- In case you missed it, Aaron Churchill had an op ed published in the Dispatch yesterday in which he argues for a revamp of Ohio’s school and district report cards. He lays out in brief the recommendations of his recent Back to the Basics report. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/19/17)
- Also possibly up for a revamp—Ohio’s teacher evaluation system. State Senator Peggy Lehner has introduced a bill that would make changes to what data are used to measure performance, the timing of observations, the rubric by which teachers are graded, and the professional development track which follows evaluation findings. A lengthy and important list. (Dayton Daily News, 12/19/17) Speaking of teachers, Youngstown Schools CEO Krish Mohip says that his teachers must improve their attendance. Some of those Y’town numbers look kinda bad, but the biggest question in this article for me: why is Austintown’s teacher absenteeism so much higher than Youngstown’s? (Youngstown Vindicator, 12/17/17)
- It’s all change in Dayton these days. After this week’s school board meeting, it seems likely that their next president with be a newcomer rather than one of the experienced continuing members. Maybe he was the only one with a copy of Robert’s Rules? (Dayton Daily News, 12/19/17)
- I have more questions than answers after reading this story about the end of a universal free breakfast program offered in two schools in Clark County. According to the Ohio Department of Education spokesperson quoted here, no changes were made in the state’s funding process regarding breakfast. And yet more than 600 schools across the state received a letter from ODE telling them that they needed to make changes in their breakfast programs. The resulting change means that students qualified for free and reduced price lunch (FRP) will continue to get free breakfast if they want it but that students who are not qualified for FRP will have to begin paying for breakfast after January 1 if they want it. So, were these schools mistakenly giving away breakfast to anyone who wanted it—regardless of FRP status—and billing the state for them? For a year or more? Did the state actually give them the money? If so, and if that was wrong, how is that that over 600 schools were doing the same procedure in the same incorrect way? For a year or more? And what about the hundreds of schools who were doing it correctly? Or were they? Tell us, Springfield News-Sun! Ask the hard questions! The taxpaying, breakfast-eating citizens of Ohio want, nay demand, to know!! (Springfield News-Sun, 12/16/17)
- Finally today, Elyria schools has unveiled its electronic, interactive “academic hall of fame”. It is intended as a companion to the sports and arts award collections already in place in traditional display cases in the high school building. Folks are pretty happy with this electronic “walk down memory lane”; eventually it will include data on every district graduate and include club participation, academic honors, and other “notable fun facts”. Don’t let that last item make you nervous, Pioneer alums. I’m sure they don’t mean “best prank” or “most epic parking lot fail”. Well, pretty sure. (Elyria Chronicle, 12/16/17)
