- Fordham’s Chad Aldis is quoted extensively in this Dayton Daily News piece on the topic of school staffing shortages locally and across the state. It is probably due to his influence—along with the information provided by actual school districts—that the piece seems to conclude there really isn’t much of a shortage at this time. Bus drivers, a bit. Teachers, not really. Although Chad points out that such shortages would likely show up in charter schools sooner than they would in districts. And I reckon very few folks interested in the topic are looking under that particular rock. (Dayton Daily News, 8/14/22) Definitely nothing about charter schools in this story from Richland County about a dearth—probably an actual dearth—of substitute teachers. A group of nonprofits are working to find and train future subs from within their community. Unfortunately, there’s way more talk about “building relationships with students” and being “the cool sub” that kids can talk to rather than, say, being able to teach math or reading or science. (Richland Source, 8/12/22)
- Meanwhile, in the classrooms of the burbs, everything is back to pre-pandemic normal. Ask anyone. (WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, 8/15/22)
- This doesn’t sound normal, though. Today is the first day for students in Pickerington Local Schools—but not all students. It seems that the district has been inundated with so many new students moving into the area at the last minute that staffers were unable to verify everyone’s residency quickly enough. Anyone who isn’t confirmed to be living in the district by first bell this morning must stay home until the I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed. (NBC4i, Columbus, 8/11/22)
- This piece seems to want to “expose” the creation of a “new” private school model on the horizon in Ohio, in which religiously-affiliated schools are opened “inside” churches and families’ tuition bills are subsidized by vouchers. I know for a fact that there are and have never been any hermetically-sealed doors or forcefields locking off Catholic schools from the churches they are attached to. Thus I fail to see the distinction here. Someone want to tell Ohio public media staffers before a one of their number bursts a blood vessel? (Statehouse News Bureau, 8/12/22) An interesting twist on the same story here—from a religiously-affiliated news outlet no less—in which leaders of non-sectarian private schools in northeast Ohio (you know the ones I mean) swear that an expansion of vouchers to universal or near-universal availability would not change their curriculum or academic offerings. Interesting. (Cleveland Jewish News, 8/12/22)
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