Younstown Schools CEO Justin Jennings speaking before a crowd of parents, residents and school employees during community meeting. Photo by Raymond L. Smith

YOUNGSTOWN — Opening a dialogue between Youngstown parents and the school district, CEO Justin Jennings had a community meeting at Choffin Career and Technical Center to discuss what residents believe is needed to improve the schools.

“I am here to educate our scholars,” Jennings told the the audience Tuesday of more than 60 parents, residents and educators.

And, he emphasized that turning around the district is his main focus, but he cannot do it alone.

“It is a total community effort,” he said.

Jennings implored parents to be involved with the schools.

“A meeting like this should be filled,” Jennings said. “Come here to talk about how to improve the schools. Come here to criticize, but make sure your motives are pure. If I am not here, the job will still need to be done. Do not allow this opportunity to pass you by.”

The CEO has been meeting with the staffs of each district school — not just teachers and administrators, but also custodians, secretaries, kitchen staff and others.

“The information I’m gathering will be used in writing the district’s strategic plan,” Jennings said.

Youngstown has received F grades on state report cards in recent years. Because of its academic struggles, it remains under state supervision, with an academic distress commission and the CEO in control. East Cleveland and Lorain school districts also are under such control.

But regardless of who is leading the district, Jennings said its turnaround should take three to five years.

“I’ve been here since September,” he reminded the crowd.

Jennings noted he has spent much of his first year fixing the adult issues. He wants to lead by showing district employees what they need to do to improve.

“We have hard working teachers in this district,” Jennings said. “They do not give ‘F’ efforts.”

Youngstown resident Louis Muhammad said the teachers and other district employees have to start listening to what the students have to say.

“Some students have a feeling they are not being listened to,” Muhammad said. “Our children do not know themselves. When they get an “F,” some feel they are failures. They fell a lack of respect.”

Ayanna Walker, a parent, said teachers need to have a sense of cultural competence. She would like to see more black teachers in Youngstown schools. “They have to understand the cultural identities and languages of students they are teaching,” Walker said.

But Jennings emphasized that the race of teachers is not the most important factor to consider, but rather, making sure they are empathetic and believe students can learn.

He also noted the school district has an absenteeism problem, with some students missing 18 days a year. It is especially a problem for students from kindergarten through the third grade.

“We can’t teach a child who is not in school,” Jennings said — noting students who are not in school in the early grades will find it difficult to pass the state’s third grade reading requirements.