- The K-12 education committee of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission met yesterday. I am hopeful that what is reported here – basically whether the members wanted education in Ohio to be “controlled” by the legislature or the courts as a result of changes proposed – is not all that was discussed. Perhaps the rest of it was drowned out by the snores of the bored spectators. (Gongwer Ohio)
- How did the Hope4Change Academy saga in Cincinnati—which you’ve heard a lot about here in Gadfly Bites—get so far? Here’s a bit more detail on the hows and whys from the perspective of ODE and the Portage County ESC. (Youngstown Vindicator)
- So, what’s the big deal about the PCESC trying to “reorganize and reopen” LEAD Academy as Hope4Change in Cincinnati? Well, aside from the bait and switch perpetrated on families there, there’s the small matter of a ton of money likely owed back to the state from the original iteration of the school. (Youngstown Vindicator)
- Lest you miss your daily fix of Common Core opinion, here’s a letter signed by 12 education school deans from universities across Ohio urging the state to keep Common Core. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
- On a purely practical level, the PD has a number of suggestions for ways parents can engage with teachers throughout the school year in regard to in-class work, homework assignments, and student progress. It’s couched in terms of Common Core, but honestly it’s just “how to support your child’s teacher 101”. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The Reynoldsburg school board has canceled their scheduled meeting on September 16 to allow for emergency bargaining time with the teacher’s union…if they can get there. Teachers are currently working under a strike notice and are set to walk out on September 19 if a contract is not agreed to before then. (ThisWeek News/Reynoldsburg News)
- School and district report cards are due to be released around noon today, but one new measure that had been expected to appear on the report cards – an early reading grade – will be absent because many districts made errors in reporting K-3 literacy data and noticed problems with the early previews of their report cards. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)