Romules Durant, the superintendent of Toledo Public Schools, has been building a template for the survival of public urban education.
The template includes the Toledo Technology Academy of Engineering, Aviation and Natural Science Technology Academy, Toledo Early College, Pre-Med and Health Sciences Academy, and Jones Leadership Academy of Business.
Some of these programs pre-date Mr. Durant. Mr. Durant’s vision and genius has been to highlight and broaden these programs and make them examples of success.
Under Mr. Durant, a former standout football player, the district is all in on its new mission in which every student is on a career path, beginning as early as fifth grade.
The success is proven by the enrollment in the academies, from outside the district, even as far away as Worthington and West Virginia.
It is also shown in the metrics of these magnet schools’ performance. Check out the report cards.
Students and their families choose schools that allow students to embrace the future that they think they want to pursue. This has been seen in the phenomenal success of the Toledo School for the Arts, an independent charter school.