- The Dispatch took an interesting look at the demographics of students using the EdChoice Scholarship in Ohio and found a disconnect between the number of eligible black students and the number of black students actually using vouchers. Fordham’s recent report on the performance of voucher recipients is referenced, and lead researcher David Figlio is quoted anew on the issue of possible discrimination. The assertion here is that a barrier for black students exists at the private schools. This may actually be true, but I think new patterns might emerge if the state would actually fully inform all eligible students statewide and maybe even help those families access private schools. But I could be alone in thinking that. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/28/16)
- Also in the D this weekend, editors opined on the need to press forward on charter school reform in Ohio, quoting Chad along the way. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/28/16)
- It’s a slow news day, so I’m including this confusing piece on a new bus service being launched in a couple weeks’ time for Elyria High School students. What I think it means: the district doesn’t provide busing for high schoolers and Elyria doesn’t have much in the way of public transit. So instead the district is subcontracting a pay-to-play “shuttle service” to a private company which will cost students around $35 for the year for a few fixed-loop routes from other district schools to the high school. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 8/26/16)
- Tiny Liberty Local Schools does not have a resource officer in any of its three school buildings. In the interest of safety, they’ve decide to go the Big Brother route instead. This piece explains how proud the district is of the more than 60 cameras currently in operation in the three buildings, how they will be invaluable in helping police in the seemingly-inevitable “active shooter scenario” coming down the pike, and how even more cameras are on the way. The live feeds from these cameras are available to school administrators and the local constabulary via computers and smartphones. This personally doesn’t bother me at all (my mom taught me not to do anything in public that I wouldn’t want seen on a live camera feed available to all and sundry), but I can only imagine that some good citizen of the town called Liberty might have some issue with the district supe’s pronouncements that the video surveillance does not present privacy issues for students or staff. “They’re all in common areas; there aren’t any in any places where you would expect privacy,” he says. “Unless you are in a bathroom, there’s a pretty good chance you are on camera.” Indeed. (Youngstown Vindicator, 8/29/16) In Findlay, it’s the school buses which are being wired for video, inside and out. Be careful out there, people. (Findlay Courier, 8/29/16)
- The Plain Dealer is using old information from a rejected fact-finder’s report to try and understand where sticking points remain today in the negotiations between the district and the teachers union. Supposedly the money issue outstanding in May has been solved, which leave things like teacher evals and art/music classes still unaccounted for. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/29/16)
