Latest news with #NSBLC
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why South-Western City Schools parents are considering leaving the district
GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) — The South Western City School board said joining conservative advisory groups welcomed diverse perspectives to the district. Many parents disagree. Parents said they were concerned about the conservative policies of the National School Board Leadership Council, one of four advisory groups the board joined on April 28. Although it was one of several conservatively aligned groups the board joined, parents were especially concerned about the NSBLC and said the decision to join groups like it could contribute to them voting against future levies or even leaving the district. The NSBLC's website says it encourages districts to remove 'learning-challenged' students from general education classrooms, promote competition between public schools and charter or private options, and that non-English speaking students are an 'unacceptable cost to taxpayers.' Tiffany Cheney has a daughter in South Western schools with an individualized learning plan, or IEP, for two language disorder diagnoses, and said she is 'looking to flee' the district because of the board's actions. OSU researcher: $700K grant canceled when DOGE misunderstood use of 'climate' 'To hear that our current school board sees my smart, creative and intelligent daughter as a waste of resources, or should be considered to be segregated due to her uniqueness is not only disheartening but many steps back in an equal rights climate,' Cheney said. NBC4 spoke with more than a dozen parents, and only one of whom said joining the group was a positive move. A high schooler with autism has gathered nearly 400 signatures on a petition to stop the district from joining the NSBLC. A school board candidate and parent to a student with an IEP, Chelsea Alkire, used to teach English as a second language in the district and thought joining the NSBLC was 'like a slap in the face.' 'I was honestly between shocked and one of the highest levels of frustrated and angered I had ever been,' Alkire said. School board member Denise D'Angelo and board President Chris Boso addressed public concerns. They said nothing has changed under the new membership and that the district already separates students based on what is best for their learning and approve an English-only curriculum. Both said joining the NSBLC and other groups like it provides increased diversity of thought for the school board, and Boso warned the 'noise' and 'hysteria' would harm the district. 'If our finances don't go the way they should, we're going to be going for a levy and the people in this community are going to hear all this going on and they're not going to vote for a levy,' Boso said. City of Columbus asks court to dismiss cyber lawsuits Boso was referring to the current Ohio budget plan, which reduces funding for public schools. Board members said the state's plan would cost the district $150 million. As Boso addressed community members, several yelled over him that it would be the board's fault if a levy failed. 'Calling individuals who disagree with him as 'hysterical' is rude, impolite and shortsighted,' said Kelly Dillon, parent to two district high schoolers. 'How are we supposed to help our children understand civic engagement and 'American exceptionalism' if we do not participate in the process?' Parents acknowledged the state's funding changes would put the board in a hard position but worried people would vote against a levy because of the board. Graduates and parents like Kyra Paul, who has two young children in the district, said she would vote in favor because she remembered attending schools under a failed levy. However, she thought she'd be in the minority. 'If they put a levy on the ballot, I know that said levy will not pass because our community members and stakeholders believe that the board is not being good stewards of our money, and they are not making good decisions,' Paul said. Anthony Wilson has two students at district schools and said both will attend a new school in the fall, one of several parents who told NBC4 they may leave the district. Tessa Schwabeland said her son will be a freshman in a district high school this fall, but she worries about his IEP and how the decision to join the NSBLC will make students with different learning plans feel. 'None of us want to leave our public schools. We want to trust them,' Schwabeland said. 'But if leadership prioritizes ideology over inclusion, families will walk away not because they want to, but because they feel they have no choice.' Why the Short North may soon charge extra for dining, shopping Not all parents disagree with the decision. Parent Robing Gorrell said she was worried about what she had seen at school and thought joining the NSBLC was a good step. 'I am pleased with the board's decision,' Gorrell said. 'My kids are going to school to learn — reading, writing, math … not figure out their gender with unsolicited pushing or figure out whom they want to have sex with, being made to feel weird/different for being straight.' Spokesperson Evan Debo said joining the groups does not mean the district will make changes. He said the district has no plans to discontinue the English program serving students of more than 81 languages. Debo also said the district received the state's highest designation for special education. 'There have been no cuts or program eliminations proposed or voted on to eliminate parts of the academic infrastructure, resources or continuity of programming we currently have in place,' Debo said. 'SWCS remains resolute in its unwavering commitment to providing a high-quality education for the 21,000 students we serve annually.' Overwhelmingly, however, parents told NBC4 they disagreed with the decision. 'I am so disappointed in SWCSD,' parent Savanna McCoy said. 'I would think that they'd want to stay away from an advisory board with such extreme ideals and beliefs. … I'm not proud to have my son in this district at all.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
South-Western City School board joins groups denouncing gender identity, DEI and non-English languages
GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) — The South-Western City School board voted to join two organizations that promote conservative education standards, including English-only polices and formal stances against gender identity acceptance. At its April 28 meeting, the South-Western City School District school board voted to join four professional development organizations, two of which were founded by conservative Ohioans in the past five years. SWCSD is Ohio's fifth-largest school district, serving sections of southwestern Franklin County. Columbus business among best donut shops in country, according to Yelp list The SWCSD board rejoined the Ohio School Boards Association and also voted to join School Boards for Academic Excellence, the Ohio School Board Constitutional Coalition and the National School Board Leadership Council. The latter two organizations were established in Ohio, and both ask members to sign pledges that align with conservative educational policies, including statements denouncing DEI and 'gender confusion.' 'Much like the makeup of our diverse 119-square-mile district, all four organizations represent many differing perspectives and views that the Board will explore in the months to come,' SWCSD communications director Evan Debo said. The Ohio School Board Constitutional Coalition and School Boards for Academic Excellence are free to join. The Ohio School Boards Association, which SWCSD boards of education have joined for decades, costs around $11,000 annually, and the NSBLC has an annual $1,500 membership fee. The NSBLC fee is per person, and Debo said only one board member is joining on the district's dime, bringing total membership fees to $12,500. Board Vice President Denise D'Angelo Steele suggested joining the NSBLC, and the measure passed 4-0 with board member Camile Peterson abstaining. In joining, members are asked to sign an oath distancing themselves from 'social emotional teaching,' agree to combat identity politics and offer to open the district up to parental oversight in literature and curriculum decisions. Investigation alleges Kroger overcharges customers on items advertised as on sale The SWCSD board drew public scrutiny for joining the NSBLC, especially as the organization advocates for English-only education, writing 'Non-(E)nglish speaking students provide an unacceptable cost for taxpayers to bear.' According to SWCSD's website, the district is home to more than 3,800 students who are learning English as a second language, speaking 78 languages between them. 'At this time, the board is taking inventory of what each organization has to offer, to see what resources they can provide at a state and national level in terms of training, and then apply our diverse SWCS(D) lens to it to see how elements can be used to meet local needs for the 21,000+ students and families we proudly serve each day,' Debo said. According to the NSBLC website, the organization was founded by Ohioan Kelly Kohls. However, state business records list Kohls as a statutory agent for Jim Burgess, who is on the State Central Committee of the Ohio Republican Party. State business records also list a former Westerville-based nonprofit, Supporters of Youth Activities, as NSBLC's founding organization. Supporters of Youth Activities raised funds for various student organizations, but was canceled by the state for inactivity just months after the NSBLC was founded. While active, Burgess was the nonprofit's vice president. Cities in Ohio with the most UFO sightings Although joining the NSBLC drew public attention, the board also joined the conservative Ohio School Board Constitutional Coalition. OSBCC members are also asked to sign a pledge, promising to limit restroom and facility use by biological sex, teach American history in a way that enforces the 'exceptional nature of their country' and promote freedom of speech and religion. OSBCC was founded by Jeremiah Sawyer, a Republican school board member for North Royalton City Schools in northeastern Ohio. Debo stressed that joining these organizations does not mean the district will implement all — or any — of their ideas. However, these groups are one of several conservative ties to the school board. Board members Julie Lisansky and D'Angelo Steele were endorsed by Moms for Liberty during their campaigns for school board, an organization that left-leaning civil rights watchdog group Southern Poverty Law Center classifies as 'extremist.' Although Ohio school board elections are nonpartisan, the Franklin County Republican Party lists all SWSCD school board members except Peterson under current officeholders. It is not uncommon for parties to endorse school board candidates; all three Columbus City Schools board of election candidates who received the most votes in the primary were endorsed by the Franklin County Democratic Party. The district also pays attorney Omar Tarazi $9,000 each month for legal services. Tarazi has spoken against social emotional learning, including a statewide Protect Ohio Children forum in 2022. See previous coverage of Tarazi in the video player above. Elementary school students lace up for Girls on the Run 5K Debo said joining the four groups allows the school board to absorb a variety of resources, training materials and ideas. School Boards for Academic Excellence says it is nonpartisan and not politically affiliated. However, four of its five directors previously worked for conservative think tanks, and the fifth formerly served as a Republican Representative in the Kansas House. SWCSD's fourth member organization, the Ohio School Boards Association, sets a legislative platform annually, and many of its priorities are more left-leaning, including an embrace of equity programs. However, its annual legislative platform is set by delegates from each member school, and every policy inclusion must be approved by at least 75% of delegates. 'By joining any of these organizations, the board's vote for membership is not an indication of support for some or any of the positions or perspectives advanced by any of these organizations, nor does it remove any existing programming in place for students,' Debo said. On Monday at 7 p.m., more than 1,600 members of the SWCSD teachers union, joined by hundreds more parents and community members, plan to protest the board's affiliation with these groups at South Western Career Academy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
