- State Senator Matt Huffman wants Ohio to be “first in line” for a federal private education choice matching program…if it ever actually happens. And last week he introduced legislation to get the ball rolling. (Gongwer Ohio, 11/4/19)
- Unfortunately, Ohio’s existing private school choice apparatus may require some tending by state lawmakers first, if the tenor of this piece is anything to go by. It reports that the EdChoice Scholarship program is “targeting” suburban schools now, such as Emerson Elementary in Lakewood, allowing students to leave for private school with a tuition voucher. (The Patch, 11/4/19) Both tone and fact in the Lakewood piece are off, as you might have guessed. What’s really happening is that this is the first new list of EdChoice eligible district schools after several years of “hold harmless” as new report cards were rolled out. And the list of low performers has…expanded a bit from the old days. This piece, from the same source and with the same approach, looks at Parkside Elementary in Solon. District officials air their take on the EdChoice designation as the journalist hints at more suburban consternation to come. (Patch.com, 11/5/19)
- Following on from the similar Cleveland story earlier this week, Dayton area children notched better kindergarten-readiness scores in 2018 than in the year before, with publicly-funded Preschool Promise participants outshining their non-program peers. Especially the suburban kids. Just like the Cleveland story, the readiness numbers aren’t all that great overall (one-third-ish meeting the bar) and it seems pretty pricey per child. But unlike the national story on CLE, the PP folks are much more appropriately enthused by the data. (Dayton Daily News, 11/5/19)
- A meeting is scheduled for later this week in Youngstown so that the city’s mayor can formally receive the list of 20 nominees (composed by the state supe’s nominating panel) from which he is to choose five to constitute the school district’s new board. (WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, 11/6/19) But first, there’s a court hearing today to try and stop all that from happening. The current Youngstown school board (you know, the one that some folks seem so anxious to keep around) has requested a restraining order to stop the train on the grounds that…. Oh man, who cares why? Just because, OK? (Vindy.com, 11/6/19)
- And finally: Lorain’s levy passed yesterday. (The Chronicle-Telegram, 11/6/19)
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