COLUMBUS, Ohio — The focus of Columbus City School Superintendent Talisa Dixon will be on student safety and security, transportation and how parents can prepare their children and stay involved on day one for the upcoming school year.
There are plans in the works to roll out new options for CCS students including a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Fifth-grade students will be exposed to and study robotics. Superintendent Dixon said parents should also be ready for a new math curriculum for all students because their involvement will be essential to their child’s success.
“We'll use hands-on projects even if it's counting things at home,” Superintendent Dixon said. “There will be many activities to make math so fun students don't realize they're learning something difficult.”
Dixon and her team are tackling challenging assignments too, including transportation. This year, high school students must opt-in to use the district's transportation, a move aimed at improving efficiency. Columbus City Schools is hiring drivers and will pay for training and license.
The toughest work may be around school safety and security.
Superintendent Dixon said there can be no compromises in creating and maintaining a safe environment for learning. The emphasis will continue to be on weapons at school. District security leaders are looking into using metal detectors but for now will continue using wands to check student book bags and backpacks.