Members of the Columbus City Schools' Board of Education held a roundtable discussion with district parents in the wake of ongoing talks about which schools the district should close.
Terrance Green, an educational consultant, facilitated the Thursday evening discussion virtually at the school board's office in south Columbus. Green was hired by the school district to help officials navigate the decision about which schools to close. He's a professor of educational leadership and policy planning at the University of Texas at Austin. His role is focusing on community engagement and equity in the decision-making process.
Columbus Board of Education President Christina Vera previously told WOSU that hiring Green is helping the board make a "conscientious decision" to "spend more time in the community of these schools." The district is paying Green $13,000 for a 90-day contract.
"So we wanted to ensure that we had a, you know, authentic process as to how we were going to go and do those nine visits. And so being able to find an expert that could really help us curate a process to ensure an authentic experience was really critically important for us. And that's how we were able to find and partner alongside of Dr. Green," Vera said.
The roundtable discussion comes after months of public tension and arguments between board members and the community over the closures, and a recent tour board members took of the buildings that were recommended for closure. A few dozen people attended the three-hour session.
A total of nine schools was suggested in June by a community task force, though a final list of which schools will close has not yet been determined.
Green told the group they should consider fact-based data, not "drama." Green also said the community should consider "intellectual humility" over "political spectacle and optics."
