"Having heard a HUGE number of opinions on the topic, it boils down to this:
1. The schools need to be fixed. Walls that are crumbling today won't be in any better shape tomorrow. And yes, we also should focus on academics, but 89 degree classrooms sure as hell don't make anyone perform better--teachers or students. Fixing academics and fixing buildings are not mutually exclusive.
2. We have people on either side of the argument who are passionate about what they believe. Those who volunteered--VOLUNTEERED--on either side of the argument should be thanked for their time. There was very little personal upside for most people involved. I know a woman who lives in but the FWCS district, but even though she has no children, she felt the Yellow side was the right choice. She knocked on doors. I don't know Everet Mol, but he took the time to stand up for what he felt was right. And he knocked on doors. We have people in this community who are willing to work on big issues. That's a good thing.
3. Given this level of engagement, the only thing missing is common ground. We need more collaboration and less name calling. No more political posturing. The blue and the yellow side need an honest, open discussion about what's getting in the way. If the bickering continues, we lose more time. The price tag goes up. And we still haven't gotten anywhere. And guess who suffers? You. Either your kids have substandard buildings or your neighbors don't get the education they deserve or your taxes go up or you lose an employee or prospective relocating employer because they see an education system in disrepair (again, could be buildings, could be academics, could be both).
4. This is easier said than done, of course, but what we need is a petition drive where people pledge that "whatever it takes, I'll work to fix the problem within 12 months. And I won't stop working until we reach a consensus. And I have to work with people from both sides."
Who's in?
Ed. note: Mr. Juliano is an employee of the Asher Agency, an advertising and public relations firm."
Well Mitch editor or owner of FWOB has recently been elected to city council. And one of the hot topic will be property taxes, that will have an impact on school funding. Well, Mitch famous for his little sly way of getting in a dig, has attacked FWCS, again, this time on spending money for a redesign of its Logo, which has brought back the July commenter with a longer post this time:
I’ll preface my comments with a disclaimer: my employer worked with FWCS on its new logo. I wasn’t involved in any of the work, so I don’t know how the logo change fits into a larger branding effort (if at all). I do, however, want to share a few thoughts on branding, logos, and FWCS.
I certainly agree with that a new logo is best created as part of a larger rebranding effort when an organization has the resources to do so. But it's not necessarily true that a brand is broken just because the logo could be improved. The brand is much, much larger than logo, and there are a lot of great brands out there with less-than-stellar logos. It's true that sometimes "when an organization…changes its logo,” it's because that organization is "facing challenges." But sometimes--and not infrequently, mind you--that organization just needs a new logo.
Now, it’s obviously true that FWCS is an organization that’s facing some challenges. And my sense is that FWCS is at a point in its history when it could benefit from a comprehensive branding effort, one that includes input from students, parents, teachers, administration, and marketing professionals (in that order, with the marketing professionals acting as advisory and everyone else sharing the authentic brand experience and what needs to change). But it also seems like any effort that FWCS makes to change its image is shot down as wasteful, wrongheaded, or insincere. Damned if you change the logo, damned if you don’t. And god forbid if FWCS should invest in a larger branding effort. After all, look what happened when it tried to invest in its facilities.
Mitch, as a leader in this community I think it’s irresponsible for you to take FWCS to task before asking whether the logo change is part of a more comprehensive effort (instead of just assuming that it is). I also think that you’d be better served to offer solutions to the true challenges FWCS faces instead if taking petty shots at the organization for changing its logo. It appears, though, that you’re more willing to stand on the sidelines and criticize instead of rolling up your sleeves and trying to be part of real change.
You’re right that a new logo, on its own, doesn’t change much. But neither do comments like the ones you’re making here.
Ed. note from Mitch Harper:
I think you owe an apology, Anthony. And, I don't mean that rhetorically.
There is nothing in the post which remotely warrants the petty shot you take in your last paragraphs.
First, you agree with me that branding is much larger than a logo. Then you agree with me that, as you described it, a "brand is much, much larger than [sic] logo."
This sentence, framed by the two lines that agree with me, is not related to any assertion made in the post: "But it's not necessarily true that a brand is broken just because the logo could be improved."
Then you just plain make leaps of illogic before engaging in an uninformed ad hominem attack.
I am already working in a collaborative way on intertwined fiscal issues between FWCS and the City of Fort Wayne. One are the effects of existing and proposed property tax caps that affect all local units of government in an interdependent way. Another is the the effect of tax abatements that affect the revenue - and in some cases very directly - the expenditures of school corporations.
These are issues affecting all four school corporations in Allen County for all now serve students inside the Fort Wayne city limits.
There are two other issues involving fiscal policy and another, personal one, involving a project to serve students, that I have worked on in just the past week.
Really, you need to read the paragraph and not just take a cursory glance and respond with an ill-considered comment. It coarsens the debate and that is not something that supporters of better education need or want."
I told you it was long, anyways. Mitch got his digs in and wins a friend, that's my MAN MITCH oh so subtle!
Here's Mitch stance on the Chamber of Commerce logo change.
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