Fowler-Mack named APS superintendent | Akron.com

Christine Fowler-Mack Photo courtesy of Akron Public Schools

DOWNTOWN AKRON — During a special April 27 meeting of the Akron Public Schools (APS) Board of Education, board members offered the district’s superintendent position to Christine Fowler-Mack.
Fowler-Mack, a graduate of East Community Learning Center (CLC) and current chief portfolio officer of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, will take over for David James, who is retiring June 30 after serving the district for nearly 30 years, with the last 13 as superintendent.
According to the APS website, Fowler-Mack is the first woman to lead the district since it was formed in 1847.
“We have one superintendent at a time, and we will continue to support Dr. James until his last day as our leader,” said board President N.J. Akbar. “But we also want to celebrate this moment in Akron Public Schools history as well. … We’re excited to have [Fowler-Mack] start with us in a few months.”
Fowler-Mack received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from The University of Akron (UA) in 1990, a master’s in administration from UA in 1995 and her superintendent’s licensure from Ashland University in 2003.
In prepared remarks at the April 27 special meeting, Fowler-Mack said, “… I am deeply humbled and extremely excited to be here today to publicly commit to leading Akron Public Schools as your next superintendent of schools.
“It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to return to the system where my hopes and dreams began, and where I ultimately began my career as a teacher and an educational leader.”
She added, “Today, and in talking with staff, community partners and civic leaders last week, I believe whole-heartedly that this school community will work in partnership with its schools to make Akron the number one urban school system in the country.
“I accept this post with eyes wide open, recognizing that this opportunity comes at a time that is clearly the most challenging point in history — after a full year of disruption due to a pandemic that altered our lives, our work and our schools in countless ways.
“It’s been said that where there is crisis, there is opportunity. And that certainly applies to this important moment for APS, when our focus on safety, recovery and renewal must be balanced with an aggressive pursuit of academic achievement through an expanded lens on the future.”
APS summer programs
During the board’s April 26 regular meeting, Chief Academic Officer Ellen McWilliams-Woods and her team presented the district’s summer exploration programs, called “APS Summer Connected Learning — The Third Semester.” More than 60 in-person and remote classes will be available at no charge for students throughout the summer, and the After-Hours Support Center also will be available.
These programs for incoming kindergarten students through high school seniors will help fill in any academic gaps the students may have while providing fun ways of learning. The classes are not required for students, but participation is encouraged.
“Not only will it help catch up students who are behind while offering opportunities to work ahead on earning certain credits, it strikes a healthy balance between moving forward while making sure if there are any gaps, we’re capturing those,” McWilliams-Woods said.
Board member Lisa Mansfield said the summer programs could be “a huge financial savings” for parents who would otherwise have to pay for child care, enroll their children in often-expensive day or overnight camps, or leave their children at home while they go to work.
School officials said the programs would be paid for with federal stimulus funding and other areas, such as Title I and Special Education funding. Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Ryan Pendleton said federal regulations stipulate that at least 20 percent of incoming relief dollars go toward academic recovery, and Akron is expected to receive more than $100 million.
Elementary school-age students will have the opportunity to participate in three two-week sessions of Mystery Camps Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students will receive breakfast and lunch, as well as a T-shirt. Sessions will include ArtSparks events in the classroom and field trips to Hale Farm and Village in Bath, the Akron Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the All American Soap Box Derby, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in West Akron, the Summit County Historical Society in West Akron, The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and Lake Metroparks Farm Park in Kirtland.
The GAR Foundation will fund extended-day programming for these children with events at the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of Akron from 1:30 to 5 p.m. each day, according to APS officials.
Summer programs for middle school and high school students will include online credit recovery and advancement, ACT preparation, robotics programs, career exploration, college readiness, enhancing leadership skills and more, to be offered in the district’s specific College and Career Academies. To learn more, visit www.akronschools.com.
Kenmore-Garfield High School name change coming
Kathryn Rodocker, principal of Kenmore-Garfield High School, and Vanessa Drone, director of circle services at Project Ujima, reported on discussions they have had with students, staff and the community regarding potential names for Kenmore-Garfield High School, the last new building in the district to be funded with state support.
The top suggestions include Kenmore-Garfield, South CLC, LeBron James CLC and Garfield, and several participants suggested name mash-ups like Kengar and Fieldmore. School colors and mascots also were discussed.
The school is slated to open in 2022 on the site of the former Garfield High School, and Superintendent James is expected to give his formal recommendation for the name at the May 10 APS board meeting.
State officials speak
on public education funding
Also during the meeting, state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-District 28), state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-District 34) and state Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-District 35) spoke about their collaboration with APS in the continuing fight for sustainable public education funding.
Sykes, an alumna, said she often talks about APS while representing the district in Columbus because “public schools matter, and they provide and produce well-educated and well-rounded students who will contribute to the community-at-large.”
She thanked Pendleton for the work he’s done with the Patterson-Cupp Plan, which is the former House Bill 305 and current House Bill 1.
“Over the last two weeks in the General Assembly, we have dealt with bills that have talked specifically about property taxes and valuations — how you challenge them, what it looks like on the ballot — and while it may not say it on the surface, both of those bills are targeted to impact the ability to pass school levies, which we know fund public school districts,” Sykes said. “Both of those bills passed the House, and they’re on their way to the Senate. They have a highly likely ability to get passed and they will impact your funding streams.”
The legislators encouraged the board to keep the lines of communication open and will continue to provide updates from the statehouse.
Board handles
miscellaneous business
Also, during the meeting, the board approved a resolution to modify graduation requirements for the Class of 2021, based on the recently approved Ohio House Bill 67. This law, to be used for this year only, will allow the district to use graduating seniors’ final course grade in lieu of an end-of-course exam score to satisfy requirements for a high school diploma.
The board also approved the activation of fall sports off-season workouts and winter sports off-season workouts, both following guidelines from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Fall sports include girls and boys cross country and soccer, girls tennis and volleyball, football and cheerleading. Winter sports include girls and boys basketball, bowling and swimming, as well as wrestling and cheerleading.
Board members also approved:
• making the May 4 Primary/Special Election a remote learning day to accommodate schools used as polling places;
• contracts with the Akron Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau/John S. Knight Center in Downtown Akron for the Firestone CLC prom on May 15 and with St. George Fellowship Centre in Copley for the North High School prom on May 15;
• donations of 50,000 face masks, valued at $12,500, from Importers Direct LLC for students; 36 Content Management Systems Modules, valued at $900, from Independent Electrical Contractors to East CLC for the Electrical Engineering Pathway; and $500 from Diane Zupke to the Ellet JROTC Program for Leadership Camp at Camp Sherman June 21-24;
• the purchase of 54 gaming desktop machines, monitors, accessories and a five-year warranty, not to exceed $97,740, to create an eSports Arena with six…