In case you were hanging out beneath some stone-like material yesterday, you missed the fact that Ohio Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) introduced Senate Bill 148 yesterday (companion House version HB156 was also introduced). These bills represent the latest work toward charter school reform in Ohio. So far, the Governor, the House, and the State Auditor have all weighed in with significant reform plans to improve accountability, oversight, and – most importantly – quality of charter schools and sponsors.
Not to toot our own horn, but these efforts hit high-gear following publication of two Fordham-sponsored reports back in December. In case you were hanging out beneath said rock-like material back then as well (seriously, what are you up to?), you can check out those reports and more here.
Sen. Lehner’s bill is the culmination of many weeks of workgroup sessions with high-level stakeholders in the state and debate over active legislation in the House.
As with previous important stops along the “road to redemption” as we like to call it, media attention on these bills was quick and widespread. So, here’s a special edition of Gadfly Bites, biting into the various iterations of media coverage:
1. Fordham participated in Sen. Lehner’s workgroup. We also released a statement discussing the merits of the new bill immediately following its introduction. Here are the pieces published so far which quote Chad and/or note Fordham’s work on charter reform:
a. Gongwer. Link (Gongwer Ohio, 4/15/15)
b. EdWeek blog. Link (EdWeek, 4/15/15)
c. AP. Link (Associated Press via Bellefontaine Examiner, 4/15/15)
d. Columbus Dispatch. Link (Columbus Dispatch, 4/15/15) NOTE: while the link at left is from the online version of the story – published 4/15/15 – the version in the print edition of the paper on 4/16/15 includes some amplification of specific issues and is worth checking out if you can find it.
e. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Link (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/15/15) NOTE: huge kudos to Patrick O’Donnell for the detail and history of charter reform as included in his story
g. Dayton Daily News. Link (Dayton Daily News, 4/15/15)
2. Reference to Fordham (or CREDO or Bellwether either, for that matter) is not necessary for good coverage of the story. Here are three important pieces which take that path:
a. Akron Beacon Journal. Link (Akron Beacon Journal, 4/15/15) NOTE: journalist Doug Livingston is as invested in this story as anyone, as you can tell by his story. He’s got a different take than many, but no less researched or in-depth.
b. Public media. Link (Statehouse News Bureau, 4/15/15)
c. Stow Sentry. Link (Stow Sentry, 4/15/15)
