I visited the Fairview German School earlier this year when I was in Cincinnati

Kids raising funds to save teachers

BY BEN FISCHER

Amid a deepening financial crisis in Cincinnati Public Schools, parents at Fairview German Language School moved past bake sales on Thursday to fund-raising strategies somewhat more sophisticated.

Their goal: to raise $112,000, enough to make part-time teachers in art, music and the gifted program full-time again, and to pay for their benefits.

Fairview’s Save the Arts campaign took over Fountain Square on Thursday, showing off the abilities of the magnet school’s fine-arts students while asking for small donations from downtown lunch breakers.

Going into the day, they’d raised about $70,000.

All the usual signs of a public appeal were there: picket signs, leaflets and small, photogenic children.But also, on their first day of summer vacation, students in the school’s German Language Choir sang and art students weaved on looms. Meanwhile, passersby could match wits with young Fairview students in a chess match in exchange for a donation.

The three teachers are full-time employees, but are slated to be cut back to half time next year.

Mandy Smith, a parent of two Fairview students and president of the school’s parents organization, said parents believe those full-time teachers are critical to keeping the school’s strong academic reputation within the district.

Here is the full article.

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