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- We start today’s clips with some national attention paid to Ohio’s new math instruction policies, rolling out across the state now, particularly those aimed at getting more students ready for—and into—higher-level math courses sooner. My colleague Aaron Churchill has previously discussed his take on it, concluding by saying, “Ohio lawmakers have established an admirable advanced math framework. Now it’s time to start the work of implementing these policies well.” Sounds just right to me, and thus the two local math educators quoted in the K-12 piece (Hilliard City Schools math specialist and executive director of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics) expressing clearly-stated reticence for the very basics of that implementation fill me with unease…and déjà vu. (K-12 Dive, 10/21/26)
- This is a very long piece—more than 2,400 words—that in my mind boils down to just 7: Districts unable to live with their means. But since every district official interviewed—often aided by the reportage—points the finger for their predicted budget shortfalls in every direction other than at themselves, it’s probably easy for folks to miss that basic point. In fact the number one issue that all of these districts have in common, declining enrollment, is mentioned in passing exactly once. Gotta show your math, folks. (Signal Akron, 10/21/26)
- Interestingly, the one thing the districts in the previous clip did do to try and help their bottom lines was to limit or entirely stop interdistrict open enrollment. That is, curtailing school choice for kids already exercising in the one way they could. No surprise there, then. Speaking of school choice, here’s an interesting op ed on that other effort to curtail choice—the voucher groucher lawsuit. It comes to us from Rob Scott, the Kettering Clerk of Court, and seeks to picture what private school choice will look like in Ohio after the lawsuit is finally settled. “The Ohio Supreme Court will have the final say on the constitutional dispute,” he writes, but however it turns out, he says that “the Ohio General Assembly has an opportunity to prepare for the decision rather than wait for a ruling and scramble to respond.” Among his more interesting proposals is a “report card” of sorts for private schools, which would indeed be valuable for Ohioans. Valuable in the necessary work of choosing schools for their children, whether voucher programs continue or not. “Ohio’s education system,” Scott writes, “should be judged by whether students are learning, families have options and public dollars are being used responsibly.” I like it. (The Journal-News, 10/21/26)
- We end today’s clips with an excellent example of community support and community building around a school. And it comes to us from Elyria, where a wide array of dignitaries were on hand—including an elected member of the Elyria City School board—to celebrate the ground breaking of Open Door Christian Schools’ new gymnasium. This and other improvements to the school are necessary because of increasing enrollment, of course, but they also celebrate 50 years of education, faith, and widespread fellowship. And if I may just add, IMHO, it’s clear that private schools are building community better than any other schools in Ohio right now. It’s a good thing, it needs to be shouted from even more rooftops, and I ain’t sorry about it. (The Chronicle-Telegram, 10/23/26)
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