September 12, 2008

As we wrap up another week, it’s finally feeling like fall and fall activities are ramping up. We really don’t get a period of time to “ease into” the school year anymore or “wind down”—it’s just full steam ahead from start to finish!

Ohio Hi-Point is recognized as a valuable asset to the community and a partner to other organizations in so many ways. A great example is a visit we hosted last Friday evening for Dr. Stephen Jones, the new President of Urbana University, and his wife Judy. I had the pleasure of giving them a tour of our campus (they were impressed, as most are!) Having moved here recently from Alaska, they were not familiar with the career-technical system in Ohio and were amazed at the comprehensive program offerings and opportunities for students to earn college credits. After the tour, we were joined by other Logan Co. folks who serve in some board capacity at Urbana University (I serve on the Foundation Board) for a reception in the Urbana University house on our campus. Dr. Jones shared with us his vision for the University, and he referenced OHP several times as an organization he wants to partner with to bring more college options to Logan Co. We’ve already set a follow-up meeting, and I expect our partnership with UU to expand greatly in the near future!

Monday I attended a meeting of the Ohio Association of Career-Technical Superintendents to begin to draft a response paper to Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut’s 10-year Strategic Plan for Higher Education. As I’ve shared with you over the past several months, the new University System of Ohio will encompass Adult Career-Technical Education (including ABLE) officially on January 1, 2009. Our group wants to assure that Chancellor Fingerhut clearly understands the assets and value-added that both Adult and Secondary Career-Technical Education bring to the University System and that we are given equal footing with community colleges and four-year colleges as to funding and ability to delivery training which can lead to college credit. The devil is in the details, and those are yet to be worked out, but I’ll keep you posted!

Tuesday morning we hosted the annual Logan County School/Family Court Meeting as we have for several years. I’m always struck at these meetings the magnitude of issues that our young people face these days, and how important our work is in helping them to succeed. The reality is, we can’t save them all. But I think all of you at OHP do a darn good job of taking kids from where they are, teaching them critical career skills and life skills to help them taste success, and give them a hand-up to the next step in their careers and education. You should all be proud!

I stepped in during the orientation for our new Practical Nursing classes on Wednesday morning—what a big group! These students will be in our daytime and evening courses on Main Campus as well as at our Marysville and Urbana satellite sites. It was fun to see the anticipation on their faces (and maybe a little fear) and to imagine them at their graduation as were the students at the PN graduation last week. It’s going to be hard work, but they’ve got great futures ahead of them! Thanks to Amy Main, Nursing Program Coordinator, for the invitation.

We had our annual Sloan Reception Thursday afternoon to honor Dr. Earl Sloan’s birthday and to thank our Sloan Trustees for their generous support of our programs. We give our students, both high-school and adult, an opportunity to thank the Trustees personally for the impact the equipment purchased with Sloan funds has had on their training. I have to tell you, these students bring me to tears every year (I know—it doesn’t take much. But I saw some of you other staff members getting a little weepy-eyed too!) The Trustees seem to be more overwhelmed by the expressions of gratitude every year. I looked at the photo of Dr. Sloan on the wall and wondered if he could ever have imagined the impact his generosity would have on so many lives. He’d be proud. Thanks to our staff for such a great turnout—it means so much to the trustees and the students!

Robert Walker, Facilities & Grounds Supervisor, shared with me earlier this week that Roy Angle, his long-time mentor and local engineer, passed away. Robert represented the District at the funeral, and he shared with me that the minister commented that Roy was instrumental in securing the site for Ohio Hi-Point Career Center which has since served thousands of young people for their futures. In addition, he noted that the Career Center which Roy was instrumental in getting started has been such a benefit to this community and all the surrounding areas as well. What a touching tribute! Many thanks to Roy for all he did to make our existence possible.

I’ve often said that the many talents of our staff never fail to amaze me! Bob Newland, Auto Collision Teacher, shared with me some of his handy-work. Take a look at the website www.purpleharley.com. Bob painted the red and white Bike of the Month in the center of the page. Beautiful job, Bob! Do you do bicycles?

I’m sure you’ve all heard or read in the media that Governor Strickland has enacted $540 million in budget cuts for the 2008-2009 budget year. (Yep, that’s this year!) The press releases state that several areas, including foundation funding (our per-pupil funding) and career-technical “enhancements” are exempted from the cuts. We have received word from Kathy Shibley, Director of ODE’s Office of Career-Technical Education, that although she has not received specific direction regarding the cuts, it appears that the reference to career-technical “enhancements” includes High Schools That Work, OCIS, part of the Tech Prep Expanded Grant, Correctional Institutions Tech Prep, and the Agriculture 5th quarter program. This is reassuring, since we are involved in most of these programs. Shane Haggerty, Communications Coordinator, and I are preparing a press release to inform our stakeholders how we expect these budget cuts to impact us and what we’re doing to prepare. Keep an eye on our website for that to come out!

There’s going to be some water falling from the sky this weekend. Don’t panic—for those of you who can’t remember the last time you saw such a thing—that’s rain! Have a great weekend!