CPS enrollment better than expected

As much bad news as inner-city school districts typically get, Cincinnati Public Schools keeps the positive news coming. In January CPS was profiled on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight show for their improved graduation rates and by eliminating the achievement gap between white and black students.

At the same time construction chugs along on what will become the first and only K-12 public arts school in America. Even better news is that CPS is within reach of attaining an 'Effective' rating by the State of Ohio...a rating comparable to most suburban school districts and the highest rating of any urban school district in Ohio.

Photo by Randy Simes - Withrow High School

The news out today is that enrollment numbers are higher than original projections by State demographers. Maybe this is another indicator supporting Cincinnati's claim that population projections, for Cincinnati, are actually higher than projected. It might also be a sign of CPS' improvement and the move back towards public schools by younger families. In either scenario the news is good news.

Bottom line, the excuses for not living in the City continue to go away in Cincinnati.

Related readings on UrbanCincy:
Cincinnati Public Schools making the grade
Get off the juice

A Model for Regional Cooperation: The Library

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County should serve as a great reminder of what this region can accomplish if it works together. They have everything you want--Books, CDs, DVDs, Children's Programming, et.al. Some people might complain there is no Blockbuster Downtown, but if there were it would be outgunned by a free public service.

The Library ranked as the 8th best system in the United States in 2006. It is also the ninth largest, in the country, in terms of total volumes.

Without a regional library, the citizens of Cincinnati would have a library with perhaps half the volumes, and the citizens of smaller outlying communities, like Addyston, might not even have a library at all. But through regional cooperation we have one of the best library systems in the country. Everyone benefits from the better services and lower operating costs of having a single library system for the county rather than 49 separate smaller libraries. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Imagine how we could improve services and lower taxes, throughout the county, with greater consolidation. Instead of having the 56th largest city surrounded by minor municipalities, we would be the 13th largest city in the United States and the largest in Ohio; improving our national clout and the quality of life for all of Cincinnati-Hamilton County's residents.

Cincinnati Public Schools making the grade

Many cite schools as a reason they don't live within city limits (or within the CPS district). I have said before that it is more of an excuse than an actual reason, but it is what it is. Cincinnati Public Schools have been improving their state rating over the past few years, and recently have been receiving some national praise.

In a recent Education Week article (PDF) they say:

Despite being plagued by the problems that beset most urban school systems, the Cincinnati public schools have managed to increase the four-year high school graduation rate from 51 percent in 2000, to 79 percent in 2007. Perhaps more important, they have, as of 2007, eliminated the gap between African-American and white students in graduation rates. This feat was accomplished, moreover, as the state of Ohio was raising academic standards and requiring students to pass more-challenging assessments to receive their diplomas.

While a 79 percent graduation rate isn't necessarily anything to write home about...it is a strong improvement. This strong improvement has certainly not gone unnoticed, and is going beyond an article in Education Week. CPS Superintendent, Rosa Blackwell, will be on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight show this coming Tuesday night at 8pm. Blackwell will be joined with Withrow University principal Sharon Johnson to talk about the district's improvements.

Furthermore the district has broken ground on what will become the nation's first public K-12 arts school. Just to reiterate...crime is down, schools are improving, and you can get a property tax abatement for moving into the city. So what's holding you back?

How 'bout these apples?!

There has been a slew of good news lately for Cincinnati. The cool thing about these recent reports is that they are not as noticeable, at first, as new restaurants and clubs...but in all reality they are MUCH better.

Not only is the most notorious neighborhood becoming safer, but the entire City is seeing the effects of the increase priority of public safety. Programs like Operation Vortex and others have made an immediate impact and gotten criminals off the streets. This is great, but alone these are just quick fixes to a larger problem of crime and bad behavior.

Other programs like the Cincinnati Initiative and Citizens on Patrol programs are being set up as substantial fixes to some of these issues. Instead of just locking up and identifying the criminals we need to confront them and find out how we can get these people to start being productive members of society again. The COP programs are empowering neighborhood residents to take back their neighborhoods and make them safe again.

City Council members continue to make crime their main platform item...maybe it is now time to shift the focus towards education. Lets allow these programs to settle in and take effect...in the mean time lets make our public education as great as it can be, and really make Cincinnati a wonderful place to live. Instead of just pumping more money to spend in schools lets see if we can fix the root problems with our school system. How can we make them more exciting, inviting, comfortable and stimulating for our youths? These should be the next issues we tackle.

As for the other stuff...I'll add one of my lists here:
Lower Crime
Growing Population
Stable Economy

Photo Credit:
Rick (Rico) Byam
(from Capture Cincinnati)

Don't Trash The 'Nati

It is not often that I read the Opinion Section of the Enquirer...but today for some reason I felt the urge. You know that urge to test your toughness and stomach for what is typically ridiculous commentary. But today however, I was pleasantly surprised. Laura Kleckner had a wonderful piece discussing the University of Cincinnati and the neighborhoods that surround it.

I am a student at UC and trust me, I understand the urge to go out and party...and even get a little crazy. But it is often easy to overlook the fact that the neighborhoods that surround UC are exactly that - NEIGHBORHOODS. People live there 365 days a year, raise families there, make a living there and get to live their American Dream right there in those very neighborhoods.

Charlton Place - Jefferson Street

Unfortunately many college students have little respect for their surroundings and think of college as a non-stop party (some, not all). If you would like to experience college this way fine, but at least have some decency and try not to trash the neighborhoods that people have worked very hard on to clean up/improve.

I urge UC students to be more respectful and work with community members to make the neighborhoods, surrounding UC, better places for everyone. Don't trash the 'nati.

