- Fordham’s Chad Aldis had a whole 30 minutes on the air on WHBC radio in Canton on Saturday morning, talking about the Common Core with host Joe Palmisano. Link is here. Common Core discussion begins at about the 38 minute mark, but stick around for the caller Q&A afterward too. Fascinating discussion. (WHBC-AM, Canton)
- Speaking of Common Core, math teachers and administrators in Heath are uneasy about the uncertainty surrounding Common Core. Most seem optimistic that repeal won’t happen in Ohio, but just the possibility that years of work and $100,000 in materials and training could go for naught (and may have to be repeated twice more) is still disconcerting. (Newark Advocate)
- We’ve all heard the stories of parents having difficulty helping their children with their “Common Core” math homework. Apocryphal or not – Common Core or not – math teachers in Newark really want to make sure that parents have all the tools they could want in order to help their elementary school students succeed. Thus, the Parent Math Academy was born. The online academy “teaches parents the concepts their children are learning in school, including new vocabulary words and an overview of any graphics or strategies the students might see.” Nice. (Newark Advocate)
- Journalists retrenched after the internet blowup over Ohio’s “5 of 8” rule last week, and spent the weekend digging in and trying to understand what the rule means in its present form, how it manifests itself in local practice, and what a change in the mandate would truly mean for districts in their areas. The Plain Dealer opts for straight-ahead factual updating of the “loose ends” not included in last week’s coverage. The Middletown Journal-News goes into Butler County districts to ask about the possible effect of the proposed rule change and digs a bit into current staffing levels of the various specialists. The Columbus Dispatch goes hardcore into the numbers, providing a handy chart of which districts are currently way over the existing rule (most) in terms of staffing and which are under (a couple). Fascinating.
- Dispatch editors wanted to weigh in on the “5 of 8” rule debate, but unfortunately they have not yet chosen a side. They conclude by turning it over to the people, noting that those invested in the issue on either side should make their voices heard, either now or after the rule is passed. Yeah democracy! (Columbus Dispatch)
