- A task force was created this week to lead discussion and recommend a course of action to deal with the—frankly pretty enormous—problem of Dayton City Schools’ numerous underutilized buildings. A sticky wicket, to be sure, that will resist easy resolution. (Dayton Daily News, 1/4/18) And just how did this humungous underutilization problem come to be? The redoubtable Jeremy Kelley lays it out in depressing detail. From the echoey halls of the administration building(s), to the unmaintained eyesores spread across the city, to the one-third empty new builds, evidence of blinkeredness and unanchored hope for revival on the part of long-gone district leaders shows up at every turn. A sad and stunning fall. (Dayton Daily News, 1/4/18)
- On to some sunnier news: here is a look at some of the fun and crazy extracurricular clubs to be had at suburban and private schools around central Ohio. I can’t decide if my favorite is Pancake Club in Grandview or the early-morning Conspiracy Theory Club at Watterson. (Columbus Dispatch, 1/5/18) Speaking of which, here’s a quick look at the “cursive breakfast club”, an effort by the Springfield area Family, Career and Community Leaders of America group (FCCLA) to bring cursive writing back to schools where it is no longer being taught. Fun fact: the FCCLA is the modern-day name for the old-timey FHA—the Future Homemakers of America. Ah, the glorious past. Seems to be our theme for today, doesn’t it? (Springfield News Sun, 1/4/18)
Topics: