- Our own Chad Aldis, an expert in charter school policy if the press it to be believed, is quoted in this new piece regarding pending legislation designed to “return” money clawed back from charter schools to the district schools from which it was “taken”. Sorry for the overuse of quotation marks, but it can’t be helped in this context. School funding is hard. Sadly, Chad’s remarks on the substance of the bills in question only come after an intricate and lengthy discussion of bill language plagiarization, which you will be forgiven for concluding is actually the most important thing here. (WYTV, Youngstown, 8/15/17) Speaking of claw backs, in a completely unrelated story (probably), another online school bit the dust (probably) less than a week before school starts this year. Their school year is currently on hold due to financial stability concerns in the face of those aforementioned claw backs. Kudos to everyone involved. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/14/17)
- Meanwhile, Youngstown CEO Krish Mohip abruptly ended a consulting gig with a district vendor after questions of propriety were broached by the Vindy. (Youngstown Vindicator, 8/16/17) In a completely unrelated story (probably), the Youngstown ADC has agreed to ask the state for a pay raise for Mohip. (Youngstown Vindicator, 8/16/17)
- Just when today’s clips threatened to send me into a funk, something wonderful dropped in my inbox (thanks, Sweetheart! I owe you!) To wit: The arrival of the Family Independence Initiative in Cincinnati, reported far too quietly for my liking in the Enquirer earlier this week. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 8/14/17) What’s the big deal? I hear you ask. Doesn’t Cincy already have the curative presence of Our Lady of Oyler to solve all its poverty and education-related issues? Maybe so. But how about while we continue to wait for that particular miracle to evanesce, we take a nice long look at the life and work of Mauricio Lim Miller, founder of FII, courtesy of this profile and interview written by David Bornstein. In it, you will find what I might call “anti-Oyler” efforts. Or, if you will, an actual answer for poor families. (New York Times, 8/15/17)
- Ohio is well known for its financial support of private schools. No, not vouchers. So-called “auxiliary funds”, which have supported private school students for many years across the state. But, as noted above, the “deduction-based” funding mechanism for such things has been a bane for both districts and private schools for almost as long. Things are starting to change for the better, at least for a group of non-religious private schools, who for the first time this year will receive their auxiliary funds (transportation, textbooks, etc.) directly from the state. No word on whether the districts involved are happy about the change or not. (Gongwer Ohio, 8/14/17) Speaking of state support for private schools, Cleveland Catholics seem to like the sound of new voucher legislation pending in the General Assembly. (Northeast Ohio Catholic Magazine, 8/15/17) Speaking of Catholic schools, here is an awesome idea for helping Columbus Cristo Rey high schoolers better interact with the adults who may be interested in mentoring or even employing them in the future. But it is topped by a very unfortunate headline. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/16/17)
- Happy belated birthday to Dayton teachers union prez David Romick. School board members awkwardly celebrated with him during their meeting last night, right after they unanimously ratified the tentative agreement with his union that averted a triple dog dare strike at the eleventh hour before school started for the year. I can just imagine the scene: little Davey clutching his celebratory balloon surrounded not-at-all ominously by all the folks with whom he had been tussling publicly and privately for the last six months. With the dirgey, off-key strains of “Happy Birthday to You” dying off in the background, the birthday boy steps forward to give US a present on his big day: next round of negotiations start in just 18 months, folks! And many more… (Dayton Daily News, 8/15/17)
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