- As we noted on Friday, someone was bound to come along with more detail on the Ohio student enrollment data released last week. And this AP piece is about as thorough as you’re going to find, and it is especially comprehensive for such a short piece. The anecdotal evidence of the Toledo area parent who utilized vouchers to send her kids to private school this year (and next) and the very direct comments from the CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School district in support of choice (“I want parents to seek out the best educational opportunity for their child at any time, and that's even more true today than it probably was pre-pandemic.”) sound right on the money to me. What doesn’t sound exactly right to me is the assessment of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, who said “I think that's just another part of the conversation that causes superintendents and others to step back and say, ‘OK, why are the kids leaving? What are the gaps, and how do we fill the gaps in?’” Or perhaps, more properly, it sounds way behind the curve. (AP, via 10TV News Columbus, 2/5/21)
- Here’s a nice look at the first week of hybrid learning in Columbus City Schools. Sounds like things went well and the superintendent seems very bullish on the future as more grade levels start to join the littlest students. To which the gloomy-gus teachers union guy says, “Everybody’s on top of it right now. “What does three weeks look like from now? What does six weeks, what does the rest of the year look like in making sure that all those health and safety protocols are followed?” I assume he’s not talking about his own members there. Right? (WOSU-FM, Columbus, 2/8/21)
- Here is an even nicer look at the pandemic-influenced school year at Bishop Watterson, a Catholic high school here in Columbus. While school continued as near to normal as was possible, per everyone quoted here, Covid-mitigation protocols threw some wrinkles into students’ required community service work. We are introduced to several students who not only found innovative ways to meet and exceed the hours needed, but who also created new opportunities to contribute their good works even further afield than Columbus. Amazing. And I will also call attention to the student who is noted as living in the city of Delaware but attends Watterson, some 40 minutes or more driving time from home. Why yes, Watterson does accept vouchers. Why do you ask? (Columbus Dispatch, 2/8/21)
- We end today where we began: updates. Here’s a bit more information on HB 1 after Friday’s brief introduction. This is, you’ll recall, the new version of the former Cupp-Patterson school funding plan in the General Assembly. There are new sponsors this time around, but I assume we’ll continue to call it Cupp-Patterson for ease and convenience. Besides, Callender-Sweeney just doesn’t have the same ring to it if you ask me. (Gongwer Ohio, 2/5/21) Here, also, are brief looks at two other new education-related bills on the topics of graduation requirements and Academic Distress Commissions. I have nicknames for both of these bills too, but I think I should keep those to myself. (Gongwer Ohio, 2/5/21)
Did you know you can have every edition of Gadfly Bites sent directly to your Inbox? Subscribe by clicking here.
Policy Priority:
Topics:
