- Fordham’s Aaron Churchill has an op-ed in the Dispatch this week, sounding the alarm on learning loss (still/again) in the wake of Covid disruptions and offering several practical actions for schools and districts to reverse course. (Columbus Dispatch, 9/28/22)
- Aaron’s piece is bolstered by a raft of poor test score data included on school and district report cards, released earlier this month. Also included in those report cards: data on chronic absenteeism. Overall, the Dispatch reports, the numbers are high and highly problematic. When you get down to specifics of which students are impacted and where, the data get even worse. Lots of official voices weigh in here on the problem, its causes, and some possible solutions. Unfortunately, it does not seem that folks are singing from the same hymnal just yet. (Columbus Dispatch, 9/27/22)
- In Ravenna City Schools in far northeast Ohio, the supe took issue with most parts of her district’s report card, using the usual “snapshot” rhetoric in an attempt to throw shade on the low scores registered in various categories. Sounds like at least one district parent does not accept that defense: “I don't understand how a district with those kind of scores can sleep at night,” he said. Yikes. (The Record Courier, 9/28/22) Meanwhile, way down in Marietta City Schools, the superintendent and the elected school board discussed their report card data far more openly and productively. It even sounds like leaders there are planning to address specific weaknesses. Just like they’re supposed to. (Marietta Times, 9/27/22)
- Up in Lorain, it looks like they’re gettin’ the band back together. Oh joy. (Chronicle Telegram, 9/27/22)
- In an effort to show you, all 11 of my dedicated and beloved Gadfly Bites subscribers, that I am not always the heartless crank you all say I am (don’t deny it; that’s beneath you), my initial notes on this piece read: “Try not to be too nasty about this.” Thus, my clip is: Cleveland Metropolitan School District has some new technological toys
it is eventually goingto roll out for this school year. See? Not too nasty. Right? (Cleveland.com, 9/26/22) - To end on an unequivocal high note today, parents of students at Akron’s I Promise School are now eligible for two years of free tuition at Stark State Community College, courtesy of the LeBron James Family Foundation. This includes some important support services before, during, and after enrollment. Nice! (Fox 8 News, Cleveland, 9/28/22)
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