- ECOT’s transformation from general online school to dropout recovery school drew some additional ink this week. First up, the Dispatch suggests this is an effort by the school to avoid certain areas of accountability. Our own Chad Aldis is on hand to note that if that is the case, then a new light will surely be shone on the accountability levers for dropout recovery schools as a result of this newcomer joining their ranks. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/24/17) Andy Chow of statewide public radio has a more compact version of the same suggestion and same response from Chad. (Statehouse News Bureau, 8/24/17)
- In case you missed it, CREDO yesterday released a massive new study on school closures across the country over a seven year period, looking at where displaced students ended up and how they did compared to students in similar schools which didn’t close. Ohio data were reviewed by Gongwer, including commentary from Chad. (Gongwer Ohio, 8/24/17) Doug Livingston of the ABJ took a rather different tack with the Ohio data. Our own Aaron Churchill was not only able to follow Doug’s train of thought but to offer cogent analysis of his own regarding state population trends and the availability of school choice information to parents. (Akron Beacon Journal, 8/24/17)
- So far, local newspapers across the state don’t have many stories like this one from Mansfield: about first-week-of-school busing problems that put shivers down the spines of parents everywhere. So far so good, I guess. (Mansfield News Journal, 8/24/17) Meanwhile, here is an interesting transportation conundrum in Northeast Ohio that could have wider repercussions. Parents in tiny Oberlin schools learned that the district had for the first time deemed their private school students “impractical to transport” and would offer them payment in lieu of transportation this year as per Ohio law. The parents disagreed on a number of fronts, refused the payment, and contested the designation. First stop for arbitration of the dispute is the September meeting of the state board of education. As the parent of one student deemed “impractical” (thanks for the public bus pass!) and one student deemed “practical” (ummm…why are there no sidewalks at the dropoff area?), I am personally very interested in the outcome of this case. (Elyria Chronicle, 8/25/17)
- Speaking of school choice (were we?), here is an interesting look at interdistrict open enrollment in the Columbus suburb of Reynoldsburg. This piece focuses mainly on the economics of the deal (generally seen as good by the adults interviewed) and only occasionally strays onto the topic of students utilizing open enrollment (apparently seen as worth “keeping an eye on” by at least one of the adults interviewed). Given the recent positive publicity OE has gotten in Reynoldsburg (hi there, Danya; hello, Gadah!), perhaps one or more of the district’s attitudes need to change. Just sayin’. (ThisWeek News, 8/22/17) Speaking of districts who might need to pass a levy with which to buy a clue, check out this extended comedy of errors with regard to an “open enrollment” decision gone horribly wrong in Strongsville. There are far too many satire-worthy missteps in here for me to pick just one to illustrate this clip. Just know that no students were harmed in the making of this disaster and so you are free to read it all and decide for yourself which particular misstep you find most unfortunate. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/22/17)
- Efforts to overhaul Ohio’s teacher evaluation system skidded to an unfortunate halt when the recommendations of the Educator Standards Board did not make it into the state budget bill earlier this year. Board members seem hopeful that a new legislative vehicle for debating, tweaking, and enacting the needed changes will be forthcoming when the legislature goes back into session. (Gongwer Ohio, 8/23/17)
- New Lorain schools CEO David Hardy visited 10 buildings on opening day and had lunch with the district’s extant community and business partnership group. Hardy got input about what these movers and shakers believe really ails the district and what they think it will take to fix those things. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 8/23/17) Lack of money was a recurring theme in the community/business/schools partnership discussion detailed above. Perhaps this new initiative of various foundations in the area – Lorain City Schools – Road to Excellence Fund – can help to redress whatever imbalances they see. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 8/23/17)
- Finally this week: a new study from Ohio State University researchers indicates that children entering first grade have significantly better reading skills compared to similar kids 12 years ago. Nice. (WBNS-TV, Columbus, 8/24/17)
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