Gadfly Bites 12/9/19 – It burns

1. We start with a two-fer for Fordham from last Friday’s Gongwer. In the same news item appeared a quick look at the release of our annual school report card analysis and some coverage of the current EdChoice Scholarship eligibility list which is causing a lot of heartburn in certain places (you know what I mean). While the main points in the latter were given over to a perennial heartburn sufferer (you know who I mean), Fordham was represented by a lift from a blog of Jessica’s from several weeks ago. You know, the first person who was analyzing those details. (Gongwer Ohio, 12/6/19)
    
2. Speaking of heartburn, no less than two stories regarding EdChoice featured in the Xenia paper this weekend. Both included a quote from our own Aaron Churchill. Part 1 was how all these awesome schools could have possibly ended up on the “unfair and arbitrary” voucher-eligible list in the first place. Interesting to note that the much larger list of eligible schools is characterized unambiguously as “good news” for a couple of local private schools, which are named here. But there are no quotes from leaders of those or any private schools and the “good news” designation seems to be taken as fact by the journalist. (Xenia Daily Gazette, 12/6/19) Let’s see if Part 2 improves the rhetoric. It is about the putative financial toll the voucher will have on these districts. Any “toll” that may occur is predicated on kids actually leaving for private schools, but that is not stated. Nor is there any discussion of how many kids have utilized a voucher from previously-eligible schools. Everyone, including the journalist, seems to assume that a) losing one kid(’s money) is a disaster and b) at least one kid(’s money) will go. So, no improvement in the rhetoric. (Xenia Daily Gazette, 12/8/19) Not so for Jeremy Kelly, writing for the Journal-News regarding newly voucher-eligible schools in Butler County. Despite the hail of angry (and weirdly identical) rhetoric from various district officials, he made sure to ask how previous changes in EdChoice eligibility affected those districts. “Last year, the financial impact on Lakota was minimal, as compared to many of our neighboring districts,” said the district supe. By which he means that not too many families elected to use a voucher to leave Lakota and go to a private school. But why? Because the district was so awesome and was providing a great education for every single one of those kids who stayed? Maybe, but that’s not what he believes. His exact words: “That’s all thanks to the unwavering support of our parents who remained committed to Lakota.” I’m sure that if it’s only loyalty Lakota, and others, need to keep their classrooms coffers full, everything will work out just fine. (The Journal-News, 12/9/19)
   
   

3. Last week, we noted that all the heartburn generated here in Ohio over the EdChoice list was felt in the halls of Forbes, which published a piece repeating all the conference call local media talking points and blowing them up as much as possible. