Lorain Schools interim CEO hitting 'refresh' on second half of the school year

LORAIN — The district's new interim CEO is looking to hit refresh at the start of a new year. Greg Ring kicked off the second semester with a convocation for staff, hoping the new year will mark repairs to relationships throughout the district. "Lorain, we need to row the boat in the same direction. We can't be fighting with one another," he told the packed performing arts center. Monday was the first time Ring addressed Lorain Schools staff as a whole. He officially took over the district Friday, but has been in a transition period into the chief role since late December. Starting next week, he plans to spend half-days at each of the district's 14 buildings listening to staff's concerns. He will have similar evening sessions for the community in the near future. "Love this quote from one of my favorite clergy people Andrew Stanley, he says 'Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing helpful to say,'" Ring said. He plans to look at the budget and decrease deficit spending. Looking at the current five-year forecast, next year's budget includes more than $6 million in deficit spending. Referencing Charlie Hedge's book "Getting the Right Things Right," Ring asked educators in the room to recapture the passion that led them to teaching. For Ring, it was his high school band director. But for others, he said, it could be the subject they teach or a passion since they were children. While the dynamics in the district have changed since falling under House Bill 70, its purpose has not, he said. That focus includes strong early childhood education, strives in equity, instructional climate and preparing students for success after graduation. He said he is tired of hearing the district known only for being under an Academic Distress Commission. "We're so much more than a test score," he said. "... Don't ever let a test score define who you are." Those test scores, handed down by the state, include a cohort for each school district based on the schools' size and type. Of those roughly 20 schools including Sandusky, Lima, Youngstown and East Cleveland, Lorain fares toward the middle of the pack except for its gap closing and attendance. In gap closing Lorain saw its grade jump from an F to a B between report card cycles. But, it's attendance is the lowest in the cohort at around 87 percent. First impressions Later Monday afternoon, The Chronicle-Telegram sat down with Ring to discuss his first few days in the district. Coming into the district with more than 40 years experience in education — and familiar with Lorain from his time with the County Educational Service Center — nothing was too surprising. He still plans to look at the staffing, including administration levels, and what programs are working for students. While Ring has the power to make unilateral decisions within the district, he said he plans to work with the school board and Distress Commission. "I am not here to bring a bunch of change," he said. "But I think it's important to see what we currently are doing, what's working, what's not working and how do we tweak it to make it better or maybe it falls off the table." He plans to keep CEO David Hardy Jr.'s "Big Board," or "excellent schools dashboard," a system used to track academics, student attendance and behavior and building atmosphere. But, Ring said that data will not be used punitively. "My concern is that we move forward and we keep moving forward and we keep doing better things in terms of achievement and get out of academic distress," he said. Contact Carissa Woytach at cwoytach@chroniclet.com or (440) 329-7245. Follow her on Twitter @cwoytach.