Eric Coble

Former Reaching Heights trustee Eric Coble knows firsthand that keeping creativity thriving in the public school system is crucial.  Through his work as an acting teacher, he gained a wide range of exposure to public schools.  What he experienced in the Heights district convinced him to put his own children through our system.  Now, with one child at Roxboro Middle School and the other at Heights High, he is all the more eager to stay active in the schools as a parent. This in addition to his work as a member of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education.

Of organizations like Reaching Heights, he says, “I think it gives the community a chance to get involved with public schools, regardless of whether they have kids in the district.  It gives them creative ways to support our schools, and acts as a wonderful conduit for that energy, activity, and enthusiasm to help support students in the district.”

A published playwright, Coble is an avid supporter of artistic enrichment for our students.  He recalls a high school English teacher, Mr. Clark, who played a crucial role in his own evolution as an artist.  He says, “That teacher was the first to open the doors for me creatively, and helped set me on the course that I have lived since that point.”  Reaching Heights works to recognize these kinds of stand-out educators through its Thank-A-Teacher program.

“There are so many programs in place to help meet every kid where they are, and to help them enter the world,” he says of the CH-UH district.  “I value that we are continually working to help each and every student achieve.”

7 Days, 10 Hours, 36 Minutes

Congratulations to Richard Waugh and Charlie Combs of Team Reaching Heights, who smashed their age group record in the world’s toughest bike race, the Race Across America, by 14 hours!

A blog entry titled “Rock Stars” details the celebration that followed the team’s triumphant arrival in Annapolis, Md., after a ride of 3,000 miles from Oceanside, California. Richard and Charlied completed the ride in 7 days, 10 hours, and 36 minutes.

As detailed in recent story in the Sun-Press, Waugh decided that the race provided an opportunity to raise awareness of and money for the music programs of Reaching Heights. These include the Patti Family Music Lesson Scholarship program, Heights Summer Music Camp, a Middle Schools Honor Concert, and the James Bane Jazz Scholarship.

Read more about the race on Team Reaching Heights’s blog and more about Reaching Heights music programs here.

Joyce Collins

Joyce Collins has quite a history of involvement with the CH-UH school district. Having been a kindergarten teacher at Fairfax Elementary for twenty years, she knows that enriching our public schools is a worthy cause.

“I went to public school because I was raised in a farm community,” she says. “There, public education was the only option.”

Joyce sees room for improvement in the modern curriculum. In recent decades, much of the classroom agenda has concentrated on test scores, making a student’s comprehensive knowledge measurable by the numbers. But veteran educators like Joyce would prefer teaching with an emphasis on socialization, particularly at the elementary level. “Five-year-olds learn quite a bit from sharing,” she says. “They shouldn’t have to do things where they are sitting at a desk all day. They should be working while they play, and learning from each other.”

Joyce remains supportive of the public schools through her involvement with Reaching Heights. She served on our Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2009.

Doug Hastings

Doug Hastings, a Private Banker, has been a member of our board since 2007.  He is a strong advocate for quality public education, and considers it a necessity for keeping communities like Cleveland Heights-University Heights  thriving.  “I believe it is important for all stakeholders in our community – owners, renters, businesses, civic and religious organizations, and our local government - to become engaged in what is truly happening in the schools and to work in partnership to ensure excellence.”

 Of non-profit organizations like Reaching Heights, Doug says, “It provides support for, and supplements to, the efforts of the school district to help ensure success and a well-rounded education for all students.”

 In a district that faces funding challenges, as well as persistent struggles in maintaining a wholesome image, Doug believes working toward quality public education is not only a challenge, but a community effort of sorts.  He says, “I grew up as a product of public education in a time and a district where the quality and viability of the public schools as an educational option, as well as support and adequate funding for the schools, was all taken for granted.  Now, in a different era, and in a district that is already grappling with extreme funding challenges, where there are more education choices, and where some people are forming their opinions and making their choices without full information and an accurate picture of the schools, nothing can be taken for granted.” 

Saroya Queen-Tabor

Saroya feels public education plays a crucial role in the Heights community’s welfare.  In the future, she would like to see the school curriculum broaden itself to include an emphasis on arts and language, as a supplement to math and science.  “We are close to so many museums and the like,” she says.  “There is no reason why our students can’t get exposed.”

 Saroya currently has two daughters attending Boulevard Elementary.  Her husband, David Tabor, served as Boulevard’s PTA President for the 2008-2009 school year.

Heuer Named CH-UH Superintendant

On June 16, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education selected Douglas G. Heuer, Superintendent of Austintown Local Schools, as the District’s next superintendent, effective August 1.

