The Repository | CantonRep.

com | Sunday, March 27, 2016G7

THE EVOLUTION OF CANTON CITY SCHOOLS

By Kelli Young where he read to first-grad- teachers, and you have a
Repository staff writer ers at Dueber Elementary, huge pool of teachers to
designated as one of the share ideas and theres this

E
CANTON districts reading and math extensive knowledge of
verything about preparatory schools, in the teaching thats available to
morning and learned how them now.
the way stu- the school was creating She noted teachers also
dents learn at reading spaces through- received extensive train-
t h e C a n t o n out the building. He then ing in learning how to teach
watched as Mercy Medical reading and math. The
City School District has Center presented students training was funded through
changed from the in Hartford Middle Schools a state Straight A fund grant
buildings they attend to STEAMM (Science, Tech-
nology, Arts, Math and
that also provided money
for new classroom technol-
the technology they use Medicine) Academy with ogy and furniture.
and how their teachers their own white lab coats, Herberghs believes the
a symbol of their comple- restructuring also has
deliver a lesson. tion of the health centers helped the schools attract
The transformation began six-week program where more community groups
in February 2013 when students explored medical and university partners than
Superintendent Adrian E. careers beyond nurses and ever.
Allison publicly introduced doctors. I feel like everything was
a bold vision he called the We live in a certain splintered before, Her-
Brighter Tomorrow plan. reality and that reality is berghs said.
The multiyear initiative just because we have the
reconfigured building grade Brighter Tomorrow plan, PHASE THREE
levels, created a plan for it is not going to turn the REPOSITORY FILE JULIE VENNITTI A third phase of the
retraining its teachers in Canton City School District n Adrian Allison, superintendent of Canton City Schools, with the help of first grader Rylee Morton, reads to Brighter Tomorrow Plan
reading and math, rede- into a North Canton City students at Dueber Elementary in Canton. took effect in August with
signed how teachers worked School District or a Jack- the merger of Timken and
together so they would have son Local School District, teachers may use different elementary schools, affect- said. McKinley high schools
a dedicated time to col- Allison said. That was materials or methods based ing roughly 4,000 students. They said the new struc- under the McKinley name
laborate, and adjusted the never our goal. Our goal on their academys focus. Instead of each elementary ture allows their staffs to and Bulldog mascot.
districts overall approach was to provide our kids Thompson believes building serving students better focus on age-specific The plan also created a
in how it reached each of its with opportunities for suc- students and families have in preschool through fifth subjects and activities. Freshman Academy at the
learners. cess, meeting them at their come to embrace the acad- grade, seven schools were Trumpower said the K-2 former Timken campus
Allison at the time said interest and giving them emy concept, evidenced designated for students schools are geared toward for all district freshmen,
the change was needed to life skills, not just academic by the diversity he now in kindergarten through giving students a love of rebranded all elementary
improve the districts aca- skills, by opening their sees at Hartford. Before second grade and focused reading. The schools have and middle schools with
demic performance, meet worlds to things they would the Brighter Tomorrow on improving reading and launched programs, such as McKinleys colors and
new state standards, use the have never been exposed plan, Hartfords students math skills. The other seven their Literacy on the Lawn mascot and transferred
districts resources more to. came from Belden, Allen schools were designated for summer series, to promote roughly 100 Fairmount Ele-
efficiently and to meet the and Gibbs elementary third- through fifth-grade literacy. Herberghs said mentary students in third,
changing needs of students PHASE ONE schools and the school was students and focused on while teachers in grades 3-5 fourth and fifth grades to
and families so they would The first phase of the comprised of predomi- leadership concepts such as still teach reading, they also Youtz Elementary. Most of
have more choices. Brighter Tomorrow plan, nately black students. The collaboration, communica- emphasize leadership skills, the districts adult educa-
Now, with the third phase which took effect for STEAMM Academy now tion, and critical thinking, accountability and career tion programs have since
of the Brighter Tomorrow the 2013-14 school year, attracts students from all as well as teach science, exploration. moved to Fairmount.
plan underway, Allison restructured the districts over the district and its technology, engineering and Trumpower said having Allison said at the time he
and district administrators middle schools. Instead of enrollment is split between math skills. all the teachers from the introduced the third phase,
at the elementary, middle seventh- and eighth-grad- white and nonwhite Schreiber Elemen- same grade level in the the merger was needed
school and high school ers attending the middle students. tary Principal Chastity same building gives them a because the city has lost too
levels said they see prog- school closest to their The students are learn- Trumpower and Clarendon better opportunity to share many people and too much
ress. They said their internal house, students in grades ing from their different Elementary Principal Nicole ideas and plan lessons to of its tax base to keep two
assessments they deem 6-8 chose between five backgrounds, Thompson Herberghs said they heard help readers at all different high schools. He said the
the state test results too middle school academies said. ... I believe, they complaints from parents levels. consolidation would elimi-
inconsistent to rely on due based on their interests and ultimately will become last school year about the The greatest thing nate the duplication of jobs
to the multiple assessment strengths. better students. restructuring, especially about going to specific and tasks existed with two
changes show that stu- STEAMM Academy with the new busing sched- grade bands is having a high schools and it would
dents are performing better. Principal David Thompson PHASE TWO ules, but they havent large number of teachers provide students with more
They also said they see said all students still learn Brighter Tomorrows fielded any complaints this at each grade level, she opportunities because all
progress in areas that cant the core subjects, such as second phase, which took year. said. Instead of having two programs would be available
be as easily measured. language arts, math, science effect last school year, Change is hard but kids kindergarten teachers, you to all students.
Allison described his and social studies, but their restructured the districts 14 are resilient, Herberghs have five or six kindergarten
schedule on a recent Friday SEE SCHOOLS, G9