By Ronda Watson Barber
OhioMBE Publisher
I support the Columbus Education Association. Educators, staff, and students should have the expectation of safe well-maintained buildings to work and learn. PERIOD!
Black children deserve clean well maintained school buildings. They need to get to and from school promptly and safely. These tasks fall under the Operations division. The leadership in Operations is doing a horrible job at their assignments without penalties.
Well-maintained work conditions should not be a negotiating point with the district and the CEA. That should be a given. How is any of this up for debate? Why is it not happening? The expectation for CCS administrators should be excellence in all areas. Because of the blatant ineptitude of leadership in the Operations, Black children are AGAIN losing out on in-person learning in my opinion. This is UNACCEPTABLE. This is what happens when nepotism and irresponsibility enter the workplace.
Where is the accountability? Why isn’t the superintendent and elected board demanding excellence in Operations? Who has been held accountable for the deplorable learning conditions Black children have been subjected to? How is there peeling LEAD-BASED paint in Columbus City Schools? Have the leadership in Operations no shame? Have they no pride? Have they no HONOR? How do you accept a position and paycheck knowing you are not doing your job and it is directly impacting poor and Black children?
Where are the 18% permanent tax levy dollars going? The district has been receiving those tax dollars for over 5 years. What is Operation Fix-it fixing?
The administration and the elected board need to make public the building maintenance plan if it has one. This should solve one point of contention between the CEA and the community. What is the plan to fix buildings? What is the timetable? The district also needs to hire professionals with proven track records to manage the Operations division. If the same people are running Operations, the district will get the same results.
Just my thoughts…rwb