Read an interview with Heuer in the Sun-Press here.

 

Here’s the announcement from the District: 

“Mr. Heuer brings with him 25 years of administrative experience and a proven track record of establishing initiatives to improve student achievement and enhance community partnerships to engage families and residents,” Board of Education President Kal Zucker said. “His experience leading an inner-ring suburb of Youngstown and implementing successful educational initiatives that remove barriers to learning and promote equity and access across all levels, made him the best choice for our District.”

During his time as the Austintown schools chief, the District met Adequate Yearly Progress standards in 2007 and 2008 and improved to having six schools rated “Excellent,” including two Schools of Distinction, two Schools of Promise, a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award recipient, and a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence nominee. Under Heuer’s leadership Austintown passed two renewal levies totaling 12.2 mills with a 65% majority, the largest margin of victory in the district’s history. With a focus on sound fiscal management, Austintown finances improved from a projected deficit in 2006 to having annual carryovers in excess of $2 million between 2006 and 2008 with no new tax revenues. Heuer successfully collaborated with city leaders, a medical company, and a non-profit organization to raise $400,000 to renovate community recreation facilities and jointly establish wellness programs for students, staff, and residents.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to join the Cleveland Heights – University Heights team and continue the District’s focused work on student achievement,” Heuer said. “I am excited to build on the District’s rich legacy and support its vision to prepare all students to be globally competitive. The Board has entrusted me with a great responsibility to continue this District’s progress and I vow to our families and residents to keep the momentum moving forward. I share the Board’s goal to move this District upward in the state rankings with my target set on excellence.”

Prior to his work in Austintown Local Schools, Heuer was the Superintendent of Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools (near Columbus), an elementary principal, coordinator of secondary education, and assistant middle school principal in Dublin City Schools, assistant high school principal in South-Western City Schools, and Curriculum Coordinator in the Athens City Schools. Heuer has also served as an adjunct professor of mathematics for Columbus State Community College and a high school mathematics teacher at Westland, Upper Arlington, and Mauldin High Schools. In addition, he has coached football, wrestling, and track at the high school level.

Heuer plans to relocate and reside in the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District. He has worked on his doctoral studies at The Ohio State University, completed his Masters of Education at Wright State University, and completed his Bachelor of Arts at Wittenberg University.

The CH-UH Board hired Hudepohl & Associates to conduct a superintendent search following Deborah Delisle’s appointment as Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. Hudepohl targeted superintendents and assistant superintendents of Ohio districts with enrollment greater than 2,000 that had significant academic improvement over the last three to four years, and demographics that include poverty and minority achievement gaps. Outside of Ohio, members of the Minority Student Achievement Network and other inner-ring suburb districts of large, urban areas east of the Mississippi were targeted.

Zucker said the Board is very pleased with Hudepohl’s management of the search and finding such a well-qualified applicant pool. “The search for a new superintendent was extensive and far reaching,” he said.

“Obama” a Hit at Summer Blastoff

A reasonable facsimile of President Barack Obama was a hit at the Reaching Heights table at at the CH-UH Summer Blastoff, a celebration marking the end of the school year and start of summer. The event on Saturday, June 6, at Fairfax Elementary School, featured face-painting, poetry, rides on the Rocket Car, food and ice cream, live music from Blue Lunch, and a raffle.  Thank you to Zagara’s for donating hot dogs and buns, and to the School District and Fairfax Elementary for hosting the event. The Blastoff was sponsored by CH-UH Council of PTA’s, Heights Parent Center, CH-UH Library,  Heights Arts, along with Reaching Heights.

 

And, as you’ll see below, there was an appearance from Barack Obama, who was calm even by his standards.

2009 Heights Summer Music Camp a Great Success

Thanks to all who made the 2009 Heights Summer Music Camp the best ever!

Click here for photos from this year’s camp.

It’s no secret why Heights Summer Music Camp is such a success: great teachers sharing magnificent skills to engage students in music and more.

Thanks to our team leaders: Scott Astey from Heights High, Tamar Gray from Fairfax, and Betsy Neylon from Roxboro Elementary design and orchestrate the music program. Camp Administrator Susie Kaeser, with help from Krista Hawthorne of Reaching Heights, attends to all the details that make the camp run smoothly: recruiting campers, hiring staff, keeping people informed, raising scholarship funds, ordering t-shirts, and delivering popsicles at the end of each day.

Special thanks to the families of our campers, and of course to the campers themselves. They’re the reason everyone puts so much energy into this labor of love. Have a great summer, and we’ll see you next year!