Fairmont High School reports that 36 members of the Class of 2012 graduated in January. In addition, at least three juniors have declared their intention to graduate at the end of this school year.

The number of students graduating early has been rising over the past 10 years, and Fairmont Guidance Counseling Department Chair David Elliott has an idea to why this is happening.

“A few early grads who are 18 years old tell me that they’re earning money to pay living expenses, and some are moving out of their homes and living independently. Also, many of these students are starting college in January, getting half a year of course work completed by the end of the regular school year,” he said. “Nearly all of them are working part-time or even full-time to earn money for college or living expenses and a few have enlisted in the military and have headed off to basic training.”

Although this decision may sound difficult for some students, the process is actually quite simple. Elliott says there are just a few steps students have to take to begin the process.

“To start the process, students usually come either the end of their junior year if they’re graduating early their senior year, or at the end of their sophomore year if they’re graduating early their junior year. They must get an early graduation form from their counselor’s office,” Elliott said. “But if students feel at the last minute, such as after winter break of their junior year, that they want to graduate early, they’re still welcome to talk to their counselor and discuss graduating early.”

Because these students have to earn the same 21.5 credits required of all other graduates, they must take the time to fill out the form, which must be signed by the early graduates’ parents as well. “We feel that parents should be required to sign the form because it’s important they know what is going on in their child’s educational life and are on the same page with their child’s decisions,” said Elliott.

Elliott said counselors not only help the students through the paperwork and formalities of the process, they try to mentor these students as well. “Mainly, our jobs as counselors are to review our students’ transcripts to ensure eligibility for graduation and to help students make the best decisions about their schedules and plans for higher education and careers,” he said.

Reasons for graduating early

Each student who chooses to get his diploma early has specific reasons for doing so. Tyler Edmondson, who left Fairmont midway through his senior year and began at Sinclair Community College on Jan. 9, simply wants to get a head start in his life. “I’m graduating early so I can start college earlier and be able to work more,” he said.

After it’s all said and done, though, Edmondson knows his decision won’t be so simple. “Since I’m 17, I don’t get financial aid, so I’ll have to balance two jobs with college in order to pay for my classes,” he said. “Also, it’s kind of a bummer that I won’t be able to see all of my friends because I’ll be so busy.”

Edmondson says he knows his life won’t be easy at first, but he’ll always be working to complete his goals. “I plan to go to Sinclair for two years and then transfer to the University of Cincinnati,” he said.

While some students work to get a head start on achieving their goals, others have to take on new and unknown challenges in order to even go to college. Senior Lauren Lee finished early in order to join the military. “The job that I want to do in the Army is only available if I leave in February,” she said.

Since money is a main priority when it comes to going to college, some students have to do extra work to get money for school. Lee has decided that the Army will help her in the end. “I really want to go to college and receive my doctorate, but I don’t have the money to pay for all the schooling,” she said. “I also would love to travel, so I figured joining the Army will help me do everything that I wish to do.”

Weighing the pros and cons

For some students, graduating early during senior year isn’t early enough; they decide to start talking to their counselors during their sophomore year and graduate at the end of their junior year. Junior Shannon Brown was interested by this idea and took action.

“I’ve always been very driven and felt like I’m stuck a few steps behind where I want to be,” said Brown. “Also, I have not enjoyed high school at all. So when I discovered that I had enough credits to graduate without taking any extra classes and still get an honors diploma; it was an easy decision to make.”

Brown also feels her decision allows her to end her high school career on a good note. “I don’t have to write a senior research paper and I have two semesters’ worth of exams I don’t have to take to take,” she said. “A lot of people think that I’m missing out on being a real senior, but you still get all the senior perks and experiences.”

But Fairmont English Department Chair Penni Meyer feels teens who skip their senior year may end up regretting it. “If students are going to college, they’re hurting themselves by not learning the process of how to write a research paper and document sources correctly,” she said. “If students see avoiding the research paper as a ‘perk,’ then they’re not looking at the long-term benefits of a thorough education.”

The fantasy of leaving high school ahead of other students may appeal to some students, but there are still some disadvantages. “When graduating early, you miss out on quite a bit, like senior prom, senior pranks, walking (if you’re not walking) and the rest of your childhood,” said Lee. “In a way, I’m being rushed into my adulthood.”

