- Not sure why, but the story about Dayton City Schools’ contract tussle with the Preschool Promise folks—clipped earlier this week—garnered more interest than usual from readers. As a service to all three of you, here is some additional information on the ins and outs of pre-K in the region which comes from this week’s meeting of the Preschool Promise board. If I’m reading this correctly, it seems that there has been very little increase in the number of 4-year-olds attending preschool in Dayton proper in the previous 12 months and that most of the reported increases in attendance are due to the expansion of the program into suburbs like Kettering. Additionally, it seems that much spending has gone into increasing the quality of the preschools, which amounts to facilities, programs, and teacher training even though few additional children have been served (i.e. – money for adults rather than children). But I could be reading it wrong. (Dayton Daily News, 11/1/17)
- The opposite problem appears to be happening in Reynoldsburg City Schools, where some acute growing pains are causing the district to close off admission to some grade levels in certain school buildings. The reason for the influx is either some robust residential growth in the semi-rural Columbus suburb or the popularity of interdistrict open enrollment, depending on your perspective. Either way, folks seem to want what Reynoldsburg has to offer. (Columbus Dispatch, 11/2/17)
- Just down the road, the first crop of applicants for the position of superintendent in Columbus City Schools has been announced. Why am I underwhelmed by this list? And the sounds-like-a-shoo-in interim leaves me cold too. (Columbus Dispatch, 11/1/17)
- Youngstown City Schools quietly implemented a no-zero grading policy for homework district-wide this year. The lowest grade for any such assignment will be a 50. CEO Krish Mohip says it is intended to cut down on disciplinary actions for missed assignments. The policy and its implementation are, predictably, causing some debate. (Youngstown Vindicator, 11/2/17)
- Lorain City Schools CEO David Hardy presented the draft version of his Lorain Promise plan to the public in two events this week. First up, en Español. Everyone interviewed seems jazzed about it, but substance seems lacking once again. Perhaps it got lost in translation? (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 11/2/17) Nope. The English-language presentation not only lacked substance based on the reportage here but also seemed to engender little more than a verbal shrug (our inspirational title quote for Bites today) from the one grandparent interviewed. (Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 11/2/17)
- Meanwhile, just down the road, the Elyria school board voted this week—as expected—to do away with valedictorian/salutatorian labels and to adopt the “Latin system” of cum laude distinctions. Three languages in one Bites! Oy vey. (Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, 11/2/17)
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