- We have been talking a lot this week about the Youngstown CEO’s unappreciated past, unbalanced present, and unlikely future in the district. Meanwhile, in Justin Jennings’ heart… (WYTV-TV, Youngstown, 12/14/21)
- I have avoided clipping this story as it has developed over the last week because the treatment inflicted on this child is too awful for me to even contemplate. But the offending staffers are to be fired with immediate effect, which is something positive. Normally, this quick action would not be possible, especially in regard to a building principal, but this is Lorain City Schools. Wonder what it is about Lorain that makes such action against two very bad-sounding apples possible? That’s right? The (otherwise) dastardly HB 70. (Cleveland 19 News, 12/16/21)
- This story—the sudden closure of a charter school in Lima that had been reportedly on the grow as recently as May of this year—is also tragic. (Lima News, 12/15/21)
- Here is an interesting op-ed on Ohio’s voucher program. The author is currently a first year college student studying education policy. He describes the evolution—such as it is—of his thinking about vouchers since he testified against them before a House committee last year. (IdeaStream Public Media, 12/15/21)
- Have you ever heard of a school district that is so adept and so relentless at communicating great news to its constituents that those folks simply fail to realize when things are NOT super awesome in their schools? Well, now you have. And what a rude awakening it seems to have been for district officials to realize just how adept and how relentless they had been at such communications. A 15-year-long, ongoing enrollment decline? “We had no idea!” Cracked foundations, bad windows, and other structural jankiness with a $60 million price tag for repairs? “Who knew?!” Now that’s what I call successful PR. I also suppose this news could be one explanation as to why the last operating levy went down at the ballot box: “Of course you don’t need more money—everything is SO AWESOME!” Luckily for those good citizens, the district plans on being far more communicative about their woes going forward…at least between now and May 3, 2022. (Cleveland.com, 12/15/21)
- Things sound super great in New Albany City Schools, too. Literally everything. Why can’t we all just live there? (ThisWeek News, 12/15/21)
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