- With about three weeks until the deadline, not a single Columbus parent has contacted the group responsible for providing information on “parent trigger” options available to them. The Dispatch is attempting to figure out why. There’s a bit of finger pointing and probably too much “us vs. them” here, but the comments are instructive of how choice in general has historically (dis)functioned around here. Check it out and see what you think. (Columbus Dispatch)
- There’s an undercurrent of “us vs. them” in this piece too. It’s an update on the so-called “5 of 8 rule” under consideration for elimination by the State Board of Education. The story dredges up some previous “us vs. them” stuff from Toledo school history, but I have to say I’m with the small-district supe who supports the elimination of the rule in favor of districts determining their own staffing ratios. He knows that the very real backlash stems from a question of trust between districts and their teachers. (Toledo Blade)
- A continued bus driver shortage in Dayton City Schools has left routes uncovered, caused kids to be regularly late to school, and made at least one parent pretty upset. I’m imagining that charter school parents in Dayton are having an even rougher time. Can we please find some better way to do school transportation? (Dayton Daily News)
- Springfield’s Global Impact STEM Academy – an early college high school which draws from nearly a dozen districts – is on the grow. They are prepping to move into a new, larger facility next school year, and are looking to recruit around 100 new students to help fill it. I’m still waiting to hear the howls of protest about “using public dollars to recruit kids” away from their home districts, especially as the principal notes directly here that he has to use state money to do anything because that’s all he gets. What? No protests? Oh, right. This isn’t a charter school. (Springfield News Sun)
