1. It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks here at Fordham Ohio’s policy HQ. Yesterday, we held a public event to herald the release of the new report from Bellwether Education Partners, outlining 10 policy recommendations to improve the quality of Ohio’s charter school sector, something that is sorely needed. Here is a selection of coverage as it stands now. More will likely follow in the coming days:
- First up, coverage of the event and the report with quotes from our own Chad Aldis. Also covered is reaction from around Ohio. (Gongwer Ohio)
- We clipped this story on the report only for you yesterday, but it has been updated today with additional commentary from education policy stakeholders in Ohio. (Columbus Dispatch)
- The PD’s extensive article this morning quotes Chad and connects last week’s CREDO report with this week’s Bellwether report to tell the full story of what changes are needed and why. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The good folks at the Dayton Daily News only briefly note Fordham’s connection with the CREDO and Bellwether reports (in a not-very-nice way, but what’s new?) but does go and chat with the awesome Dave Taylor at the awesome DECA to get his views. (Dayton Daily News)
- Finally, Aaron Churchill’s dulcet tones grace a short piece on Bellwether’s recommendations from public radio. (WKSU-FM, Kent)
2. Fordham, and the Bellwether report (and maybe a certain humble news clipper perhaps?), got the Big D’s Education Insider thinking about the legally-embattled founder of the now-defunct Talented Tenth Academies. Here’s an update on his legal woes in Ohio, not mentioning the fact that – as we told you yesterday – he’s still hopeful of starting up a new version of Talented Tenth back in his Pennsylvania hometown. (Columbus Dispatch)
3. As we noted above, a number of media outlets covered statewide reaction to both the Bellwether and CREDO reports. Part of that reaction is a new report, also released yesterday, by Innovation Ohio, that attempts to show how the current charter school funding model hurts district schools and the students who don’t opt into charter schools. The Enquirer leads with the Innovation Ohio study release, noting Fordham’s reports toward the end (in a not-very-nice way, but what’s new?). (Cincinnati Enquirer)
4. I’m a bit late in clipping this story from Sunday – noting the release of the CREDO report last week and interviewing PI Macke Raymond – but as I said, it’s been a whirlwind around here. (WKSU-FM, Kent)
5. If you’re interested in the Bizarro-World version of the CREDO and Bellwether report releases, look no further than the Beacon Journal’s coverage. How do I know it’s upside down and backward? Well, first there are the words. Then there’s the lack of words. To wit: the reporter talked to Aaron on the phone for about 20 minutes yesterday. Apparently our data and research guru/top banana/guy we designated to talk about this didn’t have anything worth adding to the story as it was being laid out. Odd. (Akron Beacon-Journal)
6. And if you would like to hear how knowledgeable and erudite our Aaron is, here at last is the audio from his appearance on the Talk with Ron Williams show on WCIT-AM earlier this week. Aaron is talking about Common Core here with the host and a few interested callers. You can hear the WCIT audio by clicking here. Aaron’s part starts at about the 6 minute mark. (WCIT-AM, Lima)
