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- This is a pretty fascinating look at the state of play for Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Specifically, the retention of third graders who do not score proficient on state reading tests. A couple of examples of the conflicting messages in this piece: The data show large scale promotion of underperforming third graders in public schools, indicating this is a general practice now that mandatory retention has been replaced in state law by retention only by parental request. As our own Aaron Churchill puts it: “Without the mandate, schools can move students through the system, even if they don’t have those foundational skills.” This analysis is immediately undercut by the phrase “educators on the front lines present a more nuanced perspective.” The education establishment’s refined position seems to be that schools don’t have the resources to actually bring more kids up to proficiency and parents are the true key to improving their own kids’ reading scores. And it is only by getting Mom and Dad’s attention via the retention discussion that their input can be leveraged. This does not make much sense to me, but I’m probably missing the proper “nuance”. And I think it’s telling that the one teacher who dares to tell the story of a former student who vaulted beyond proficiency in short order after being retained has to do so under condition of anonymity. (Cleveland.com, 11/17/24)
- Montessori education has been widespread and popular in Cincinnati City Schools for decades, driven in part by Xavier University’s dedicated teacher preparation program and associated Lab School where future Montessori teachers learn the ropes. But times are changing in the Queen City, with the Lab School gearing up to switch to “a range of pedagogical approaches” next fall. Simultaneously, Cincinnati City Schools is proposing to create a number of schools in the district, a plan which would split up longstanding 7-12 schools into junior and senior high schools. According to Montessori parents, this decision is going to be particularly hard on their students (given the multi-grade tenets of the model), and, coupled with Xavier’s plans, spell impending doom for Montessori education in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/17/24)
- The interview subjects on all sides of this AP story on state funding supporting the education of private school students in Ohio are convinced of their stated positions and use words like “laughable” and “patently evident” to characterize the other sides’ views. Despite such sparkling banter, I feel like the court of public opinion is probably not where this debate will end. (Associated Press, 11/17/24)
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