- Let’s start today with some statewide education news. To wit: this question. Is the state board of education ready for its close up? Let’s hope so because televised board meetings are coming soon to a modestly-watched Buckeye-centric sub-CSPAN basic cable channel near you very soon. The upside, however, is clear: it will be much easier for observers of their ridiculous shenanigans to observe and, perhaps, comment in public. Whoever that might me. (Gongwer Ohio, 7/27/17) A new statewide taskforce on educating students living in poverty met for the first time yesterday. You can read coverage of that meeting in the D if you want to, but I personally wouldn’t advise you to do so. It could lead to rage. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/27/17) Why might it lead to rage? Because according to the Gongwer coverage of same, it contained the quote which is our headline today, from an educator working in a town that I called home for a couple of years. And I was outraged. But that’s probably just me. (Gongwer Ohio, 7/27/17)
- Back in the real world, there was a surprising development out of this week’s Youngstown Board of Education meeting. No, not that surprising development. This one: The board made three recommendations to the district CEO (who has final say, of course) for candidates to be the new district superintendent. The top two are from outside Ohio and all three are from outside the Youngstown area. CEO Mohip, a not-exactly-welcomed-with-open-arms recruit from Chicago, expressed surprise (equal to my own) that the homegrown current interim supe with years of experience in the district was not on the list. Wonder who he’ll pick? (Youngstown Vindicator, 7/27/17)
- Speaking of Youngstown, we’ve been keeping you updated on the district’s awesome-sounding summer school program. And here is more. A second session, focused on youngsters at risk of not passing the Third Grade Reading test, has begun. Why? “If a student is struggling with reading, we want to provide every opportunity to help,” says the CEO. “Reading is too important. If a child has difficulty reading, that struggle will spread to all other subject areas, and it will be hard for that child to catch up.” Said the chief of academics, accountability and assessment: “We have bright kids here, and we are going to do great things.” All my loyal Gadfly Bites subscribers are encouraged to write their own essay comparing and contrast those quotes with today’s headline quote. I’ll wait for all three of you to finish. (Youngstown Vindicator, 7/28/17) Meanwhile, in the neighboring Poland school district, folks were likely writing essays with quills on parchment at the Harry Potter themed summer camp. Hopefully it was more “lumos” and “wingardium leviosa” than “incendio” and “reducto”. (Youngstown Vindicator, 7/28/17)
- Speaking of magic, the “unified classroom solution” computer platform known as PowerSchool is a lot like magic. And now it has conjured up two SIIA CODiE Awards. Nope, I don’t know what that is either. I only include this because my kids have an ongoing love/hate relationship with the aforementioned, award-winning “classroom solution”. Sorry guys. (PRWeb, 7/27/17)
- Finally, we end today on a serious note. Dayton City Schools is confident that it will open on schedule August 15. Because they believe they will have solved their outstanding teacher contract issues and avert a strike? How about we stick with the theme of the day and let the quotes speak for themselves: “I wish we could go [to the bargaining table] today or yesterday or a month ago to finish this deal,” says district supe Rhonda Corr. “I don’t think we’re that far away, and I think if we come together, we will strike a deal.” Alas, the confidence stems from the fact that the district is already deep in the weeds with Alternative Workforce, Inc. (oooh, Orwellian!), a well-known and well-practiced provider of teachers for districts in the midst of a strike. They are already advertising for possible jobs. (Dayton Daily News, 7/27/17)
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