Edmondson agrees and feels teens who graduate early do grow up faster than other students. “Unfortunately, you face the reality of growing up and actually starting a future immediately after high school,” he said. “Not being able to spend time with all your friends is really tough, too.” He added, however, that he thinks it will all work out once he gets used to his new schedule.

At the end of the day, Elliott feels most students should graduate with their class. “With all the extracurricular activities and experiences Fairmont offers that can really help shape students, I feel students staying in high school for all four years is an excellent idea,” he said.

But Elliott also acknowledges that some students have special circumstances. “I do believe it’s a good thing that Fairmont offers the option of students’ graduating early because of the flexibility it provides and how well it represents our diverse population.”

Administrators and students presented testimony in private hearings on Dec. 22 and 29.

After a student complained about Togliatti’s classroom behavior last spring, administrators began calling in other students and compiling statements. On April 18, the district removed Togliatti from the classroom and placed him on administrative leave.

“The action we took was to protect our students,” said Human Resources Director Jim Justice.

The district has turned over the investigation to a third-party hearing officer from the State Board of Education, who will make a recommendation to the school board after all the hearings. The school board may accept or reject the officer’s recommendation.

John Doll, Togliatti’s attorney, expects a total of four or five hearings in January, but he says he can’t predict how long the process will take beyond that. So far, he said, the ball is still in the administration’s court.

“The school district is still presenting their case,” said Doll. “I don’t know who their witnesses are, but I’m led to believe they will be more administrators and students.” Doll said the defense will still be collecting witnesses throughout the month.

Meanwhile, a defense of a different kind has been mounting outside of the hearing room. Students who knew Togliatti from his classroom showed up on Dec. 22 and 29 to show their support. The core group of about eight students — mostly current FHS students, but also one graduate — carried signs and wore shirts bearing the words “Breng Tog Bak” (intentionally misspelled to comment on the effect of losing an English teacher).

While activity on the group’s Facebook page “Togliatti is an amazing teacher!” has waned, several of the protesters said they felt that the fight and Togliatti’s need for support is far from over.

“We want to let Mr. Togliatti and the school board know that he is not alone, and that many students enjoy his style of teaching and want him to come back,” said senior John Parrett.

The group plans to convene at 5 p.m. outside of the Barnes Building near the end of the Jan. 10 hearing to express their support for Togliatti.

Previous Flyer stories on this topic:

9/6/11:  No date set for hearing on Togliatti’s termination

8/9/11:  Board suspends Togliatti, votes to ‘consider’ termination

Taylor died Nov. 11, 2011, at the age of 61 after battling colon cancer. Many remember him for his work at Fairmont, but those closest to him also remember his personality behind his art.

“Wayne Taylor is one of the most gentlemanly individuals I’ve known; he could bring out the best in anybody,” said Thom Meyer, a former Fairmont art photo teacher and longtime friend of Taylor.

Meyer knew Taylor for quite some time during college, even though they attended different universities. They taught together at Van Buren Middle School and developed a friendship. Meyer describes Taylor as “a slow-walking, slow-talking country boy, but a genuinely nice person.” With his artwork, Taylor painted realistic portraiture, which is used with classic poses and detailed lighting. He found this to be the most gratifying style to use, according to Meyer.

Taylor made many of his paintings specifically for Fairmont High School, including the black-and-white paintings of famous artists ranging from Elvis Presley to Salvador Dali. For several years, his paintings illustrating the 12 Character Words of the Month also hung in Fairmont’s halls. (Several are still in the Main Office.) He also painted the Mona Lisa on the wall by the art rooms and had his art students paint the background back in 1997.

When teaching at Van Buren Middle School, Meyer noticed how Taylor would talk to his students like he would any other adult, and he connected with them by pulling out skills and talents that they may have never recognized. He could do this by his comforting approach and his knowledge of art. He believed in his students, which enabled them to perform better than they ever thought.

Meyer saw this as the years passed and they became even closer friends. Taylor started teaching at Fairmont in 1989 and worked there for 17 years as both the Art Coordinator and a part-time art teacher until retiring in 2006.

“He knew his craft, his subject, its history, and from that he had this wealth of information he could draw from and help other people; he was also a very humble man and made a point to recognize other talented artists,” said Meyer.

Senior Nicole Manzo got the opportunity to work with Taylor on a project for her IB art class. “I loved working with him. He was almost like a grandpa figure to me; I’m just so inspired by his art and he truly helped me become the artist I am today,” said Manzo.

