- Some testimony was heard in the legislature this week on the latest version of a school funding overhaul bill, including from our own Chad Aldis. Gongwer’s coverage of the hearing focuses a lot on charter school supporters’ testimony—which boils down essentially to ways of undoing the huge gap between funding for charters and traditional district schools—but Chad was quoted as talking about some of the positives in the bill and about the plan’s gigantic overall price tag. (Gongwer Ohio, 3/1/21)
- Hold onto your hats for this one: More seniors in Columbus City Schools are reportedly on track to graduate this year than at this same time in 2019, long before anyone had ever heard of SARS-CoV-2. Bombshell, right? “It's good to be at 55 percent,” said the district’s Supervisor of School Counseling and Student Support Services, adding that “we're not done. We (still have) the quarter to go. And I think there’s things in the works that will hopefully accelerate and raise that number, a lot.” If you’re like me, you might feel a little unsettled by that last cryptic comment, seeing as how some of the things the district has already done to get them to this lofty point are to “waive two graduation requirements” and to “adjust grading”. And seeing as how this monstrosity is being heard in the legislature right now. (Spectrum News 1, 3/1/21) It is noted in the above piece that Columbus City Schools seniors are still, with a handful of exceptions, learning fully remotely. They are scheduled to shift in phases to a hybrid learning model starting March 15. But there are already huge logistical difficulties transporting the elementary students who started back in hybrid mode this week, and those do not look to be abating for district, charter, or private school students anytime soon. The district is buying public transit passes for its own students (no word on passes for charter or STEM schoolers already going to school) in advance of their return in an effort to do…something. (Columbus Dispatch, 3/3/21)
- Day One of in-person schooling in Dayton seems to have gone pretty well—minus afternoon busing—but that likely would have been a problem even if the district wasn’t jumping directly from fully-online to fully in-person in one fell swoop. (Dayton Daily News, 3/1/21)
- While Dayton’s superintendent says that hers is a school district “that needs to be face to face” (and she vows never to go back to remote again), fully-online education in Parma City Schools is a big old hit and will continue for the foreseeable future for any kids who want it. “It’s built to last,” said the district supe. “It’s something that can serve our Parma families much better than previously when they just had to find a charter school if they wanted that type of remote education.” Well, isn’t that just precious? (Cleveland.com, 3/3/21)
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