- The State Board of Education approved a slate of rule changes on Monday, completing a routine process that all state agencies have to go through every five years. But of course, one of those rule changes – elimination of the so-called “5 of 8” staffing requirement for non-teaching staff levels in districts – garnered more than its fair share of attention. As part of the slate, the 5 of 8 requirement is now history. (Gongwer Ohio, 4/13/15)
- Speaking of the State Board, members were updated this week on three separate investigations into Concept-run charter schools in Dayton. Turns out that most of the accusations that made big headlines last summer cannot be substantiated by ODE, the police, or the county ESC. This is not the end of the story, obviously, and any criminal or ethical violations that occurred can and will be pursued to their logical ends, but this is hopefully a cautionary tale of what can happen when folks advertise for former school employees to dish dirt. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/15/15)
- Elsewhere in state government, the Ohio House of Representatives took the red pen to a number of Governor Kasich’s budget proposals, including education proposals. I imagine the school funding changes will get the most attention, at least at first. I couldn’t find a good school-funding-specific report, so here’s the Big D’s take on it. School funding changes are central to their story, and there’s a handy chart. (Columbus Dispatch, 4/15/15)
- Speaking of the Big D, Dispatch editors yesterday opined against the slippery slope of choose-your-own-adventure testing schemes being floated in Ohio. (Columbus Dispatch, 4/14/15)
- As loyal Gadfly Bites readers will know, it is rare for me to clip a letter to the editor. But when the author is the superintendent of Dayton City Schools AND her topic is charter law reform in Ohio, that’s a letter worth a look. (Youngstown Vindicator, 4/12/15)
- Speaking of Fordham’s hometown of Dayton, here’s a fantastic and inspiring guest column from Tiarra Comer. She is a Chaminade-Julienne grad, Ohio University senior, and future TFAer soon returning to Dayton to give back in her own community. Congratulations on all your success, Tiarra, and kudos to the students you will soon inspire. (Dayton Daily News, 4/10/15)
- Dayton City Schools continues to negotiate with representatives of its bus drivers’ union, six days ahead of a possible strike deadline. Things seem to be more positive than when we last reported on this. How can you tell? Nowhere in the whole article does anyone threaten any “tragedy” involving children. Progress! Now, about those possible testing disruptions… (Dayton Daily News, 4/14/15)
- We stay in Dayton to finish up this edition, with a curious guest commentary about the topic of “school turnaround” – what it is and what it isn’t and what it might mean for Ohio schools. What is not clear is what motivated the musings and what reaction, if any, was expected. Curiouser and curioser. (Dayton Daily News, 4/15/15)
