Gadfly Bites 12/1/25—Definitely not zero

News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.

1. The college-scholarship granting organization Say Yes Cleveland has released its very first report card. There are some interesting nuggets in this coverage, focused on the first six years of the program, including the fact that 713 students from Cleveland Metropolitan School District and affiliated charter schools have already earned a college degree or postsecondary certificate with the assistance of Say Yes. What’s stopping the thousands of other eligible grads from doing the same? The program’s chief administrator names two big things: Affordability and not being adequately prepared academically. The money is an issue the district has no control over. The academics, however… “It is critical that the breadth and quality of instruction in the CMSD – beginning in preschool all the way through 12th grade – set our students on a path toward college and career readiness,” the report concludes, “no matter what choice they make after senior year.” Sounds just right to me. Honestly, if you fix that part, you may not even need the big fancy scholarship organization at all. Full report can be read here. (Signal Cleveland, 12/1/25)
   
   

2. Meanwhile, all of the stakeholders quoted in this piece seem to agree that big layoffs are inevitable in Columbus City Schools. Everyone from the elected board president, to the union boss, to OSU prof/data-driven truth teller Vlad Kogan has a different take on when it will happen, how it will be done, and how extensive the cuts will be. But it definitely ain’t zero. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/1/25)
   
   

3. After all of that data and spin, here’s a look at what school kids actually care about these days: The quality of lunch food, the cleanliness of the bathrooms, and the ability to learn about and join student clubs. (Your Ohio News, 12/1/25)

Did you know you can have every edition of Gadfly Bites sent directly to your Inbox? Subscribe by clicking here.