- After the departure of its high-profile leader in the recent past, FutureReady Columbus is still trying to get itself ready for the present day. The organization was born as a big ticket, partner-fueled initiative to help Columbus students get the best possible education. While the dollars and the big-name partners still seem to be in place, the unexpected need to do a second leader search has required them to slow their roll and to significantly shrink their focus. (Columbus Dispatch, 6/29/17) A similar organization in Toledo appears to have had a similar trajectory. Take your time, people. I’m sure it’s fine. (Toledo Blade, 6/29/17)
- So, what’s up with that ongoing kerfuffle between the state’s largest online school and the Ohio Department of Education? And the State Board of Education? And the court system? And StateAuditor Man!? And the court of public opinion? And the Ohio Attorney General? And several newspapers around the state? Well, I’m glad you asked, but you might not be. You can check out updates on the fast-moving situation from the Plain Dealer (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/29/17), and the Dispatch (Columbus Dispatch, 6/29/17), and the Plain Dealer (again) for everything you might have wanted to know (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/29/17). But don’t come complaining to me if your head hurts afterward. And it ain’t over yet either.
- Editors in Youngstown opined today in favor of at least some part of the above situation. The part where the state board of ed voted to ask politely for some money back. (Youngstown Vindicator, 6/30/17)
- Elsewhere in Youngstown, at least one member of the district’s elected board has been busy with some research on CEO Krish Mohip, and appears confident enough in what he has found (related to Mohip’s previous work in Chicago) that he reached out to the Vindy with deets. The Land of Intestinal Fortitude, indeed. Fun fact: while it’s not noted in this piece, this story has links to Lorain’s CEO-style Academic Distress Commission as well. Two-fer! (Youngstown Vindicator, 6/30/17)
- Folks in Dayton City Schools are high-fiving all over the place in response to their preliminary state test score data. It’s not final, but proficiency rates appear to be up a bit over last year’s numbers in most subjects in the district’s elementary and middle schools. Bad news – overall proficiency still stinks (highest percentage I saw on any of the tests was 38) and high school proficiency rates declined pretty much across the board. I guess when you’re at rock bottom, anything is a win, but if it were me I wouldn’t be writing the new advertising slogan just yet. “It’s a fairly good time to be a third grader in Dayton City Schools; everybody else hang on!” probably sounds better in a board meeting than it does on a billboard. (Dayton Daily News, 6/30/17)
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