- The Cleveland Transformation Alliance has released its school chooser guide – a best and worst listing of local schools for parents – in both print and online versions. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/20/15) There is also a companion piece showing how the rankings were calculated. For the skeptics, probably. What’s new? A single rating that combines Performance Index, Value-added, and graduation rate info. Simple, yes, but maybe too simple. Worth a look. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/20/15)
- This is twisty, so stay with me. Given the amount of vitriol that school district officials and their known associates routinely level at charter schools, it may surprise you to know that a number of school districts sponsor their own charters. These are often “dropout-recovery” schools for students at risk of failing and are often partially or wholly online models. As we have seen, online schools in Ohio have had some troubles accounting for student attendance and work time, resulting in audit findings for recovery of funds. But what happens when the same trouble occurs in a district-sponsored school? An audit finding for recovery that results in the sponsor (London City Schools in this case) perhaps being asked to give back money. Suddenly, the usual anti-charter rhetoric takes an ironic swing into Twilight Zone territory. To wit: “ ‘The amount we get from revenue-sharing is not for work performed or calculated based on any type of criteria,’ says London’s treasurer. The way the district views it, it’s just getting back some of the tax money that it lost when its students left for a charter school — in this case, its own charter school.” Looks like the railways in the Wild West go both directions. (Columbus Dispatch, 6/22/15)
- Well, I guess last week’s tongue-in-cheek “prediction” about lame-duck state school board member Robert Hagan’s new job was off the mark. But the emerging truth is no less interesting. The head of the Mahoning County Democratic Party says Hagan’s new gig is “a lobbying job in D.C.” but could provide no further info. Mr. Hagan’s wife also declined to provide specifics but said the new job was “something he’s always wanted to do.” The comments section of the Vindy article is also worth a look. (Youngstown Vindicator, 6/20/15)
- For some reason, the Chillicothe Gazette decided to look at interdistrict open enrollment this weekend. While kind of helpful in talking about the recent history of open enrollment in Ohio and in Ross County specifically, Saturday’s “article” reads very much like an op-ed and contains some factual errors besides. OE may be a “work in progress”, but only from the point of view of certain districts. The parents who are benefitting likely consider it “case closed”, but none of them are heard in this piece. (Chillicothe Gazette, 6/20/15) Luckily, a follow up piece from Sunday is more balanced and more interesting. It is still focused almost exclusively on districts (and on money), but it is heartening to know that someone is actually surveying parents who choose to leave their home districts and might actually think to do something different/better to benefit kids and keep them. (Chillicothe Gazette, 6/21/15)
- Speaking of school funding, editors in Lima opined on the dueling K-12 funding proposals in the House and Senate versions of Ohio’s next 2-year budget. Their bottom line take: The people of Ohio “want more of the state taxes they currently pay to be turned over to schools. Any politician who doesn’t believe that is out of touch.” We’ll see what happens. (Lima News, 6/21/15)
- Finally, the PD ran a national commentary this weekend opining in favor of Common Core, and lauding Ohio for sticking with it. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/21/15)
