- School Choice Ohio has initiated legal action against Springfield and Cincinnati schools for denying them student directory information requested under Ohio public records law, while they were regularly providing that same information to other nonprofits. Fascinating to see where this will go. (Springfield News Sun)
- I’m not going to tell you what the topic of this story from Cincinnati actually is. I’m just going to give you the opening paragraph and see if you can guess before looking. Good luck. “The Common Core education standards may suck the oxygen out of the room when it comes to education conversations, but the factor that makes the most difference for a kid is and always has been his teacher.” (Cincinnati Enquirer)
- Kinda fascinating look at a small, well-off Cleveland suburb tussling over what they want in a new district superintendent. Well, I say “they” when I really mean the 12 people who showed up to air their opinions. (West Life)
- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald hates high-stakes tests, a fact articulated by Mr. FitzGerald this week along with some of his other education policy positions. Wonder how he feels about high-stakes elections at the moment? (Cincinnati Enquirer)
- Know what editors at the Dispatch hate? FitzGerald’s opposition to the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. (Columbus Dispatch)
- I have heard it said that one aspect of school choice-related “cherry picking” is that only parents who understand and can “work the system” end up in schools of choice, giving those schools of choice an advantage over the public common school that accepts all comers. But after reading this story about school closing/reassignment/realignment/new options in Toledo Public, I have to say that I can’t make head or tail of the choices parents need to make. Good luck finding the right school in that morass folks. One upside, the worst-rated school in the district has finally been closed. (Toledo Blade)
- In praise of Princeton… Princeton City Schools that is. One alum speaks highly of his former school district as an attractive option for outside students as it offers open enrollment for the first time. (Cincinnati Enquirer)