LIMA — The Lima City Board of Education on Thursday heard an update from the Ohio Department of Education regarding the improvement plan Lima schools and the ODE created six months ago to address weaknesses within the district.
Clairie Huff-Franklin, director of the ODE’s Office of Distress Commission and Education Reform, and Jo Hannah Ward, director of the Office of Improvement and Innovation, presented to board members, teachers and school administrators during a regular board meeting.
The improvement plan was created after a member of the ODE presented recommendations for improvement at a July board meeting. Superintendent Jill Ackerman said she created an internal committee made up of administrators, curriculum team leaders, a special education representative and building coach to create an improvement plan based on these recommendations.
Recommendations included adjusting the way the district evaluates the effectiveness of a program and developing curriculum guides for teachers.
“The district has worked dutifully to incorporate our recommendations into the district plan,” Huff-Franklin said. “There’s no magic bullet, but I can truly say you’re heading in the right direction.”
Despite F grades on recent school report cards, Huff-Franklin called Lima schools “excellent,” adding that grade cards do not tell the whole story.
