- Policymakers in Arkansas are granting important charter-like freedoms to traditional school districts. The regulatory waivers included exemptions from burdensome teacher licensure and class-size requirements. District officials argued that these exemptions were needed to open educational opportunities for students, particularly partnerships with local businesses and colleges. One state is cutting the red-tape for their district schools, and so should Ohio.
- A small tempest is roiling the Clintonville area of Columbus as the best-performing neighborhood elementary school in the city announced that its Kindergarten and fourth grade classes were full and wait-listed resident families were informed their students would be bused to another school outside the neighborhood. Putting aside the red herring of the annex building recently razed on the site, this is actually a good problem to have, especially for the beleaguered Columbus City Schools. How they handle academic success and the predictable popularity that follows - and how neighborhood residents find peace with it - will likely be important for urban districts across the state.