Taylor and Meyer were also involved in last year’s Retired Kettering Art Teacher Exhibit, said Fairmont AP 3D Design teacher Susan Bennett.

Taylor also built the fountain in the courtyard outside the art rooms to honor a fellow artist. “We call it our Art Pond. It is dedicated to one of Wayne’s good friends, Mr. Reed, who is currently battling cancer,” said art teacher Candy Clark.

When Taylor became the Art Coordinator at Fairmont, he wanted to promote the systemwide art program and create an art show. He established an organization called N2 ART, which Meyer describes as “so simple, yet so cool.” The annual N2 ART Exhibit features art of all media from students of all ages.

This “gentle” and humble man will be missed by friends, family, students and talented artists who followed his painting techniques, but the memories will remain strong through Wayne Taylor’s art work in the halls at Fairmont High School.

“His whole art staff loved him and will miss him tremendously,” said Bennett.

Recognizing this, the U.S. Department of Education has laid down new rules on how graduation rates are calculated in order to help schools keep better track of graduation rates and increase the number of educated people in the workforce.

“In the late ’90s, there was a huge push for kids to graduate from high school. I think what they’ve found over the last 15 years is that school districts have been pretty creative in how they do their numbers,” said Kettering City Schools Superintendent Dr. James Schoenlein. “Even though they had guidelines, graduation rates were all over the place, and it was really hard to know what a 94 percent graduation rate meant. The U.S. Department of Education wants this to be uniform, so when we say 92 percent graduation rate, it means the same thing in every school district in every state in the country.”

Under the new system, an “on-time” graduate is defined as a student who graduates within four years from the start date of his freshman year. “When a student walks in the door as a freshman, the clock starts ticking,” said Schoenlein. “Every single one of them has to graduate in four years from the time they walk in, or it counts against the district.”

Schoenlein added that if a student enrolls at Fairmont at the start of his senior year, but it took him four years to get there at his old district, the penalty for the student’s lack of “on-time” graduation will fall on Kettering.

Before these changes, an “on-time” graduate didn’t even exist. Fairmont calculated its graduation rate based on whether or not a student beginning his senior year graduated by the end of that year.

The issue with the rule change is that it is causing most districts’ average graduation rates to drop from 7 to 10 percent. For instance, Kettering dropped from 97.1 percent to 90.3 percent. While this decrease isn’t as dramatic as Dayton Public Schools’ drop from 84.4 percent to 59.6 percent, it’s still a large enough drop to concern Schoenlein and other Kettering school officials.

One of the biggest areas impacting schools under the new system involves the education of severely disabled students, a total of 22 students at Fairmont currently. The Special Education Department teaches these students life skills, such as budgeting, riding a bus, holding a job and living on their own. Kettering follows state law that allows these students to attend school until they are 22 years of age to ensure they get the most education possible in order to fully learn and maintain these life skills.

The problem, however, is that since these severely disabled students take longer than four years to graduate, they must now be counted as dropouts. Schoenlein hopes this issue will be fixed in the future.

Grad rate is a report card requirement

But if nothing has really changed except how the graduation rate is calculated, what’s the big deal?

Well, in Ohio a district’s graduation rate is one of the indicators used on the state report card, which ranks districts as Excellent with Distinction, Excellent, Effective, Continuous Improvement, Academic Watch or Academic Emergency. Most recently, Kettering was ranked as “Excellent,” narrowly missing the top ranking, which it had the previous year.

While Kettering has consistently maintained a report card with a very high grade, the new graduation calculation threatens this. Currently, the state requires districts to achieve at least a 90 percent graduation rate in order to satisfy that indicator. Kettering’s 2010-11 report card shows a graduation rate of 97.1 percent, but the new calculation drops that to 90.3 percent, threatening the district’s ability to make the indicator.

“If we should happen to not make the indicator on the state report card, that would be troublesome,” said Schoenlein. “We have to make that indicator and we’re going to have to work even harder to pay attention to graduating our kids.”

While Schoenlein is worried about meeting the state report card standards, economic issues also come into play with the new rules. “I’ve already gotten a request from the high school to spend more money on more people to keep track of it all. There’s a demand for more work and more money and more people devoted to graduation rate. It’s troublesome for me,” the superintendent said. “This is not a great time to be spending more money on anything. I don’t know if we can afford to spend any more money on keeping track of graduation rates, but we will certainly intensify all the things we are already doing.”

Through all the concerns brought on by these new graduation calculations, Schoenlein is still able to find the silver lining.

“An educated, trained workforce is good for our society, for our future and our community,” Schoenlein said. “We’ll just have to suck it up and work harder. It’s a good cause and a good thing; we should be graduating all of our kids and moving them on to advanced education and training.”

This new state law affects most food-related aspects on school campuses, including vending machines, extracurricular activities such as fundraisers and bake sales, cafeterias and school bookstores.

Some students are throwing a fit over the new law, while others are glad Kettering and other schools in Ohio are finally scaling back unhealthy food.

Most of the foods that have been eliminated from cafeterias are those with high caloric content. Reducing sugar and fat amounts also plays a part in the Kettering School District’s goal for the new cafeteria menus. This means students will see an increase in juices and snacks that have reduced sugar and fat.

Louise Easterly, supervisor of Food & Nutrition in the Kettering Schools, determines how the foods are selected and what can and cannot enter the cafeteria. Easterly refers to the Healthier Generation website to determine what foods may enter the schools. The website also has a food calculator to determine whether some snacks are acceptable or not. (Click HERE to see the calculator.)

“Examples of foods that were eliminated include 20-ounce beverages that have more than 10 calories, such as Gatorade, iced tea and lemonade, SunChips, popcorn, Rice Krispie bars, Cheez-Its, pretzels in large bags, and ice cream that is too high in fat,” said Easterly.

Eliminating these foods does not, however, mean eliminating all snacks. Junk foods have been replaced with new snacks and beverages, such as reduced-sugar fruit snacks, whole-grain cookies, low-fat ice cream and flavored Chex Party Mix.

Easterly believes the new law will encourage students to eat healthier and stay fit, but she recognizes it will limit the variety of snack choices for students.

“The purpose of the law is to eliminate the availability of snack foods in schools that don’t provide much nutritional value. We hope it provides exposure to students as to what healthy snack choices are. We also hope to provide enough variety of snack choices so that there is little impact to the students. However, the variety of choices is still limited,” said Easterly.

However, even some junk-food lovers think the revamped menu is a good idea overall.

“Of course I love eating junk food, but I guess it’s a great way to motivate students to lead a healthier lifestyle,” said senior Vinny Diano.

Fairmont seniors who work in the Off the Shelf bookstore, which sells gum and other candy during lunch, haven’t noticed many changes in the items they sell, but they do think it will be beneficial for students when the changes go into effect.

“I think it’s great that this new law is being passed,” said senior Nicole Manzo. “It’s very important to stay in shape. Taking out candies with high amounts of sugars will probably motivate students to eat healthier.”

One Fairmont student thinks the gum and candy sold in the bookstore is perfectly fine for students and isn’t extremely unhealthy.

“We sell sugar-free gum, and the only types of candy we sell are Mentos and Jolly Rancher chews,” said senior Vince Sant. “No candy bars are sold in the bookstore that would contain a lot of sugar; I personally think that the items in here are fine for students to purchase, because they don’t contain high amounts of sugar.”

Marketing teacher Robin Holweger, who supervises the bookstore, said she doesn’t expect the law to have much impact. “The law hasn’t seemed to affect the bookstore much, because most of the gum and mints we sell are 90 percent sugar-free.”

Though many are unaware of the new law, some are still enthused that it has brought in more tasty meals that have nutritional value. Fairmont junior Caroline Grogan usually buys her lunch at school but doesn’t always want to purchase cafeteria food after eyeing the choices. She says this is starting to change as the choices become more nutritious.

“When lunch time comes around, I’m always starving, so I will usually grab whatever they are serving that day. I have started to notice that the snacks that are served in the in the cafeteria line are limited and more nutritious; I love how it adds more nutritional value to my lunch,” said Grogan.

Some students agree with Grogan and like the idea of changes to the school menu.

“I often pack my lunch just because I don’t like what is served in the cafeteria, but I may start buying my lunch since there will be healthier foods served,” said Fairmont sophomore Andy Kremer.

But everyone at Fairmont isn’t so enthused about the changes.

“I don’t like whole wheat food, which is what the cafeteria sells now, so I try to avoid buying my lunch as much as possible,” said freshman Sam Barton.

