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- Here is some nice national coverage of the state auditor’s new cost report on the College Credit Plus program. It is, like the report, told from the point of view of the colleges. The quotes from higher ed folks emphasize the report’s finding that while there are obviously costs to the colleges for participating, different institutions account for those costs in very different ways. CCP thus hits each college’s bottom line differently and has determined how rosily the program is viewed depending on whether that impact is big or small. But I am grateful that Cuyahoga Community College’s Eric Gordon (hey!) is able to sum it all up succinctly for us: “The revenue generated by effective retention and success would more than make up for the up-front investment of the college during the student’s participation in CCP.” (Inside Higher Ed, 1/9/24)
- Speaking of attraction and retention of students (were we, really?), this piece on Columbus City Schools’ first board meeting of the year hits a couple of those same notes. You will recall that the district has been talking about the possibility of closing a bunch of schools due to ongoing enrollment declines. At least one new school board member, seated yesterday and interviewed here, seems gung ho on the right-sizing plan. Not on board, it seems, is the local teachers union who in a statement reiterated their disdain for what they term a “shrink to success” plan. Instead, they want to focus on “bringing our students home to Columbus City Schools”. (Columbus Dispatch, 1/10/24) I know you don’t need me to spell out that the Columbus teachers union is talking about getting school choice families (charter, private, and STEM school families for a start) to change their minds and go to district schools instead. We know it, even if their statement doesn’t say so directly. And while it may be my long-term cynicism talking here, I get similar “unspoken meaning” vibes from this piece, that otherwise sounds kinda positive. Parma City Schools has created the position of parent mentor specifically for charter and private school families. Or, as the district supe calls them: “people who live in our community and obviously pay taxes to support our schools, but don’t necessarily choose to send their students to our school district.” He notes that those families “rely on some of our services”, such as transportation or special education, and might have questions or concerns around them from time to time. Thus he wanted to have a specific liaison “to attend to the needs of those parent groups and facilitate solutions to whatever an issue might be.” I will just have to check my cynicism and hold out hope that “If you were attending a school in the district…” is not the preamble to any list of solutions provided. (Cleveland.com, 1/9/24)
- You can add Akron City Schools to the list of districts who are heeding the hysterical warnings of emergency planners and shutting down entirely during the upcoming solar eclipse. According to the official Chicken Littles in northeast Ohio, they are “preparing for a brief onslaught of visitors who could temporarily overload cell towers, roads or even sewage systems.” Thus, the schools must be closed to protect the children. Sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but the sewage is already in full flow and scientific curiosity was the first thing swamped by it. (Akron Beacon Journal, 1/8/24)
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Your humble clips compiler—Jeff Murray ([email protected])
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