- Wow. Leave it to State Auditor Dave Yost to have his own incisive take on charter law reform. While the current media narrative is “sponsor-centric” reforms vs. “school-centric” reforms, let’s just say that Yost thinks that neither approach is 100 percent on the mark for him. His work auditing sponsors and investigating schools has led him to the central question of when a charter school is acting as a private organization vs. when they take on a governmental role in educating children. He’ll be advocating for Ohio to define the line between these functions, and he’s got a thing or two to say about monitoring/reporting attendance and online coursework. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- PARCC testing in Ohio is likely back on again today in most places as last week’s cold snap – which closed schools for days – ebbs a bit. This gave Toledo Blade columnist Marilou Johanek time to opine somewhat confoundingly on testing, largely from the perspective of her own son. She says he was an “overconfident” test taker in the days of OAAs but that he’s now one with the “stressed-out masses”. You might think that this is because he – and she – perceives the tests to be too hard. But you’d be wrong. She says it’s because “Suddenly, students…who have spent years habitually learning to regurgitate facts to pass tests, are being asked to think critically. They don’t even know what that means. They don’t get the question. Rote memorization is all they know.” So, is the testing change bad or not? Fascinating, if puzzling, perspective. (Toledo Blade)
- The subject of parents opting their students out of testing is hot news across Ohio. The Big D covers the perspective of some Columbus parents in this piece from this morning. Like Ms. Johanek, above, some parents believe that there has been “a shift in standardized testing” over time and stand opposed. The Dispatch piece is ostensibly about the potential “consequences” of parents opting their students out of testing – for students, schools, and teachers – and some are getting the message the schools and the state are trying to put forward: you’ve always been able to opt out of testing, but that action doesn't end the work of schools. (Columbus Dispatch)
- Over in Canton, a guest columnist opines in favor of Ohio’s so-called “5 of 8 rule” – which the state has used for 30 years to mandate a specific number and type of support professionals (librarians, art teachers, etc.) in every district based on student population. The State Board of Education took steps late last year to eliminate this rule – allowing districts instead to spend their money as they see fit in these staffing areas – and a final vote on the matter will likely occur next month. Good to know there are other things occupying commentators’ minds rather than just charter law and standardized testing. (Canton Repository)