The law has prompted other schools to re-examine the food they sell. Senior Kenzie Dorman hasn’t noticed many changes in nutrition at Fairmont but has seen some strict changes at another school.

“I go to Centerville for my Exercise Science class,” she said. “They only sell nutritional snacks in their bookstore and will not allow fundraisers that sell foods with high sugar content before or after school. I haven’t noticed many strict changes like this at Fairmont, but I’m hoping that there will soon be some changes around the campus.”

Fundraisers at Fairmont — such as bake sales, for example — are banned, but only if they take place during school hours. “Food that is not permitted under the new state law may only be sold before or after school, but not during,” said Andrea Hale, Fairmont’s Food & Nutrition manager.

Even though some students don’t seem to notice a change, the Fairmont lunch ladies have seen a difference in the snacks being sold.

“I have definitely noticed changes; snacks with high sugars are not sold in the snack lines and everything is now all whole-grain food,” said Fairmont lunch lady Kim Hensley.

Advisory students began the first round of donations today and will continue to donate through the week.

The Food Drive is actually quite simple, as Jenny Borchers, the adviser of the United Student Body, explained. “The USB is collecting food in the advisory classrooms,” she said. “The food pantry then uses this food for holiday baskets for specific families and for winter storage in general.”

The advisories that donate the most food earn a Gold Star distinction and bragging rights with other advisories.

Each advisory got a list of the food items the pantries are seeking. These “shopping lists” were added to the Food Drive program last year. Rebecca Veneman, the adviser of the Freshman Class Council, which plays a prominent role in the Food Drive, said these lists were added because they “give everyone a specific idea for food items to donate.” Advisory teachers got the shopping lists last week.

Last year, several advisories gained the Gold Star distinction through their donations of copious amounts of food. One of the winning advisories was Advisory 122. Advisory teacher Jessica Stickel said her students donated an amount of canned food that was three times larger than the amount on the Gold List. “Some brought three or four cans and some brought 20 cans,” she said.

Although the competition helps, students also recognize the importance of the project. “There are other people and other families who need the food more than we do,” said junior Robert Bowling.

Veneman and Stickel believe last year’s Food Drive was one of the most successful Fairmont has ever seen. “I would say it definitely has been successful, and I would say that’s because of the generosity of our students here at Fairmont,” said Veneman.

Stickel agrees. “I think it was fully successful; I think it was the best year for this school,” she said. “It was great to see the students work toward this.”

The Flyer decided to give its readers an overview of some of the key decisions that will face Fairmont seniors voting for the first time.

State issues

Ohio voters will decide three major issues on the ballot in November, and Issue 2 is the one everybody’s talking about.

Issue 2 is a referendum of Ohio Senate Bill 5, which ends collective bargaining for Ohio state employees. “Issue 2 affects some 380,000 people who are teachers, firefighters, etc.” said AP Government teacher Scott Byer.

The debate has been hot for over a year now. “Both sides have spent millions of dollars,” said Byer. “We are Ohio” is a group that opposes Issue 2, while “Building a Better Ohio” supports the issue.

“A ‘no’ vote means you want to repeal SB5,” explained Linda Bergman, chair of the Social Studies Department.

Issue 3 is another big conservative push. It’s basically an attempt to make President Barack Obama’s health care plan illegal. “It prohibits law that require Ohio residents to purchase health care insurance,” said Bergman. It would keep the government from forcing, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health-care provider to participate in a health care system. The “Ohio Project” is a group that has been pushing for this amendment.

Issue 1 proposes adding an amendment to Ohio’s Constitution. “If passed, this amendment would increase the maximum age for assuming elected or appointed judicial office from 70 to 75,” said Bergman. Issue 1 also calls for the repeal of Sections 19 and 22 to Ohio’s Constitution. This would take away the General Assembly’s authority to establish courts of conciliation and eliminate the governor’s authority to appoint members to a Supreme Court Commission.

Kettering issues

Kettering also has a few issues of its own. Issue 12 is a Kettering City Schools renewal levy. “It’s a $6 million permanent improvement levy for upkeep and maintenance,” Bergman said. This includes things such as purchasing buses, new roofs, HVAC systems, tile floors, new desks where needed, computers, and other items. Because it is a renewal levy, passage will not raise property owners’ taxes.

One smaller issue is in Precinct 2-A of Kettering. Issue 29 would give Crawdaddy’s, a bar located at 3705 Wilmington Pike, a liquor license so it can sell alcohol on Sundays.

