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A Project for Citizen
Participation in Planning the Future of Akron |
Imagine. Akron:2025
Report of Cabinet Meeting
Name of Workgroup/Cabinet:
Cabinet on Education and Delivery of Services to Families
Name of Moderator: Phil Marcin
Name of Recorder: Diana Caldwell
Date of Meeting: June 6, 2000
Place of Meeting: Conrad Ott Building
Briefly summarize the discussion of the Cabinet at this meeting:
There were nine members present and they included Barbara Venesy, Les
Radwany Jr, Cynthia Hale, Robert Clark, Laura Casenhiser, Phil and Linda Marcin, and Ken
and Diana Caldwell.
Phil and Linda Marcin and Ken and Diana Caldwell provided written
committee reports based on our meetings. The rest of the meeting we combined, edited, and
revised the reports with all members contributing to polish the project.
Diana and Ken agreed to make the changes and e-mail Phil with the final
copy to be submitted by June 9, 2000. Barbara suggested and we all agreed that we would
like feedback on the June 20th meeting. Phil agreed to provide feedback, and
added that the finished report of "Imagine Akron 2025" would be presented at the
Business Round Table in September. We all expressed a desire to have copies of this report
as well.
The final meeting ended at 7:00 with the general feeling by the cabinet
that this had been a rewarding experience and that our cabinet had made a fine start
toward "Imagine Akron 2025"
Minutes prepared by Diana Caldwell.
Appended to these Minutes is our cabinet’s final report
CABINET ON EDUCATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO FAMILIES
Phil Marcin, Moderator
Connie Nolte, Resource Delegate
Workgroup Members:
Diane Caldwell, Ken Caldwell, Laura Casenhiser, Robert Clark, Malcolm Costa, Cynthia Hale,
Linda Marcin, Les Radwany and Barbara Venesy
VISION:
Greater Akron, Ohio, is known globally as an ideal community in which to be born, raise a
family, and live a full and productive life. In particular, living in greater Akron will
mean that each person will experience the dignity of a quality lifestyle without regard to
race, religion, culture, age, or gender:
- Life long high quality educational opportunity second to none
- Access to high quality health care dispensed responsibly, funded equitably, and focused
on optimal utilization of preventative health care
- Better communication and cooperation by community service providers, religious
organizations, and charitable groups would provide clear and easy access to delivery of
services to all Akron citizens.
Goal:
Quality, Life Long Educational Opportunity, Efficiently Delivered in a Secure
Environment, Clearly Supported by an Involved Community, Which Provides the Skills and
Knowledge Needed for a Successful Life in the 21st Century
Strategies:
Financing
- Need new methods of funding public schools – less reliance on local property tax
- Regionalize education, i.e. centralize and share purchasing, transportation, special
education, discipline, and other common district needs (There are 611 districts in Ohio)
- Institute a longer school year and day to reflect current trend of both parents working.
- Rethink the way we provide educational services, e.g. mall type structure, older adults
tutoring in schools, utilization of university and industry technical and vocational
services etc.
- Examine impact of voucher system as well as benchmark other alternative proposals on the
future of public school education
Improve Accountability
- Ensure the quality of instruction remains high by continuing to use world class
and widely accepted educational standards when available and develop new ones as new
educational demands require
- Develop and use effective methods of measuring student learning
- Encourage increased parental involvement as essential
- Reconceptualize teacher education at the University level and utilize this to promote
effective teacher continuing education / Staff development
- Ensure Education/Training is Focused and Relevant
Resources:
- Establish regional/state committees to get consensus on financing.
- Community and Education leaders have and will continue to make it clear that the job of
the Education Industry at all levels is to prepare people to be able citizens with the
skills and knowledge necessary to be successful.
- Examine national and international innovative education models for new solutions
Goal:
People, as Responsible Partners in Maintaining Their Own Health, Have Access to
Affordable Quality Health Care and Pharmaceuticals and a Delivery System Which Respects
Them in Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Strategies:
Increased Focus on Preventative Health Treatment and Education
- Establish programs, which encourage community wide engagement in the
promotion of healthful lifestyles – nutrition, exercise, stress and anger management,
and responsible use of substances.
