- It’s an all-Urban 8 edition today. First up, while the Akron teachers union was unsuccessful in negotiating the full raises they initially proposed, it seems that their message of using federal Covid-relief funds to pay for whatever raises eventuated did find some willing ears among district leaders. Both the district supe and members of the elected board sound happy to shovel millions of remaining dollars into the teacher payroll line item for today’s and tomorrow’s boosted commitments. If you were perhaps expecting discussion of a potential fiscal cliff here, you will be sadly disappointed. Even the normally-cautious Marguerite Roza is quoted as saying that such moves are “not eyebrow-raising.” Wild times. (Akron Beacon Journal, 1/15/23)
- Elected board members in charge of Columbus City Schools heard from transpo officials this week that school busing issues were sorted out successfully after eight days on the new system, despite the fact that the district’s transportation help line continues receiving 1,000 calls a day from parents needing help. (Columbus Dispatch, 1/18/23)
- Finally today, elected board members in charge of Dayton City Schools are looking for a new superintendent. At least, they are now. It seems that the current supe’s intended “farewell letter”, issued last Friday, was somewhat vaguely worded and thus went right over the heads of most folks who would normally pay attention to such things, until the board started discussing during this week’s meeting how they would go about finding a new leader. (Wait. What? When’d she say she’s leaving?! Hilarity.) No decision has yet been made as to what path they will take, but this board has traditionally eschewed the Big Expensive Search in favor of promoting from within. (Dayton Daily News, 1/17/23)
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