- Fordham-sponsored charter school KIPP: Columbus is among the grant recipients recently announced by the Columbus Foundation as part of its Capital Improvement Funding Partnership to “prioritize and respond to capital needs in the community.” Congrats to local KIPPsters on the grow! (Columbus Business First, 12/9/16)
- Fordham’s 2016 study of Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship program is referenced in this commentary opining against Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. (Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail, 12/10/16)
- The PD reports that the lame duck session of the Ohio General Assembly did not legislate changes to the attendance audit/funding process for online schools in the state, a process which is the subject of litigation and journalistic tit-for-tatting between the state’s largest such school and the state department of education. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 12/12/16)
- Speaking of the state legislature, this piece from the D regarding an impending change – or not – of Ohio’s new graduation requirements had a decidedly-legislative spin in its print version (which I read while drinking coffee out of a Christmas-themed mug this morning), but in this online version seems a bit less cut-and-dried in that regard. I’m sure we’ll know which it is when the state board of education debates the question of “What's more important, an education or a diploma?” today and tomorrow. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/12/16) Meanwhile, in Youngstown, CEO Krish Mohip seems to have missed the widely-circulated memo that these new graduation requirements are a problem. In the face of them, he is doubling-down and aiming for a 100% graduation rate in Youngstown no later than 2018. “Why wouldn’t you aim for that?” he said. Makes sense to me, but the processes he enumerates in this piece in order to get there seem a bit vague by my reading. (Youngstown Vindicator, 12/12/16) This piece, while an interesting take on “whole child education”, does not help elucidate the plan any further. Perhaps it’s all the talk of “capturing” and “grabbing” that’s giving me pause. (Youngstown Vindicator, 12/12/16)
- Finally ladies and gentlemen, we have a blues master and high school students tearing it up across Toledo together. It is with great pride that I give you The Only Charter School that Matters: Toledo School for the Aaaaaaaaarts! (Toledo Blade, 12/11/16)