- Participate in effective prescribed preventative health care, education programs, and
voluntary testing. Health insurance credits could be earned.
- Ensure a healthy environment for residents
Improved Cooperation Among Health Care Providers of Different
Disciplines including Holistic and Alternative Medicine
- Expand utilization of Hospice and In Home Care for those afflicted with illnesses
and disabilities for which there is no current cure.
- Encourage maximum positive family participation in the delivery of care and support to
maximize patient comfort and minimize cost.
- Establish mechanisms whereby doctor and other health care providers can more easily and
effectively inform the patient (and their families) of the benefits and risks of various
alternative treatments.
- Encourage the responsible development of genetic health care advances by encouraging
community wide dialogue focused on sound ethical principles.
- Encourage Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Centers, and all Health Care providers to pool
their resources in a cooperative way and eliminate duplication and under-utilized
equipment and facilities.
Establish Proper Balance Between Quality and Cost in the Delivery of
both Physical and Mental Health Care.
- Schedule widely publicized seminars, fairs; etc at which participants would earn
credits toward insurance coverage or health services.
- Provide access to rehabilitation services and improved facilities for the permanently
disabled.
Resources:
- Many fine Health Care providers reside in the area.
- The community supports research and development and values health care as a means toward
improving the Quality of Life.
- We are fortunate to have a community that believes in and supports research and
development and values health care as a means toward improving the Quality of Life for all
and is interested in determining the best ways to make that happen.
- We have a knowledgeable populace, which recognizes that a clear relationship exists
between chosen life styles and other socioeconomic factors.
Goal:
Delivery of Services for Everyone is focused on Providing Those Services Needed to
Optimize a Person’s Highest Possible Quality of Life.
Strategies:
Increase the Availability of Primary Needs which Encourage
Independence
- Provide educational and health care services that will allow those being served to
be able to live independent and successful lives. The primary needs to allow this are the
accessibility of transportation to a job and day care for children and/or elderly. The
availability of these can be improved with the following points, although additional
funding may be needed as well.
- Utilize regional Common Interest Clearinghouses and a single universal application form
for all Social Services.
- Categorize Social Services by the "help needed".
- Make lists available at a variety of public locations via counselors, computer kiosks,
web sites, libraries, schools, listings in phone books, etc.
Utilize Hidden and Largely Overlooked Community Help System
- Create opportunities for increased volunteerism. Change the paradigm of
"Retirement Age" to better utilize the talents of mature adults.
Resources:
- Community consensus is strong that everyone is entitled to the Opportunity of a
decent living.
- We value the dignity of the individual, but insist on a proper balance between
individual rights, responsibilities, and the common good.
- The community enjoys relative economic prosperity and has excellent prospects for growth
both commercially and technologically.
- We have a large and caring pool of volunteers who respect the value of limited
resources, are well educated, and are skilled problem solvers with a strong work ethic.
Goal:
Expanded Cooperation, Tolerance, and Understanding Among All Religious And Charitable
Organizations Leads to Greatly Enhanced Capacity to Work Effectively with Governmental
Agencies to Facilitate the Delivery of Services.
Strategies:
Increase the Availability of Primary Needs which Encourage
Independence
- While quality services necessary for those who are incapable of helping themselves
will continue to be provided, the main focus will be to provide educational and health
services for people to live independent and successful lives. Beyond the assurance of a
secure environment, basic health care, and the necessary economically relevant skills,
transportation to work and day care for children and/or elderly are essential
- Expand Akron Area Association of Churches (AAAC) to include all belief systems.
- Expand Akron’s program "Coming Together" to include focus and goals for
Religious and Charitable Organizations.
- Allow Local input in Regional Charitable Initiatives.
- Eliminate duplication of services where possible.
Use a Unique and Often Underutilized Community Help System
- Recognize that religious and charitable organizations can often be utilized to
address spiritual and emotional needs more effectively than governmental agencies.
- Increase public accountability by religious and charitable organizations and this will
lead to better public support.
Resources:
- A strong and active church community exists in the area.
- Akron people care for others.
- There is a large and caring pool of volunteers.
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