- Editors in Toledo opined late last week on the Ohio Supreme Court’s ruling stating that Academic Distress Commissions—and the law that created them—are constitutional. While those editors do at last seem convinced that the process is now beyond their rhetorical power to will away, they still have plenty of words to prove (to themselves) that the existing ADCs have “failed”. (Toledo Blade, 5/24/20)
- In further fox/hen house news: Akron City Schools is said to be “keeping an eye on” local charter schools for economic-slowdown-induced closures (some of which they intimate have already happened…when they have, in fact, not) and the district is said to be “preparing” for a “possible influx” of former charter school students into their
coffersclutcheswarm embrace. Honestly, with this logic they should probably be preparing for an influx of alien students teleporting in from Alpha Centauri too. (WKSU-FM, Kent, 5/26/20) Meanwhile, the president of Opportunity Ohio published an op-ed in which he reiterated his support for consolidating the crap ton of school districts in the state. Now more than ever, right? (Columbus Dispatch, 5/26/20)
- Over the weekend, I took a walk through my neighborhood and marveled at abundant evidence of the strong school choice culture here. To wit: graduation signs from seven different high schools. These comprised 1 from the zoned district high school, 1 from a charter high school some distance away, 3 from the local Catholic high school, 1 from the Catholic all-boys high school across town, 1 from a non-religious private school, 1 from the nearby STEM school, and 1 from a non-denominational Christian school. So it was odd to me when I read this heartwarming story (to other people, of course; I have a schmaltz-meter where my heart should be—ask anyone) of a section of my neighborhood throwing an unofficial graduation ceremony for kids who live there—complete with a noted neighbor/speaker and handing over of pieces of paper that are said to be diplomas but probably aren’t—in which all five of the graduates fêted attend Columbus City Schools. Now, when you dig down it turns out that two of the five went to schools of choice within the district, which makes sense, but is it really likely that there were no Catholic or other private high school grads in that area? No one there went to the prestigious all-girls private school? Not one? Now, I think you get where I’m going with this, but of course you know I’m heartless and thus suspect I’m probably overthinking it. And I’m cool with that, because my schmaltz-meter also detects self-interested publicity efforts too. Thanks for still reading and subscribing! (Columbus Dispatch, 5/24/20)
- Finally today, I think this news means I can stop carping about schools not using the summer to stop the COVID slide…but probably only for a little bit. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/5/20)
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