Nov. 26 Board of Education meeting
Covered by Documenters Abby Darin-Evans (see their notes here) and Stacie Simon (see their notes here)
Be safe, be respectful, be kind.
Akron Public Schools teachers, students and administrators are busy practicing these core behavior expectations. They are at the heart of the Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) program, a national model for improving school climate and student behavior. This is a strength of Akron Public Schools, according to a recentstate award.
At the Nov. 25 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Michael Robinson announced that APS had received a prestigious, district-wide recognition from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for high-quality PBIS implementation during the 2023-2024 school year.
Each year, the Department of Education and Workforce and the Ohio PBIS Network recognize schools and districts with strong PBIS implementations. Only 25 of Ohio’s 616 districts received recognition this year. Forty of APS’ 47 schools were also individually recognized with bronze or silver honors for 2023-2024.
What is PBIS? This program is a model for improving school climate and seeks to reduce disciplinary issues with individual students. PBIS was developed in the 1990s by education researchers at the University of Oregon and is now used at more than 25,000 schools across the United States. Under the PBIS model, schools establish expectations, teach students what behaviors meet expectations, provide positive reinforcements and give useful corrections and interventions when necessary.
Superintendent Robinson offered “congratulations to those schools, to the principals, to the teachers, to the staff who work untiringly to make it happen each and every day.”
Nuts and bolts of great teaching
In November, East Community Learning Center robotics teacher Tom Ely garnered the Ohio Lottery Partners In Education Teacher of the Month award. Each month, the Ohio Lottery recognizes three outstanding teachers in the state. Winning teachers receive a $500 gift card, a prize pack and a commemorative Award. Ely said he plans to reinvest the gift card into the robotics program.
Ely created East’s robotics program four years ago to get kids thinking about engineering. The program is popular; 36 students now experiment, build robots and attend competitions under Ely’s guidance. Students show up with enthusiasm for the program. “It’s crazy to see the energy they bring,” he said.
Statewide recognition for APS psychologist
The Ohio School Psychologist Association honored Related Services Coordinator Robert Kubick. A longtime member of the APS Child Study team , Kubic captured the Clyde V. Bartlett Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes significant contributions to the development of the profession and service to the community in the area of mental health. The Child Study team is made of school psychologists and other staff who identify students who need evaluations for various disabilities.
Kubick has supervised school-based interns, authored and edited scholarly publications and served as an adjunct professor at Kent State University. He previously earned the Ohio School Psychologist of the Year award. In sharing the award news with the Board of Education, Robinson complimented Kubick’s “unmatched passion and dedication.”