Cincinnati's Premier University

Well the beginning of the school year is about to begin at the University of Cincinnati…so I thought that I would do a little write up about the university. Keep in mind that I am a University of Cincinnati student, and I have a little bit of a bias towards my institution. But I am just trying to convey facts and information with this one. UC will surprise you with its history, accomplishments and stature.

Starting as a medical school in 1819, Dr. Daniel Drake received a charter for the Medical College of Ohio (the 2nd medical school founded west of the Allegheny Mts). In 1870 the estate of Charles McMicken left money to the City of Cincinnati to establish the University of Cincinnati. This absorbed the Cincinnati College and also took in the combined Ohio-Miami Medical Department in 1909. In 1962 the university then absorbed the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The university later became one of Ohio’s state universities in 1977.

McMicken Hall - University of Cincinnati

UC also boasts the nation’s first co-operative education (co-op) program which was invented by Herman Schneider in 1906. The co-op program is considered the 3rd best professional practice program and is the largest program in the nation. The program engages over 2,000 companies in 43 different countries.

Ranked as one of America’s top 25 public research universities and in the top 50 of all American research universities, UC has an annual enrollment around 35,000 or so students (both graduate and undergraduate).

Mews Gardens - University of Cincinnati

The university also boasts many excellent programs. Most notably the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) are well respected as some of the best schools in their respective disciplines. Programs ranked in the Top 25 and well respected programs nationwide include:

Interior Design, Architecture, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Urban Planning, Criminal Justice, Operations Management, Marketing, CCM – Voice, Composition, Piano, Musical Theatre, Drama. Other well respected programs include the College of Law, College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine.

Lindner Athletics Center - University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati’s campus has also been recognized as one of the most architecturally dynamic campuses in all of America. The university boasts works done by such architects as Frank O. Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Thom Mayne and Michael Graves.

You can view more photos on the University of Cincinnati HERE!!! If you would like to see more of the surrounding area you can also find pictures of the Uptown area.

Cincinnati Mercantile Library

The Cincinnati Mercantile Library has a long and rich history...one that many don't even know about. Did you know that the Mercantile Library is just a stones throw away from Fountain Square at 414 Walnut Street?? Not only that, but it has been at that exact address since 1845 and was founded ten years earlier by a group of young professionals. Oh and in case things are a bit too hectic for you to drop by and check it out soon...that's alright, because the Mercantile Library has a 10,000 year lease on its current home.

The place is an absolute historic gem to check out. The book collection is fantastic, and the personal attention/expertise from the librarians is second to none. Not to mention it is extremely quiet and private for reading, studying or working (more so than a public library). Something else it has is that historic charm that most public libraries lack.

The split level floors, that house the main book collection, are separated by a glass floor. That is because the library has not had electricity for very long, and this was a way to help maximize the natural sunlight from the large windows. There are other numerous architectural throwbacks like the ironwork, woodwork/carvings, and many other non-architectural features. Like the old wood phone booth for example, or the physical card catalog (no electronic catalogs here), the furniture, the stately looking safe that sits behind the front desk and the many pieces of artwork.

All in all, this place is a MUST see for any Cincinnatian...and for very reasonable membership rates you could have all of this and more at your fingertips. Be sure to also check out the Mercantile Library's blogsite for book reviews, events and other things happening with the library.

For more pictures from the Mercantile Library and other images from this past weekend, check out my photothread on UrbanOhio that includes pics from around Downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

External Links:
www.mercantilelibrary.com
www.urbanohio.com/forum

Put your money where your mouth is!

So the question is whether $800,000 is better spent on the Freedom Center or on speed humps for residential streets throughout the city. Speed humps serve a small amount of citizens who just like to complain. These are the same people who ask for public stairs to be closed, bus routes to be removed, bike trails to be prohibited and the likes. They have specific issues with many things that are geared towards the greater public, and it seems like Chris Monzel would rather appeal to those citizens than to put money towards a Smithsonian Museum right in our downtown.

Now maybe I am confused or misinformed, but to me an investment in a Smithsonian caliber museum would seem to be a better investment than speed humps. It would also seem to be an investment that would benefit the community as a whole; not just the complaint oriented citizens. Even if you don't go to the Freedom Center (which I highly recommend a visit to), the community benefits by schoolchildren being able to go to the museum and learn a very important history of our nation.

If education and the youth are truly our future, then lets put our money where our mouths are and fund things that benefit our future. A child will not remember or learn anything from a speed hump that may or may not be on their neighborhood street...but they will remember the lifelong lessons that are taught at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Save the Music!!!

Well Cincinnati Public Schools have been cutting their budget to make ends meet. Theres multiple things we could blame for this...state funding (or lack thereof), the diminishing tax base of CPS, or possibly poor management of funds by the district. But it seems that as of late CPS has started to get their act together. Their State Academic Rating has risen and is considered one of the best 'urban school districts' in the State of Ohio. And like I said, they are looking at ways to trim the budget, but at some point you have to realize what you are trimming and the potential fallout from those decissions.

CPS was one of the earliest receipients of Save the Music funding (VH1 headed project) is set to become of the first districts, in the nation, to have all of their elementary schools equiped with instruments/equipment by Save the Music. However, part of the agreement is that the schools partnered with Save the Music must have a music program and therefore a music teacher on staff (makes sense). However, CPS has cut music teachers at some of their schools partnered with Save the Music, therefore putting the relationship in jeopardy. This could make CPS the first example of Save the Music having to revoke intruments/equipment do to a breach of contract.

It doesn't take much vision/foresight to realize the importance of fine arts as part of the curriculum. It also doesn't seem to be too difficult to understand that by saving roughly $56,000 a year (average teacher salary for CPS), puts an entire program at risk. Spend the 56k and ensure the future of music education for inner-city youths. VH1 Save the Music is paying for the darn program...all CPS has to do is employ a music teacher...56k doesn't seem to much to ask for.