Mike Fox found opposition to other ideas he proposed for community schools in 1997. For example, he wanted the legislation to allow private companies to run schools, rather than limiting participation to non-profit organizations. He would have provided for more sponsoring authorities and made the option available to the entire state rather than just the urban school districts.
Even though he would have made these changes and additions, Fox said the vision he had for community schools is gradually emerging.
“My hope was that these schools would start to spring up all over Ohio’s urban school districts. The process has been slow, but offers a lot of hope as we move to establish more and more schools,” Fox said.
Steve Bergana, executive director of the Office of Community Schools, agrees a lot of work is still to be done.
“It’s difficult to truly assess success. But by providing a choice, we are fostering creativity and introducing more focused programs,” Bergana said.
Despite opposition, both Bergana and Fox hope Ohio will become a national model for community school success.
“I understand that some people will always be opposed to community schools, no matter how successful they are. By and large, however, I believe that competition is ultimately the key to enable our children to optimize their educational potential,” Fox said.
Even though the community school movement is still in its infancy, the many people presented in these stories are passionate about what they are doing and will continue to do their part to promote the development of the program and help children succeed.
