Akron Superintendent Michael Robinson touted Akron Public Schools’ status as a “district in transformation” during his annual State of the Schools address Wednesday, highlighting efforts to prepare students for future careers and resources the district provides students.
Robinson also defended himself and his record during his first year in office, including against an allegation he bullied a school board member, a strained relationship with the teachers union wherein they have accused him of union busting several times and the bumpy roll-out of an all-day pre-kindergarten program.
The speech comes ahead of an election in which the district has a joint school levy and bond issue on the ballot. The levy will fund operations as the district faces a deficit and cut almost 300 positions earlier this year. The bond issue will fund the construction of a new North High School; advocates say the current one, parts of which are 100 years old, is falling apart. Robinson asked community members multiple times throughout the speech to come together to support the school district.
"We're standing at a crossroads where the power of a single yes can change the trajectory of a life," he said.
The State of the Schools speech is traditionally hosted by the Akron Press Club. The nonprofit group uses proceeds from that and it other events throughout the year to fund scholarships for college students. Robinson subsequently scheduled a second speech - styled as a "State of the System" address - which was set for 6 p.m. at Garfield Community Learning Center.
Robinson responds to controversies
Robinson said he has a "collaborative" working relationship with both the teachers union and the school board, despite tensions on both sides that have become public over the last year.
Akron Board of Education Member Rene Molenaur had written a letter to her fellow board members in July detailing several incidents she had with Robinson showing a "pattern of unprofessional conduct." Molenaur in the letter, obtained by Ideastream Public Media, alleged the superintendent had called her a "backstabber" and a "headache," and yelled at her in a one-on-one meeting where she was seeking clarity on district policies.
"During that call I even received text messages from other employees asking if I was ok because they heard the superintendent yelling at me through the walls of at 10 N. Main," she had written.
Robinson did not respond directly to a question about the bullying accusation, but said generally, he and the board are working well together.
"I really have a good working relationship with with the board collectively, and I learn a lot of things from them and I'm able to share things with them as well. So contrary to what you may read in the newspaper, the board's focus, my focus, is on the kids."
In the time since Molenaur's letter went public, the school board approved a resolution voicing support for Robinson; Molenaur abstained from that motion.
Meanwhile, the teachers union has filed three "unfair labor practice" charges against Robinson and the school district since January, accusing him of "union busting," including replacing union positions that had been cut with non-union ones.
Robison said he has been meeting all of the district's unions regularly and views any disputes as an opportunity to come to common ground.
"I sleep very well at night and I wake up every morning with joy in my heart," he said. "I want to stay focused on the work of our children. Our employees are very important to me. I am a firm believer in unions. I believe in working with them, contrary to perhaps what others' opinions may be."
Finally, he said the district is still working out some "glitches" with the roll-out of an all-day pre-k program, after teachers spoke out about some students going hours without having their diapers changed. He said the district hopes to transition most of its half-day pre-k classrooms to full-day classrooms by the next school year.
Robinson also said he believes the district should keep police officers in its schools, despite calls from the Akron NAACP and others to "reassess" that policy after a student was struck in the head by an officer while being arrested at Firestone Community Learning Center earlier this month.
A positive trajectory
Robinson connected his past growing up in the deep south - where he said he was often the only Black child in classrooms and struggled with reading comprehension - to the challenges currently facing the district. He said the district and the city both need an education system that raises up all students and doesn't look at them as a "statistic."
"I envision a world where they are not just participants, but leaders," he said. "Future judges, doctors, lawyers, cosmetologists, designers, community activists, visionary leaders, entrepreneurs and educators, to name a few, shaping minds. This isn't just talk. It's a mission."
He highlighted several improvements on the district's Ohio School Report Card this year, including:
- An 88.1% graduation rate, the highest of all of Ohio' major urban school districts
- A marked improvement on the district's "College, Career Workforce and Military Readiness" score, up to 76.6% from 42.3%, a measure showing how well students are being prepared for future careers or college
- Almost half of the district's scholars graduating with "industry-recognized credentials," which validate students have attained certain technical skills that workplaces are looking for after graduation
- Improvements to the district's gap-closing measure, which shows how the district is reducing discrepancies in achievement for students based on race or disability status.
Robinson said the district has also reduced its chronic absenteeism numbers slightly, but still, 44.7% of students at the school district are considered chronically absent, missing at least 10% of school or more.
Robinson said passing this year's levy will help further these gains. But even if that happens, more cuts could still be on the horizon.
"We desperately need the levy," he said. "And even with that, we're still going to have to make some reductions."