School Board candidates

In Kettering, a number of people want to take down incumbents. The Kettering Board of Education has two positions open and four people trying to get in. Lori Simms and James Trent are the two incumbents.  Simms has been on the board for seven years. She is the mother of six children, all of whom attend or have attended Kettering schools. She has served on many committees within different schools, such as the Way and Means Committee at Southdale and the Teacher Appreciation Committee at Van Buren.

Trent has been on the board for 12 years. He’s been a teacher, principal, director of elementary education, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He retired from the superintendent position in 1991. Trent is a member of the Chester A. Roush Educational Hall of Fame.

Frank Spolrich and Jim Ambrose are running against them. Spolrich is a former City Council member and was the principal of Fairmont in the 1980s. He also is the grandfather of Fairmont senior Justin Kihn. Jim Ambrose is an acting judge of the Kettering Municipal Court.  He has 36 years of private law practice and has coached numerous youth and junior high football teams.

Kettering City Council

Although current City Council member Tony Klepacz is running unopposed for re-election in District 3, Kettering residents are seeing a lot of other tough battles this fall. According to a story in the Dayton Daily News, three of the challengers seeking a seat at the table have affiliations with the Tea Party; they are Rob Scott, Mike Brandt and Lisa Crosley.

District 1 features a three-way race for the spot of retiring council member Keith Thompson. David Brown, Rob Scott and Nolan Thomas are all vying for this position.

Brown says on his website that he is a concerned citizen and doesn’t want to be a career politician. He says he simply wants to make a difference in his community.

Scott is the founder of the Dayton-area Tea Party and a fourth-generation Kettering resident. He’s a partner at the law firm Oldham & Deitering, focusing on representing small businesses. Scott, a Fairmont graduate and former Flyer staff member, has the endorsement of current council member Ashley Webb.

Thomas is a prosecuting attorney currently assigned to adult felony cases before the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. He has the endorsement of current Mayor Don Patterson.

District 2 features another tough battle. Joseph Wanamaker, the incumbent, has served on the council for eight years. He’s served as vice mayor and on many committees, including the Intergovernmental/Interagency Relations Committee and the Public Service Committee. He also helped create multiple programs such as the Recycling Program and the Leaf Pickup Program.

His opponent is newcomer Mike Brandt. Brandt told The Flyer he believes in what the Tea Party stands for and has attended Tea Party meetings. He was in the Air Force for 21 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel; he currently is in the Air Force Reserves. He also was employed by Electronic Data Systems (EDS), a company started by Ross Perot in 1962 and now part of Hewlett-Packard. Brandt is the father of Fairmont sophomore Alex Brandt.

A closer look at District 4

Kettering’s final bout is in District 4. This contest features a Kettering icon vs. the new challenger. Bruce Duke is the incumbent and Lisa Crosley is the opponent. The Flyer takes a closer look at this battle.

Duke has served on Kettering City Council for 25 years. He ran for mayor in 2005 against current Mayor Don Patterson. Duke has served as vice mayor in years past and has a Ph.D in counseling from The Ohio State University. He retired from being the assistant director for the Counseling Center for the University of Dayton.

In an interview with The Flyer, Duke discussed his accomplishments as a council member. “I helped with the building of the Fraze Pavilion and some of the art projects around the city,” said Duke. “One of the things I’m most proud is founding the Kettering Leadership Academy.”

The KLA is a nine-month program that teaches local citizens about the community. Typically graduates serve on local boards for non-profit organizations. One group of graduates founded the Kettering Backpack Program, a non-profit group that Fairmont supported through Spirit Chain the past two years. The KLA also has a spin-off called the Kettering Youth Leadership Academy, which helps students in grades 6-12 learn more about how the City of Kettering operates.

Duke cites other accomplishments. “I helped found the Kettering Incentive Program to help local small businesses,” he said. This program allows businesses to come to the council for assistance so they can expand or rehabilitate their facilities.

Crosley, who is looking to unseat Duke, has taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grades 2 and 3, and high school speech, English, American History, and American government. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Sinclair Community College, teaching public speaking and interpersonal communication. Crosley raised all of her kids in Kettering and now owns a local heating and cooling company.

The Flyer made several attempts to interview Crosley for this story, but she did not answer her phone and her voicemail box was full. As a result, all information presented here comes from her website.

