Gadfly Bites 4/7/23—Parents are unique, too, y’all

1. Fordham is namechecked in this story about the possibility of voucher expansion via legislation here in Ohio. It is written by who I suppose is the D’s new ed reporter (Welcome, man! Awesome Datawrapper work!). But neither of those things is really the point here. What is the point, in my opinion, is the very subtle but pervasive belief running through the story that choosing a school by moving/buying a house somewhere is fine, but choosing a school by any other means is immediately cause for question. Thus I am glad we have some input from one parent who did the former in the past but would like to do the latter now. Personally, I think we’re way past the time where one-move-fits-all in regard to school, by which I mean all kids for all years of schooling no matter how that move is accomplished, is likely to work for most families. (Columbus Dispatch, 4/7/23)
   
   

2. Speaking of choices, here’s a look at a youth-led initiative called You Belong, which is working to increase the sense of belongingness and to reduce feelings of isolation and alienation for middle school students across Lorain County. The particular event covered here occurred at St. Jude School in Elyria, and it sounds pretty good. What’s interesting is that the effort includes both public and private schools and seems to have been coordinated by (and paid for by?) the county’s levy-supported ADAMH board. Nice to know that we can all get along when the cause is deemed important enough. In fact, this seems to me like a prime real-world example of breaking down isolation (between school types) and working to build belongingness (for all community members no matter where they go to school). Or am I reading too much into it? (The Morning Journal, 4/5/23) And just to try and put a bow on this whole choice/collaboration/families need options discussion: Here’s a great story about three siblings who have all found success—very different forms of success, as befit very different individuals—via the state’s College Credit Plus program. All of the kids took advantage of CCP to earn credits through Lorain County Community College and all were able to find their various postsecondary pathways as a result. Sounds exactly right to me. (The Morning Journal, 4/5/23)
   
   

3. And speaking of postsecondary success, here’s a great story about a Cleveland Metropolitan School District graduate (by way of expulsion from high schools in two other cities, we’re told) who finally found the support he needed in CMSD to get him to graduation and into college. Now nearing graduation from Morehouse College, Mark Nichols returned to The Land to encourage other CMSD students to find and follow their success path, no matter the obstacles in their way. Kudos are due to Nichols, John Marshall School principal Timothy Primus, and the Say Yes program (?!). While this soon-to-be college graduate is planning to start his career in Atlanta, sounds like he’ll be heading back to Cleveland again at some point…to take over the place! (WKYC-TV, Cleveland, 4/5/23)
   
   

4. Governor Mike DeWine told both Gongwer… (Gongwer Ohio, 4/6/23) …and local TV news in Columbus how serious he is about making the science of reading the law of the land in Ohio. And he said his recent whirlwind tour of classrooms around the state has shown how successful it has been in the places where it has already been adopted. (WSYX-TV, Columbus, 4/6/23) Dude sounds pretty confident, but remember that success also includes banishing all the other low-quality reading curricula currently in widespread use. Both of the preceding pieces contain comments—albeit fairly mild—from teachers union reps pushing back against the banning of any alternatives to phonics. This piece features a somewhat saltier quote in that regard, from a phonics stan from way back: “I think people are going to fight it tooth and nail, some for financial reasons.” For what it’s worth, this though accords more with my own current temperature reading on the matter, although I hope we’re both wrong about it. (News 5 Cleveland, 4/6/23)
   
   

5. Finally this week: It’s been one month since the start of a pilot project that bans cellphones in three Akron City Schools buildings. How’s it going? No way to tell, really, given the details in this brief coverage. (There is, particularly sadly for me, no word on whether any unplugged students have gotten accepted to play in the Paper Football Pro-Bowl of 1954.) But the experiment will continue: “We’re here about teaching and learning,” said the district’s interim supe, “and when the device gets in the way of you being successful learners, we’re going to have to intercede.” If only some of the other impediments to student success could be similarly locked away in a simple magnetic envelope, amiright? (News 5 Cleveland, 4/6/23)

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