights, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Garfield Heights, Independence, Lakewood, North Royalton, Orange, Polaris, South Euclid-Lyndhurst, Warrensville Heights, Westlake

·         Has Strongsville City School District applied for membership?

o        No

·         Is there an application fee?

o        Yes.  There is a one-time, $2,500 to $3,000 application fee.

·         Is there a guarantee that Strongsville City School District would be granted membership if they apply?

o        No

·         What would Strongsville gain from membership in SHC?

o        It is estimated that membership in SHC could save as much as $6,000 per year per insured employee.  With over 400 teachers, savings could be over $2 million per year.

·         Are there any other costs associated with membership?

o        Yes.  There is a one-time fee of $3,000 per teacher if Strongsville is accepted as a member.  Given the likely savings, this fee could be paid by savings from the first year alone, with Strongsville then saving millions per year thereafter.

·         What does Strongsville stand to lose if it applies and is not accepted for membership?

o        Only its $2,500 to $3,000 application fee.

With the potential of saving millions per year every year, and the only risk being losing no more than 3 thousand dollars, we do not understand why our leadership is so resistant to the idea of application to SHC. The Treasurer claims his analysis of shows him that we would be rejected by SHC if we applied for membership.  We know all too well, though, that our Treasurer often has his numbers wrong.  It seems inconceivable that, due to the risk of losing 3 thousand dollars, he would choose to flush our chance at saving millions per year down the toilet.

Perhaps the Board could have directed some of the $215,721.00 spent since the start of 2009 on lawyer fees for negotiations during months when zero negotiations sessions with SEA were held.  We could have applied for membership 71 times with that wasted money.

If you are looking for answers, please contact the Superintendent's office at 572-7000, email the Superintendent at lampert@strongnet.org, or get involved in your school district decision making process by attending the next Board Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 4th, at 7pm, at the Administration Building, Room 104.

EVERY Employee Has Retirement Picked Up by District

One thing the Board and administration keep referring to is that teachers have a large part of their retirement plan picked up by the district. This is true.  Nothing on the subject is ever mentioned after that, however.

Why do teachers have this benefit?  Are we the only district that has such a benefit? 

The first thing the public needs to know is that EVERY employee of Strongsville City Schools gets their retirement picked up. This includes bus drivers, hall monitors, custodians, and ALL administrators, even the highly paid treasurer who reports teacher salaries by adding in that benefit while failing to report his own salary the same way (Teachers approx. 10+%, OAPSE approx. 9+%, and Administration at approx. 11%).

Why do we have this benefit?

In the past, the district negotiating team agreed to provide teachers with the retirement pick-up instead of giving pay raises for three years in a row.  Teachers accepted this substitution.  

Community members should be asking, “Why was the Board trying to hide pay increases to teachers?  Why not just give them regular raises and be done with it?” Only our administrative teams can answer that. 

It is worth noting that non-certified employees were the first to receive the retirement pick-up -- even before administrators, who also received this benefit before teachers did. Someone must have considered it successful.  Why else would that the benefit be offered to ALL employees? 

For the Board and Treasurer to act as if this is an unfair burden on the district is, at best, deception.

Are we the only district that has this benefit?

No, it is fairly common. For example, Berea/Middleburg Heights/Brookpark Schools have the same benefit, as do many schools throughout the state.  

The Board’s talk about the retirement plan is a smokescreen. Strongsville teachers negotiated this benefit in place of pay raises with the trust that our Board would uphold their end of the bargain.  Now, this same benefit the Board voted on and approved and gave to everyone in the district is called into question by the Board in a deliberately deceptive attempt to mischaracterize teachers.

All we are asking for is a fair and equitable contract that we can trust will be upheld.


If you are looking for answers, please contact the Superintendent's office at 572-7000, email the Superintendent at lampert@strongnet.org, or get involved in your school district decision making process by attending the next Board Meeting, Thursday, Nov. 4th, at 7pm, at the Administration Building, Room 104.

A Dedicated Education Community is Rewarded with Excellence!

The following is a short list of awards presented to Strongsville teachers for their devotion and dedication to their craft.  These awards are not presented lightly and represent the teachers’ desire to help their charges, your children, succeed in their endeavors.  So, on to the list …

·         Martha Holden Jennings Scholar Award

·         Ohio Lottery Teacher of the Month

·         Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers

·         National Board Certification

·         NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher of Ohio for 2008

·         Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching of Science and Mathematics

·         Tandy Award for Excellence in Teaching

·         American Star of Teaching (awarded by the U.S. Department of Education)

·         Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics Buck Martin Award as Outstanding Mathematics Educator in Ohio

·         Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics Northeast District Outstanding HS Mathematics Teacher

·         Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics South District Outstanding HS Math Teacher

·         Rotary Club Service Award

·         Special Education Teacher of the Year

·         Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching

·         Master Teacher

·         Eisenhower Exemplary Teacher

·         Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year

·         Ohio Teacher of the Year Runner-up

·         Founder’s Day Award

·         Mayor’s Special Award

·         Ohio Middle School Association Exemplary Team

·         Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics Elementary Math Teacher of the Year

·         Special Education Advisory Committee Outstanding Educator Award

·         International Education Grant from ODE

·         Crystal Apple Award

·         Achievement in Education Award

·         Phi Beta Kappa Teacher of the Year

·         American Association for the Advancement of Science Teacher Award

·         Toyota Tapestry Grant Award for grants totaling $18,500

·         Best Buy Grant Award for $2,500 grant

·         Science Teacher of the Year Honorable Mention

A big “THANK YOU” shout-out is given to our fellow teachers for receiving the recognition that is deserved.  Another BIG “Thank you” shout-out to our members who work outside the shine of the spotlight and awards to help our community’s children succeed.  Together, our children, our parents, and our education community have united to promote academic excellence in our children.  Congratulations and best wishes to ALL in the future!

Is There any Incentive for Our District Lawyer to Encourage Settling with SEA?

The following table lists the amounts billed to the Strongsville City School District by its law firm Pepple and Waggoner for negotiations only since the start of 2009.

Month	Negotiations Lawyer Fees	Negotiations Sessions with SEA
Jan-09	$12,898.50	0
Feb-09	$11,717.50	0
Mar-09	$17,770.00	0
Apr-09	$23,671.50	0
May-09	$21,708.00	0
Jun-09	$39,307.00	7
Jul-09	$9,971.50	2
Aug-09	$13,617.50	0
Sep-09	$7,198.00	0
Oct-09	$17,341.00	0
Nov-09	$12,789.00	0
Dec-09	$5,512.50	0
Jan-10	$5,900.00	0
Feb-10	$15,425.00	0
Mar-10	$16,625.00	0
Apr-10	$19,165.50	0
May-10	$19,700.00	7
Jun-10	$13,789.00	1
Jul-10	$14,382.00	0
Total	$298,488.50	17

Of the almost $300,000 between January 2009 and July 2010, note that $215,721 are from months when there were a total of ZERO negotiations sessions between the Board’s team and the SEA.  At a time when the Board makes cut after cut that negatively impact your children, the Board’s fiscal prudence seems to end when it comes to the fees paid to its lawyers.  This begs the questions: is there any incentive to the attorney to encourage a settlement when the Board continues to freely throw money his way?