Gadfly Bites 12/16/20 – Always read to the end

1. Peter Greene gets a twofer in swiping at standardized testing and Ohio’s Academic Distress Commissions in this piece. Not only did Greene apparently not read to the end of Aaron’s linked Dispatch editorial (where he wrote, “That doesn’t mean exam results need to be tied this year to conventional accountability measures.”), but he also offered a pretty lame “just ask the teachers how kids are doing” alternative. And another thing? How am I just now learning of the edublob’s change in branding to replace the term “high-stakes tests” with “The Big Standardized Tests” simply so they can abbreviate them “BS Tests”? Clever like a fifth grader. (Forbes, 12/15/20)
    
2. Speaking of Academic Distress Commissions, the one that is ostensibly running Lorain City Schools issued a sunny evaluation of current “CEO” (satirical!) Jeff Graham this week, upon the occasion of his first six months in the job. Things really do sound, generally, very smooth and happy up there these days. The elected school board is even said to have collaborated on this evaluation process. However, I read to the end of the Chronicle piece (see, Peter?) and noted that some abrupt-sounding ADC member-swapping went on recently that could raise some questions if one was so inclined. I will only say that I’m surprised that former ADC member Diane Xander went out without much apparent struggle (so far). I can recall so clearly how she bounded into her seat back in 2018 – so full of ideas that she was issuing memoranda to the ADC for data and meetings even before she had taken her seat and so gung ho to get started that she essentially swore herself into office when she couldn’t find anyone else to do it on her preferred timeline. In like a lion, out like a lamb, I suppose. (Elyria Chronicle, 12/15/20)
   
   

3. Meanwhile, Youngstown City Schools is getting ready for whenever students return to their school buildings. We learn here, briefly, about the temperature-sensing apparatus the district has purchased using CARES Act money it received. It can sense when students pass through with elevated temperatures and it can even “see” when students pass through without wearing masks. Sounds pretty nifty, right? But wait! There’s more! If you read to the end of the piece (hmmm…. that theme again), you will see in the last line that it also has facial recognition “to make sure suspended students don’t return or keep out anyone else who shouldn’t be in the school.” If I could do a record scratch noise in print, seems like it might be appropriate to do so right here. (WKBN-TV, Youngstown, 12/15/20)
    
4. We have heard that fully remote learning has been a train wreck/dumpster fire/total disaster (circle your favorite!). This editorial piece from Vindy.com embraces that opinion, but uses it in a surprising manner. Editors lament the loss of this year’s NAEP testing and conclude that “the burden of evaluating ‘remote learning’ [is] up to states and school districts within them. Clearly, that is a task that must be undertaken — objectively — as soon as possible next year.” Interesting, and yet another reason to read your media pieces all the way to the end. (Vindy.com, 12/16/20) Dayton City Schools, by contrast, has determined that their hybrid learning model was the big failure (well, Supe called it “not effective”, so I should probably use her words). The elected school board voted this week to only do fully-remote or fully-in-person learning in 2021. First up when the district finally opens back up for business in January: fully-remote learning until at least mid-February for whatever students they have left by that point. (Except for a handful of arts, tech, and special needs students). Three’s some interesting additional info at the end (!) about how their teaching staff is going to be (re)arranged in the fully-remote 3.0 model. (Dayton Daily News, 12/15/20) Truancy cases are still going forward in central Ohio. Here’s a look at the cases filed in Franklin County Juvenile Court from September through the first week of December. While the piece leans toward “blaming” remote learning for students’ absences, but the leader of Focus Learning Academy, a group of three dropout recovery charter schools in the county, gives us a lot more to think about. The school districts with pending cases do not provide any commentary here. I know because I read all the way to the end. Twice. (Fox28 News, Columbus, 12/15/20)
   
   

5. And finally today, there is no burning need to read to the end of this piece—in which putative incoming Senate President Matt Huffman expertly recontextualizes the education funding debate you thought had been going in a particular direction for the last couple months. Huffman is clear and consistent throughout, so you can get the full gist by about midway through. (Lima News, 12/15/20)

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