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New CPS board member to be installed Tuesday
Groce says Columbus needs 'a solid public education system'
Thursday, March 2, 2006
By SUE HAGAN
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Stephanie Groce, who will be appointed to the Columbus Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday, said she and her husband chose to enroll their daughter in Winterset Elementary School after a lot of research and thought.
"We looked at private, public and suburban schools; we looked at (Ohio School District) Report Cards," she said, during an interview last Friday.
"We ended up making a spread sheet, listing all sorts of criteria, and Winterset came out on top."
The conclusion she drew, that Winterset had what she wanted for her daughter, is also what led Groce to apply for the school board position that was vacated Feb. 17 when Stephanie Hightower resigned.
"What's motivating me is that, like a lot of people, I think the city needs to have a solid public education system," Groce said. "I think we have, not that there aren't problems. There are a lot of things about the school system that are great, and not enough people know that."
Groce, 38, was chosen from a narrowed-down list of eight candidates, among them several who had run for school board in the past and had served on a number of district committees.
That is not the case with Groce.
"She caught us completely by surprise," said board President Terry Boyd. "No one knew her, but having the opportunity to screen her, we could see she was an outstanding candidate."
Boyd said that, unlike several other candidates, Groce's application did not come with references.
"She stood on her own merits," Boyd said.
One that stood out, he said, is her educational background in education and research analysis.
Groce graduated from Ohio State University, earning a bachelor's degree in English education, and a master's in quantitative research, evaluation and measurement in education.
She is vice president of consumer and professional research at Saperstein Associates, a public opinion and market research firm.
"Her ability to use data-driven decision-making as a common way of performing and processing impressed us," said Boyd.
"The main thing about this ... is that she will make decisions objectively, not necessarily driven by emotional pleas," he said.
Board member Andrew Ginther also said he thinks Groce is the right choice.
"Stephanie complements and adds an awful lot to our team," he said. "She will be an outstanding advocate for parents and families as well as a good policy maker."
Groce grew up on the West Side, and attended Bishop Ready High School. She now lives on the Northwest Side with her husband, Steve Niehoff, and their 5-year-old daughter, Lanie. Niehoff graduated from Whetstone High School, and Lanie will be a Winterset Elementary kindergarten student next fall.
Although Groce has not served on school district panels in the past, she does have board experience.
She is currently a member of the North Broadway Children's Center advisory council, and has been a trustee with the Market Research Exchange of Central Ohio since 2000.
Groce said she is eager to begin, and plans to study district programs for their effectiveness.
"One of the things the district is continuing to do more of is looking closely at what is working and how to replicate that," she said. "I think that's important and I want to be involved in that."
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