Gadfly Bites 6/12/23—Must be how the blob feels every year when state report cards come out

1. I guess I’m not quite sure how this happened, but I like it anyway: A blog post from our own Aaron Churchill was reposted in full as an op-ed at Vindy.com over the weekend. Topic: Charter sponsors should be accountable for all academic outcomes of the schools in their portfolio. Seems reasonable, eh? (Vindy.com, 6/11/23)
   
   

2. Lax oversight of charter schools by their sponsors is trotted out by the haters as the full explanation for Ohio’s standing in a new report on charter student performance by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (or CREDO) report. Shocker, right? Overall, the report finds charters outperform traditional district schools nationwide in terms of both math and ELA learning. In my quick look at Ohio’s data, it feels like the overall outcomes are dragged down because both virtual and brick-and-mortar schools are combined into one figure. Separate them out, and the findings between the two sectors are far different. But you’d never know that by reading this piece. In fact, the CREDO findings also somehow explain voucher student performance, according to the same haters but without even the cursory obfuscation applied to the charter data. (Center Square, 6/9/23)
   
   

3. And I’m not saying that virtual schools are ineffective either. They are, perhaps, not equally helpful for every student—but their structure can confer huge benefits on many, many young people and to dismiss them as entirely bad is entirely wrong. Here’s a great look at the Ohio Connections Academy graduating class of 2023, including valedictorian Rose Bishoff of Thornville, who says she enrolled in OCA to have more flexibility to take more college classes through College Credit Plus. [WARNING: STRONG SARCASM FOLLOWS] Hard to believe that this awesome young person managed to overcome the awfulness of virtual education to get into Miami (of Ohio) University AND to major in electro-mechanical engineering technology (whatever that fantastic-sounding techno wizardry is), right? I mean: Who also would believe that OCA grads could earn their way into Kent State, Purdue, Ohio State, and even Julliard? How could there possibly be a National Merit Finalist, a National Merit Commended Scholar, or a College Board National African American Recognition Program winner among those deprived virtual school students? Three professional ballet dancers ready to start their careers? No way! Several who have earned NCAA and NAIA athletic scholarships to colleges of their choice? Couldn’t happen to virtual students! Or $3.5 million dollars in other college scholarships and awards? Ridiculous! [SARCASM ALERT ENDS] All of this success is real, y’all. Along with jobs and military enlistment and all community college: All the outcomes we value for our high schoolers. Not to mention the students who might have simply dropped out of high school all together were it not for the virtual school option, a personal and private victory that might not always make it into the paper but is nonetheless worthy. One of these last two stories has got to be mistaken, right? I think you know what I think. Which one do you choose to believe? (The Times-Leader, 6/10/23)
   
   

4. I think there will be numerous moments of unplanned and unwitting hilarity during this week’s meeting of the state board of education. According to Gongwer, among the agenda items for the meeting are: Vaping prevention, creation of an education program for the parents of truant children, an ACE awards update, and discussion of the Senate budget bill which would drastically change the board’s responsibilities if approved. Oh, also discussion of and a possible vote on increasing the passing score on the third grade reading exam. See? Hilarity is sure to ensue…unintentionally, of course. (Gongwer Ohio, 6/9/23)
   
   

5. Luckily, we do have some good, serious news to end the day with. The LeBron James Family Foundation and the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation last week unveiled the I Promise Housing complex: A supportive, affordable community to serve neighborhood families generally and I Promise School families specifically. Great stuff! Kudos! (Fox 8 News, Cleveland, 6/9/23)

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