- Starting the new year with a bang, the Big D’s got a front page story on charter schools in Ohio, noting that a very small number of new schools opened in 2014. Our own Aaron Churchill and ODE’s John Charlton both attribute this to diligence by the department. Not sure the journalist agrees. (Columbus Dispatch)
- Charter schools are on the minds of the editorial board in Cleveland as well. Today’s editorial repeats the call for action to reform the state’s charter school sector, citing the recent CREDO and Bellwether reports, and Fordham’s central efforts in pushing reform. Nice. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- Not content to stop at an editorial, the PD’s political prognostication also covers charter school law reform, noting CREDO/Bellwether/Fordham while betting that charter law reform will be one of Governor Kasich’s top 5 priorities in 2015. I predict that that is correct. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- Fascinating story about “ESC shopping” among districts in Geauga County. Ledgemont Schools – in fiscal distress – were required to shop around for a new Education Service Center looking strictly at cost. Others have already decided to stay put, but several are shopping around. What they are looking for – lower cost or better services or both – differs from district to district. Worth a read. (Willoughby News-Herald)