Note: Gadfly Bites is taking a break for the rest of the week. Back on Monday with a round up.
- Patrick O’Donnell has dug into Cleveland schools’ value add scores and teased out what the district believes are substantive gains in this area for students tested over the last two years. There’s some speculation that charter school students in the district’s portfolio helped bring up the grade, but even more speculation that important aspects of the Cleveland plan are starting to bear fruit: observable, data-based fruit. But, says CEO Eric Gordon, "we can't afford simply to meet (expected progress). We have to exceed the state's expectations for my kids to step up… But you have to start somewhere…2014-15 will be about exceeding." Nice. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The board of education in Strongsville is concerned about unpaid fees from its families, for things such as art supplies and participation in sports, to the tune of about $170,000. They voted unanimously to withhold report cards and online access to grades—among other steps—for those delinquent families. I am certain that their students rose up in a unanimous cheer when this was announced. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The court-ordered mediation between district and teachers union continues in Reynoldsburg today, in conjunction with the lawsuit seeking to close the district’s schools for the duration of the strike. These are based on the safety concerns of the parent who brought the suit, but most observers are quietly hopeful that some contract talks might be happening behind the closed doors and the media blackout. (Columbus Dispatch)
- Rumor has it that Common Core repeal hearings will resume in the Ohio House next week in what we’ll call “Evenings with Teachers”. Some potentially ominous comments here about how these hearings…and the House Rules Committee…may interact with the soon-to-be-named content review panels ready. (Columbus Dispatch)
