- Fordham’s own Aaron Churchill is quoted in this DDN piece digging in to Dayton City Schools’ recently-released PARCC test scores. Looks pretty bad for the district – already on the short list for the new Academic Distress Commission process – when it lags both local charter schools and the other Big 8 urban districts. (Dayton Daily News, 12/20/15)
- Chad’s recent testimony before the state board of education is paraphrased in a Dispatch editorial from this past weekend. What are they talking about? The influence that the new interim state superintendent can have over charter sponsor evaluations. This is probably optimistic of them given that the interim doesn’t covet the permanent job and because the timing doesn’t line up. You can read the written version of Chad’s testimony here. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/20/15)
- As we learned last week, the interim state supe will be Dr. Lonny Rivera, the current number two in the Ohio Department of Education. There have so far been two pieces about Dr. Rivera appointment in his hometown paper, neither of them in any depth and neither of them particularly positively disposed to their hometown guy. We brought you one last week, and here is the second. (Toledo Blade, 12/21/15). Additionally, one of the members of the state panel appointed to create a new charter sponsor evaluation system (see above) is also from the Toledo area. This piece is interesting for a couple of reasons. It reiterates that outgoing state supe Dick Ross will be the one making the final decision on the new evaluation system, not his interim replacement, and it obliquely mentions Fordham’s written public comments on the proposed new system, fairly completely misstating our position and boiling a detailed, ten-page document into two quoted lines. (Toledo Blade/Perrysburg News, 12/21/15)
- “Enough waffling about charter sponsor evaluations!” I hear you all cry. “What the heck is up with the Academic Distress Commission in Youngstown?!” I’m glad you asked. On Wednesday of last week, a Mahoning County magistrate ruled that the definition of “teacher” was “an educator currently engaged in teaching children in a Youngstown City Schools classroom”. This effectively barred the school board president’s appointee from taking a seat on the new ADC, and for good measure, the magistrate said that specific thing too. (Sometimes a magistrate can’t be too clear.) The magistrate gave the board prez 48 hours to appoint a new representative who met the newly-clarified definition of “teacher” or to indicate that she would like to object to the ruling. She chose to object. (Youngstown Vindicator, 12/18/15) The Columbus judge overseeing the larger court cases connected to the ADC – two (?) at last count – must rule whether the objection will go forward or if the magistrate’s ruling will be upheld. Please note that updates are lagging the news cycle due to the intricate legal nature of the cases, the Vindy’s publication cycle, and the upcoming holidays. Hopefully more news on Wednesday.
- The other four members of the new Youngstown Academic Distress Commission have not been idle, even though the clock has been halted on their search for a CEO to run the district due to the above court challenges. They have been traversing the district and talking to teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders as much as they can (without breaking state Sunshine Laws) to get a sense of the task ahead of them. Here is a brief interview with the chair of the new ADC, from last week. (WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, 12/17/15)
