- Loyal Gadfly Bites subscribers (“Get a life!”) will recall that Dayton City Schools is facing a funding decrease due to declining enrollment. As a result, some staff reduction has already been undertaken and more has been mooted by the school board president. Newly-proposed reductions seemed to be getting too close to the classroom for some folks’ liking. (Dayton Daily News, 11/15/16) DDN stalwart Jeremy Kelley, however, has done some simple math – and called ODE – to determine that Dayton City Schools’ financial woes from declining enrollment are not quite as woeful as first reported. (Dayton Daily News, 11/16/16). Perhaps because of this revelation – or perhaps because of the weird and raucous board meeting (seriously, is there any other kid these days?) – further staff reductions have been postponed in Dayton, although much chaos and confusion continues. (Dayton Daily News, 11/17/16)
- Meanwhile, Cincinnati Schools supe Mary Ronan this week announced that she would retire at the end of this school year. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/17/16)
- Editors in Youngstown this week opined strongly in favor of a bill pending in the Ohio Senate that would, they say, provide a “realistic and promising cure for student truancy”. (Youngstown Vindicator, 11/17/16) Meanwhile, district officials were talking turkey with Youngstown parents this week – using the offer of a free bird just in time for Thanksgiving to recruit 60 families to learn about services available and new supports coming down the pike to help their students. Kudos to the district and its partners for using whatever means necessary to get actual parents to show up for one of these things instead of the usual raft of teachers. Probably a very different conversation here than previously. Just sayin’. (Youngstown Vindicator, 11/18/16)
- Akron City Schools has made a deal with the local transit authority to provide ride cards free to high schoolers in the city (district, charter, STEM, and non-public students alike) in lieu of providing busing themselves. The positives of the deal extolled by district officials are of the “no duh” variety although cynics (who, me?) might categorize them more as “why didn’t you think of this sooner?” Fantastic news! (Akron Beacon Journal, 11/17/16)
- The Canton Rep is using the “s” word in regard to the ongoing teachers strike in Louisville. By which I mean “stalemate”. (Canton Repository, 11/17/16)
