Board Members Take Oath of Office
The following Board members were sworn in as members of the Great Oaks Board of Directors: Deborah Allsop from Wyoming; Barbara Hartman, West Clermont; Stan Markey, Lynchburg-Clay; and Ken Memke, Hamilton County ESC.
State Board Member Present
Sam Schloemer, State Board of Education Member from District 4, attended the meeting and participated in committee discussions. Mr. Schloemer shared with the Board his efforts to reform funding in Ohio. He is a former member of the Oak Hills Board of Education and co-chaired the State Board’s Closing the Gaps Task Force.
Property, Equipment and Computer Coverage Insurance
The Board of Directors approved accepting the lowest and best quote from Cincinnati Insurance Company for Property, Equipment, and Computer coverage.
Functionality Study/Master Plan Update
The Building and Assets Committee continues to study potential ways to make our buildings more accessible and secure.
Summer Programs
The Board of Directors approved the following summer camp offerings for students ages 9 through 16:
Animal Science Camp at Live Oaks
Computer Aided Design Camp at Diamond Oaks and Live Oaks
Equine Camp at Diamond Oaks and Laurel Oaks
Medical Careers Camp at Scarlet Oaks
Multimedia Camp at the Instructional Resource Center
Natural Resources Camp at Laurel Oaks and Diamond Oaks
Each camp will be in session from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday for one week at different times in June. The cost is $75.00 per week.
Postsecondary Options
Great Oaks is offering two post-secondary options to qualified senior students on our campuses. Students completing the courses will earn five-quarter hours of credit in English and math from Hocking College. The credits may then be used there or transferred to other post-secondary institutions in Ohio.
Attendance Report
Overall attendance in the high school programs for the second quarter was 91%.
January Inservice Evaluation
Creating a High Performance Learning Culture was the theme of the inservice this January. Associates participated in a program, planned by their peers, to meet the training needs of their particular areas of responsibility or campus. Positive evaluations indicate that associates appreciate having training that directly relates to their job responsibilities.
Career Development Pilot
Great Oaks is one of three sites throughout the state creating a plan to reorganize the K-12 delivery of career development services.
Student Services Strategic Plan Update
The following significant outcomes have already been achieved through the implementation of a Strategic Plan in Student Services:
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Each student has an Individual Academic Plan to help with course selection, support services, and career preparation.
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Suspensions have decreased as a result of providing the Alternative Center option and increased counseling.
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Program tours and additional training are being offered to special needs staff in affiliated districts.
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Opportunities for students with special needs to transition to work or continuing education have increased.
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A recruitment video and targeted communication tools for families have been created.
Report of the President/CEO
Dr. White reported on the following topics:
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Education Policy Seminar - At a recent seminar in Columbus on state issues impacting career and technical education, delegates heard from policymakers and educators about the importance of career-technical education. Educators value our delivery system and career direction for increasing student achievement and policymakers view us as critical for the economic redevelopment of the state. At this conference, the Great Oaks Education Foundation sponsored a dinner, which was attended by 24 legislators and aides from our district. Dave Daniels, legislator and Great Oaks graduate, received the Policymaker of the Year Award.
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High-Quality High Schools - Great Oaks is already implementing the strategies addressed in the recent Ohio State Board of Education Report. These include the areas of performance targets, monitoring systems, community engagement, student assistance, professional development, accountability, and identifying and implementing best practices.
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Outstanding Young Leader - Courtenay Mayes was recently honored as one of the nine outstanding young African-American leaders in the Greater Cincinnati area. She is a math instructor at Scarlet Oaks and working on her Ph.D.
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Featured Speaker at Breakfast Roundtable - Peter Block, internationally known author and consultant, will participate in an interactive session on business involvement in the community at the next Breakfast Roundtable. This will be on January 17 at 7:30 AM in the Center for Employment Resources.
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Career and Technical Education Week is February 13 - 19.
