- What is the definition of “teacher”? According to a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court magistrate, it is nothing less than a person currently teaching in a K-12 classroom. And that means that the Youngstown school board president’s appointee to the new Academic Distress Commission (currently a substitute principal with a teacher’s license) is barred from the gig. The pres can either appoint someone else who fits the court definition (which must be done within 48 hours of the ruling, i.e. today) or appeal the decision. Sigh. (Youngstown Vindicator, 12/17/15)
- Editors in Columbus opined this week on a raft of charter school related issues, and especially the currently-stalled federal Charter School Program grant. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/17/15)
- $10 million in state grants were awarded this week to a number of colleges around Ohio, to help them train K-12 teachers to be ready for rigorous College Credit Plus courses. The same story is in a number of outlets, depending on where winning colleges are located. Here’s the one from the Blade, talking of their local winners – the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University. (Toledo Blade, 12/18/15)
- Loyal Gadfly Bites subscribers will recall that your humble compiler has a soft spot for his weird, hippy-dippy neighborhood of Clintonville. Particularly, the annual “education fair”, which in a sea of old hippies and young hipsters stands out as advocating for parental school choice on a scale rarely seen outside of New Orleans. Every type of school, and even homeschooling, is presented there as equal and potentially enticing to families. All parents need is the info and a friendly school rep to answer questions. This piece is a little esoteric but gives a potted history of the event amid a call for new and younger folks to take it on and keep it going. And keep in mind, this is a volunteer-led effort barely tangential to a quasi-governmental entity. Fascinating, weird, and awesome. Kinda like Clintonville itself. (ThisWeek News/Clintonville Booster, 12/15/15)
