- Apologies if I’ve clipped this before, but Fordham-sponsored KIPP Columbus is getting some national attention for winning a $3 million grant to build a science center on their new campus and to provide STEM training for area teachers. (THE Journal)
- As we noted yesterday, there was a student protest held ahead of a school board vote in West Geauga on the future of open enrollment in the district. None of the options the board was considering really showed much interest in the students currently attending the district on open enrollment, and the final vote – to allow those currently open enrolled to stay through graduation but to close grades K-5 to any future open enrollment – was really no exception. Earlier iterations of this tussle focused on money (e.g. district “guilt” over “stealing” money from its neighbors), but do note that the one public reason given this time was a parent’s concern over no longer getting “good kids” through open enrollment. Hope this vote shows those bad Kindergartners where they belong! Sad. (Willoughby News-Herald)
- We noted that Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in Columbus earlier this week. The Washington express continued as HUD Secretary Julian Castro popped into Cleveland yesterday to laud the district’s efforts to increase preschool access through the PRE4CLE program. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The superintendent of Canal Winchester Schools in central Ohio told his board this week that the he believes the General Assembly should be “fighting a battle against the state's high-stake[s] testing” rather than wasting time trying to repeal the Common Core (which he called “a major improvement” over Ohio’s previous standards). (ThisWeek News/Canal Winchester Times)
- The anti-Common Core folks in Lorain County are turning their ire on “high-stakes testing” as well. How do I know? Because a “Common Core conversation” held this week turned into this: “Our students say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag in the morning and say the Pledge of Allegiance to Pearson the whole rest of the day.” Yowza. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal)
- There were at least two journalists at that Lorain County meeting, and the other focused on discussion of parents opting their children out of testing all together. One such parent, also in Elyria, did the deed and noted, “It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off my family’s shoulders.” Now, Mike, about my personnel evaluation… (Lorain County Chronicle Telegram)
- Back in the real world, here’s a great story about afterschool programs and activities. The hook is the release of a national survey of parents that finds participation in after-school activities jumped from 12 percent to 15 percent in Ohio and Kentucky in five years. It also finds that parents and students are looking for more after-school clubs, sports and activities. But the best part of the article is the sheer diversity of activities available on many Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky schools. Afterschool – it’s not just for jocks anymore. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
- Speaking of new and better ways of doing things, here’s a story about a high school student in Marion so successful in her dual enrollment program that she’ll actually earn her Associates Degree BEFORE she earns her high school diploma. Sounds like a young lady with a great future ahead of her. Hope my kids read this! (Marion Star)
- The Youngstown School Board heard a presentation yesterday from a district graduate and education consultant who wants to pitch his Parents as Partners program to the district. The program is intended to make parents understand that “the school is their partner” and utilizes school climate surveys, home visits, and parent training sessions. No costs or timelines were discussed, but the consultant promises a 20 percent increase in parent engagement/involvement the first year. Wow – now THAT’s intestinal fortitude for you. Dude makes his presentation to the Academic Distress Commission next week. (Youngstown Vindicator)
