- We start today’s epic clips collection with a blast from the past – a legislative hearing in which a bunch of people come together to defend the Common Core. Chad is quoted within, naturally. (Gongwer Ohio, 10/24/17)
- Chad is also quoted in this piece on the fates (currently up in the air) of the charter sponsorship futures of the Cincinnati and Newark school districts. We discussed on Monday Newark’s appeal of its rating of “poor”, but the Cincinnati details are new and interesting. The bottom line: will ODE bend the rules and allow these poor sponsors to continue, leaving all the other sponsors so rated and who quietly relinquished their schools and proceeded to the hereafter asking, “What the fork, man?” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/24/17) Here is a close up version of one of those sponsors – Reynoldsburg City Schools – who recently settled the appeal of their “poor” rating by going out of the sponsorship business entirely. All of their schools are now sponsored by ODE or a higher-rated sponsor. (ThisWeek News, 10/24/17)
- Speaking of “killing” (nice headline, PD), a rural Ohio school district might use eminent domain to eliminate a haunted house attraction – admittedly a very very scary-looking haunted house, judging by the pictures – and replace it with a bus turnaround area. The owners of the haunted house have worked hard to build their beloved business, which happens to be across the street from an elementary school. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/24/17)
- There is apparently no shortage of folks in Cincinnati ready to opine against the value of school report cards. Why yes, this guy is running for school board. Why do you ask? (Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/23/17)
- Speaking of report cards, former Ed Sec (and current Ed Trust CEO) John King dropped a truth bomb on the value of testing, report cards, and accountability in the CLE yesterday. The audience’s collective gasp was heard as far away as Dayton. Anecdotally. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/24/17)
- Toledo’s supe says that his district has kept the promises made prior to passage of their last levy (well….) and urged passage of the renewal of that levy on the ballot next week. (Toledo Blade, 10/23/17) As for the future of education in Toledo, the district is literally looking to the earth and the heavens. (Toledo Blade, 10/23/17) Oh, and public service jobs for high schoolers. Can’t be exposed to the joys of union membership soon enough, I guess. (Toledo Blade, 10/24/17)
- Akron City Schools is not on the ballot with a levy this year, thanks to a confluence of what the treasurer calls “good news”. Two of the good news stories involve school choice: Loss of students to charter schools is down and gain of students via open enrollment is up. Interesting. (Akron Beacon Journal, 10/23/17)
- Bill Bush attended ECOT’s board meeting this week, including committee meetings and an executive session (huh?). Why did it take him 440 words to say this and why was it above-the-fold material in the D? Because it’s ECOT and therefore words like “posh” and “Yost” and “locked” and a big screamy placement were required. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/25/17) Speaking of online education (were we?), just below the ECOT piece in the hard copy paper today was a shiny, happy story about sunny, pleasant “Teacher Julia”, a lovely and energetic Clintonville mom who is teaching English as a second language to awesome and eager students all around the world via a very nice computer set-up through a helpful, flexible Uber-like teaching platform. With puppets and tambourines. In fact, the only thing bad about this particular version of online education is the room in which Teacher Julia works: her own crappy C’ville basement (I feel ya, Teach). Honestly, I think this is twisty enough to qualify as a quadruple standard. (Columbus Dispatch, 10/25/17) Yes, I read the hard copy newspaper every day. I’m old.
- Finally today: Another week, another laudatory piece about a Life Skills charter school. This time, it’s the one located in Elyria which appears to be making a huge positive difference in the lives of dozens of non-traditional students who seem determined to get a diploma and a career-related credential. Guess it’s easier if to write such pieces if you never use the words “charter school”. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 10/24/17)
