- Fordham’s own Aaron Churchill wants to remind all Ohio families about the new Afterschool Childhood Enrichment (ACE) accounts that put $500 directly into their pockets to pay for out-of-school enrichment activities such as tutoring, field trips, private lessons, and afterschool or summer programs. Hopefully this op-ed will help get the important word out. (Dayton Daily News, 5/12/22)
- While this editorial piece lauding not only Toledo School for the Arts but the fact that “many roads” exist to help students reach “a happy and productive future” seems like a Charter Schools Week miracle… (Toledo Blade, 5/10/22) …I can’t help but wonder if perhaps another shoe is going to drop following all the electronic ink spilled over the last week in praise of TSA.
- We were talking on Wednesday about the state board of education’s voting patterns. Here’s another one for you. The gang voted unanimously to ask the legislature to hold districts and charter schools harmless for another year from report card-related accountability measures. (Gongwer Ohio, 5/12/22) The idea has a chance as it sounds like the chair of the Senate’s Primary and Secondary Education Committee has just the
stockingomnibus bill to stuff it (and lots of other tiny little changes) into should he need to. (Gongwer Ohio, 5/11/22) - Speaking of omnibuses (I say, look it up, old bean), changes are coming to transportation in Cincinnati City Schools. That includes the “old school” notion of allowing middle schoolers to ride yellow buses. That is actually VERY old school because it hasn’t been a thing in the Queen City since those kids’ parents were in elementary school. (WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, 5/12/22)
- Over on Ohio’s other coast, we’ve definitely got a good news story about some high tech lab stuff coming to one CMSD school. However, it is probably not as good as folks here are making it out to be. A) The students seem to like the balloons and the cool chairs just as much as they like the more “technical” pieces available. B) There seems to be a lot more “first-player shooting” than “real world problem solving” going on in the virtual reality world. C) The playing field is far from level for CMSD students, even with this stuff. D) A local charter school got here first. But I suppose one must take one’s good news wherever one can find it these days. (News5, Cleveland, 5/11/22)
- Speaking of school choice (were we?), this story on teacher diversity in central Ohio school districts is worth a look. But I feel like the picture is incomplete until you include charters, STEM schools, and private schools. I eagerly await that follow up piece but I don’t think I’ll be holding my breath for it. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/13/22)
- Finally this week, back on the proper “many roads”/school choice topic: Golden Key School, the largest private school serving students with special needs in the Canton area, is on the grow! This piece is a great profile of the school; its staff, families, and services; and the $2.5 million expansion/renovation project which just broke ground this week. Why yes, it does mention rather vaguely that the majority of students attend with the help of unspecified “scholarships”. I can see why you might ask about that. (Canton Repository, 5/10/22)
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Your humble clips compiler—Jeff Murray ([email protected])
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