Gadfly Bites 12/9/20 – The “pinch”

1. Preble Shawnee Local Schools failed to pass a levy in November, the latest in a long line of renewal failures over the last five years. They are not subject to state fiscal oversight yet (a.k.a the “pinch”), but they sure act like the big bad State of Ohio is breathing down their necks. Unfortunately, I don’t think Supe really knows how state fiscal oversight works. He lists out some possible cost cutting and revenue generators he could implement (a.k.a. “big scares”) but dismisses them all as having “drawbacks”. Then he says that “The first thing [the state is] going to say is, ‘You need to pass a levy of some kind,’.” Which, in reality, is unlikely. But nothing could stop him from telling that story to his elected school board members and concluding that local residents should just go ahead and approve a levy at any of several upcoming elections…all of which, supe says, will have a levy on them until either it passes or the state comes to help out. As they are required by law to do. (The Register-Herald, 12/9/20) One elected member of the Preble Shawnee school board asked if there was any chance of more funding coming from the state of Ohio prior to the pinch. Obviously, he had heard some talk. Editorial boards across northeast Ohio seem to have their ears to the ground on school funding as well. Editors in Cleveland… (Cleveland.com, 12/9/20) …and in Akron opined in favor of the current funding revamp plan hanging around the Statehouse. Both sets of editors seem to think that a funding influx will help their local school systems big time. (Akron Beacon-Journal, 12/7/20) And with this piece we create a sort of “editorial sandwich” on the topic of school funding. Niles City Schools was placed in fiscal emergency by the state in February of 2019, after a couple of years bouncing around between fiscal watch and fiscal caution status. This week, we learned that the district’s general fund is currently in “wonderful balance”, per one of the fiscal supervisors overseeing spending on behalf of the state. Why? Because district officials have been “working hard to curtail expenditures.” Even during a pandemic. I did a little digging and it seems that Niles did pass a levy renewal in November 2019 (after a fail in May), but that was their own doing and not anything the state required. Additionally, this piece seems to indicate that Student Wellness funding was a big boost to the district’s bottom line…even during a pandemic. So much for the pinch. (WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, 12/7/20)
    
2. What’s all this talk about a “pinch”? Turns out it’s a slang term which I had never heard of before relating to state oversight of school districts. To wit: The 5,227th legislative attempt to end Academic Distress Commissions got its first hearing this week and the sponsor, a long-time vocal critic of ADCs, had the usual axes to grind and old saws to air out once again. In response to all this, another legislator told the story of an unnamed school system in his district that was under the threat of an ADC and simply revamped its administration and improved its test scores so as to avoid a declaration of academic distress. That district, he said, had been failing under its elected school board for years, but the “pinch” of an ADC and its appointed CEO was effective for pushing positive change which benefitted students. You know what I say? Viva la pinch! (Elyria Chronicle, 12/9/20)
   
   

3. On a similar note, an elementary school teacher at Independence Local Schools says that the pandemic is making her a better educator. She talks of stronger relationships with students developed because they are more necessary than ever and we get at least one stinky olfactorily evocative example of her creativity in making sure kids get to do a hands-on science lesson while at home. All this is fantastic news, as I know you know; however, I’m willing to bet that Ms. Wagner has been killing it with creativity and adaptability long before the “pinch” of Covid required it. (Fox8, Cleveland, 12/8/20) Staying with the theme, here is a detailed look at how Stark County high schools’ culinary arts programs have adapted to the pandemic. Creativity, adaptability, and some better smells permeate this story. “If there is an upside to COVID, I am just spending more time on the foundation stuff,” said one teacher, many elements of which are normally shortchanged by the public-facing parts of the work. Students are getting more of a work out in the kitchen than in the dining room. Nice. (Canton Repository, 12/8/20)
    
4. Finally today, a more gentle sort of pinch, courtesy of this commentary piece from the superintendent of Hilliard City Schools. Reflecting on his district’s pandemic pivots, he writes, “When our district offers options, when we partner with parents to find what works best for everyone, we are more successful. The methods we've been forced to use during this crisis will provide options for the future.” I like it. (ThisWeek News, 12/8/20)

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