Crosley said she chose to run for council when she saw Duke was running unopposed as a 25-year incumbent. This struck her as “distinctly un-American.” Her campaign slogan is a quote by Charles F. Kettering: “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

Crosley believes government on all levels is too big. “We must look at practical ways to cut the cost of the government and harness the power of the private sector,” she said. She also believes small businesses are the key to a good job market. “We must renew efforts to grow our city’s small business presence in order to expand our tax base and provide real job growth.”

Finally, Crosley says government needs to cut its cost so taxpayers don’t carry the burden. “City government must conduct itself more like a business and less like a political organization.”

It’ll soon be up to the voters

Those are some of the major decisions facing Kettering voters on Nov. 8. Depending on the outcome, Kettering could see a major shift in the faces it sees in the government and a rejection of some big-time Ohio legislation.

This fall’s election doesn’t feature a big national race, but it’s still an important one. Soon, it will be time for the voters to speak their minds – at the ballot box.

Check out these resources on the election, the issues and the candidates:

Secretary of State Elections and Voting Resources

Dayton Daily News, 11/7/2011: Issue 2 to shape 2012 election

Dayton Daily News, 10/13/2011: Kettering school board candidates address pressing needs of district

Of course, much like the football game, a rivalry also envelopes Spirit Chain – a rivalry to see which student body can raise the most money. This fall, Fairmont students once again blew away Centerville in the Spirit Chain competition, raising $68,000 to Centerville’s $42,000. This was the fifth straight Spirit Chain victory for Fairmont. The money Fairmont raised this year will be donated to We Care Arts, the Kettering Backpack Program and Goodwill\Easter Seals’ Daybreak program.

We Care Arts is a non-profit organization that helps mentally, emotionally and physically disabled adults and children express themselves through art. According to the We Care Arts website, the organization’s mission is to “change disabilities into possibilities through art.” The Kettering-based organization plans to use the money Fairmont raised to buy many supplies to enhance the center’s programs.

However, Terry Schalnat, executive director of We Care Arts, feels Fairmont’s donations do more than just buy supplies. “The money helps make our students know that the community is here for them,” said Schalnat. “It gives them a chance for self-expression.”

The Kettering Backpack Program is another charity that will be receiving Spirit Chain funds. It is an organization that provides food on the weekends for a portion of the 37 percent of Kettering schools’ students that are on free or reduced lunches. “The awesome gift from Spirit Chain will allow us to expand from 400 to 460 children fed,” said Jacque Fisher from The Backpack Program. “We appreciate all the dedication of the USB and community in helping make sure each child doesn’t go hungry.”

The third Spirit Chain charity is Goodwill/Easter Seals’ partnership with Daybreak shelter for homeless teenagers. At Daybreak, Goodwill\Easter Seals funds a program that strives to assist homeless teenagers to learn and interact alongside other community members by working with them to learn resume writing skills, interview pointers and working tips.

United Student Body President Monica Wagner, who worked with Activities Director Jenny Borchers to orchestrate the Spirit Chain fundraisers, was thrilled with the outcome of Spirit Chain. “I’m really proud of how Spirit Chain went this fall,” said Wagner. “I never realized how much effort Spirit Chain really was until this year, but I think it tells a lot about the community we live in that we were able to win this year for the fifth year in a row.”  

At the end of the day, however, Wagner and the rest of the USB officers agree that Spirit Chain is something more than just a contest. It’s a way to help charities that are in need, and by doing so, help those in the community who are in need as well.

“The energy that Fairmont put into Spirit Chain will live on in so many ways for the young people we serve. Feel proud of what you have accomplished,” Schalnat said. “We’d love to have students come visit our studio some time so that you can see, first hand, the difference that you have made in so many young people’s lives.”

Now the state of Ohio is making news because it will no longer require that children be taught cursive writing. The Common Core State Standards for English, which Ohio recently adopted, will take effect in 2014-15. Although the Common Core doesn’t mandate the teaching of cursive writing, it also doesn’t prevent it. Individual school districts can still choose to include cursive writing in the curriculum.

Michele Massa, the Elementary Curriculum Leader for Kettering City Schools, says the district has not yet decided if or how it might alter writing instruction. “At this point, cursive writing continues to be taught at the second-grade level,” she said.

