- One year ago, a teacher testified in front of the House Education Committee – at length and near tears – about his opposition to Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee during a Common Core repeal hearing. The committee chair listened politely and then noted to the witness that TGRG had nothing to do with Common Core. The teacher responded, “Well, I kind of lump all those things together.” Fast forward to November 2014 and a new kind of lumping is going on: Common Core and overall “test-mania”. Here is a report on how some teachers and administrators in Columbus’ suburbs feel about overtesting – not just the new PARCC exams, but every bit of testing they are being asked to do. I personally would urge caution in this lumping because the baby is still in the bath. (Columbus Dispatch)
- Back in the real world, editors in Columbus opined in praise of KIPP Columbus over the weekend. New school building means new opportunities for more students. (Columbus Dispatch)
- Speaking of charter schools, Canton College Prep School added three grade levels and doubled its student population in its second year, necessitating a move to a new and larger location, which is to take place in January. Try as they might to find a negative angle – including the mentioned of the entirely unrelated charter school which closed in the new location last year – the Rep couldn’t help but paint a pretty attractive picture of this scrappy and successful new member of the I Can charter school network. P.S. – it does not appear that Canton College Prep has much fear of overtesting. (Canton Repository)
- Journalist Alison Matas dug deep to investigate Special Education in Stark County school districts. The story she produced is long and complex, but worth reading. The bottom line from her piece: “Deciding on an educational program for a child should be a collaboration and not a fight, school officials and advocates agree, but it doesn’t always work out that way.” Fascinating, and yes, Ohio’s special needs voucher programs are discussed. (Canton Repository)
