- The D finally published some kind of actual news story based on what Bill Bush heard at the ECOT board meeting (and committee meetings and executive session) he attended earlier in the week. The money stuff is pretty obvious and barely qualifies as “news” to the school’s board, let alone Dispatch readers. However, the discussion of the functionality – or possible lack thereof – of the school’s attendance tracking software is kind of interesting. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/26/17) If ECOT’s attendance tracking difficulties sound familiar, it’s because they are. Five years after the Dispatch blew the lid on Columbus City Schools’ data manipulation program, many of the system changes/improvements aimed at shoring up processes and procedures to avoid a repeat are still not marked as completed. Some of them may indeed be completed, say school board members, or near completion, or perhaps completed up to the original point but being improved even more beyond the original scope (but that extra part’s not completed). But no one – especially Bill Bush – seems to be sure of any of it. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/26/17)
- And speaking of shoring up procedures so as to avoid possible abuse, the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee this week heard testimony on a bill to impose new reporting requirements and oversight on credit card use by a number of “political subdivisions” across the state. This includes school districts, and so a couple of school representatives traipsed to Columbus to testify. While listed as “interested parties”, both of the witnesses seemed to indicate that the requirements were generally onerous and unnecessary. Trust me. (Gongwer Ohio, 10/25/17)
- Back in the old days of journalism, folks often waited to confirm “all sides” before running with a given story. Today, folks often run a story with one (or several) sides missing (XYZ didn’t return a request for comment before the deadline) and then run a follow up when XYZ does eventually comment (or formally refuses to comment, which is also sometimes newsworthy). The current way runs the risk of making both the original story and the follow up look a bit more “gotcha” than is strictly necessary, IMHO. But none of that preamble is relevant to this clip: a follow up on the story of ODE’s charter sponsor appeal process which we talked about on Wednesday – in relation to two school districts rated as “poor” in their most recent evaluations – and focuses on the department’s comments on the issues relevant to the original story and describes said process in some detail. Which sounds very “process-y” indeed. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/26/17)
- Two stories from Youngstown today. You will recall that Youngstown City Schools has had long-standing, serious problems with its support of students with special needs. An ODE audit from 2015 detailed failures to provide appropriate education services. New CEO Krish Mohip promised families he would right the ship and implemented the Multi-Tiered Support System this past summer. The Vindy notes all this history in the context of a presentation in front of the elected school board this week, given by a district counselor who says that special education is being “neglected” today. She seems particularly concerned about the move to neighborhood schools, also implemented this past summer, but there is more than a hint that her concern is under-identification of students with special needs and/or mainstreaming of students thus identified instead of special classes/counseling/instruction. Interesting. (Youngstown Vindicator, 10/27/17) Youngstown’s superintendent is quoted in the story above, taking the counselor’s concerns very seriously from the sound of it, but no comments from any elected board member are reported. I assume at least some of them were present, but they could have been busy dealing with this other issue: CEO Mohip’s announcement that he does not intend to approve the board’s request for money to bankroll another appeal of the law which created the CEO-style Academic Distress Commission framework under whose aegis he now runs the district. You will recall that the case was settled in favor of HB 70 a week or so ago, but that board president Brenda Kimble vowed another appeal. As noted at the time – and repeated here – there are other parties involved in the lawsuit who could also launch the next appeal. And pay for it too, if they want. (Youngstown Vindicator, 10/27/17)
- Finally today: state superintendent, urban neighborhood resident, and self-professed optimist Paolo DeMaria gives us an all a lesson in cooperation and, well, optimism. A 150-year-old sycamore tree near his home is in danger of being cut down to accommodate a curb ramp that must be installed in the neighborhood. Lots of folks don’t want to see the beloved tree go away, so Paolo has offered to give the city some of his property on which to build the ramp. Awesome. It remains to be determined whether the ramp can be relocated within specs. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/27/17)
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