Massa said the K-5 Language Arts Adoption Committee began studying the current language arts research and both district and classroom needs last year. “Any changes will be handled through this committee and must be approved by two other district committees, whose membership includes parent reps and the Board,” she said. “We’ll look very carefully at all the aspects of including cursive in the curriculum before making a recommendation. We strive to do what’s best for the students.”

Common Core stresses use of ‘digital tools’

Acknowledging the growth of technology, the Common Core specifically calls for elementary students to “use digital tools as they compose, revise and publish their written work” and to exhibit increasingly fluent keyboarding skills.

Although this is a big change from conventional education, Fairmont sophomore Heath Patterson thinks change is sometimes a good thing. “I’ve always thought that cursive writing was unnecessary,” he said. “The only thing I ever needed it for is to sign documents and checks.”

Massa, however, believes cursive writing is still important. “Personally, I believe that cursive writing is a form of communication that is still used in our country, so students need to be taught how to read it and write it legibly,” she said.

Massa said that when she taught second grade, she made sure her students knew how to write in cursive, but she stressed legibility, not penmanship. “Did their letters have to be perfect? No. Did their slant have to match the model perfectly? Of course not. Few people write that way,” she said. “I don’t believe we should spend our class time on penmanship.”

Fairmont sophomore Mark Pigeon, however, thinks it makes sense to completely abandon cursive writing instruction in elementary schools. “No one uses cursive writing any more. I know from a personal perspective that I haven’t since the third grade,” he said. “I don’t have reason to continue writing in it. It’s a dead subject.”

The idea that cursive writing is dead is an idea that the proponents of the new state standards are counting on. Even though high school students learned cursive when they were in elementary school, many switched back to printing for most in-class assignments. Still more tried to avoid physical writing as much as possible and opted to type much of their school work on the computer.

Some see art and practicality in cursive

For basic communication, the days of handwritten letters have largely faded away, replaced by emails and texting, which are more efficient.

Some people, however, want to retain at least some of the traditional ways of doing things. One of those people is Fairmont English teacher Virginia Becknell, who argues that if cursive writing is removed altogether, the results will be disastrous.

“I think that cursive is a skill that needs to be taught,” she said. “We are in a technologically advanced era, yes, but not teaching students cursive is robbing them of the skill of writing. The skill of expressing themselves is taken away by texting and emails.”

Becknell also takes offense at the notion that cursive writing is dead. “It is not a dead subject,” she said. “I still write in cursive and so do many others. If we follow through with cutting cursive in schools, some students may not be able to write their signatures.”

Although some high school students may not agree with her, studies show that Becknell may be right when she says the elimination of cursive writing instruction could be disastrous.

A study by Johns Hopkins University researchers revealed that the human brain actually changes structure in reaction to physical instruction such as cursive handwriting. The study, reported in Science magazine, also showed that these structural changes led to “almost immediate improvement in fluency” and that practicing cursive writing helps acquired knowledge become more stable.

For Becknell, the issue is less about science and more about art and expression. “I think typing is a valuable subject, but writing skills are just as important,” she said. “Writing cursive is another form of art on paper.”

Massa seems a bit more open to the idea that cursive’s days are numbered. “At some time in the future, cursive may become totally obsolete and therefore will not need to be learned,” she said. “But I don’t believe that time is yet here.”

“Statistics show that every pint of blood can potentially save about three lives, and only three teaspoons of blood can save a baby’s life,” said Fairmont Assistant Student Activities Coordinator Roger Bauser.

Bauser has organized the Blood Drive since it began in 1985. Since then, thousands of students and staff have donated almost 700 gallons of blood, saving hundreds of lives. “The entire area needs on average, 300 pints of blood a day, and our goal is to donate at least 200,” said Bauser.

Fairmont students who are 16 or older will receive signup forms in Advisory on Oct. 11, and the forms are due to the Activities Office by Oct. 19. Those who are 16 will need a parent signature on the form. Appointments begin as early as 7:30 a.m., and the last appointment of the day will be 1:50 p.m. Bauser said he hopes to get about 205 donors.

“If you start donating when you’re 16 and continue donating till you are 60, needless to say, you have saved hundreds of lives,” Bauser said. This blood also would benefit people recovering from surgeries, accidents and with special diseases.

“Every three seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion, and everyone will most likely need a blood transfusion within their lifetime,” said Bauser.

For more information about the Blood Drive, see Bauser in the Activities Office in the mornings, or email him at roger.bauser@ketteringschools.org.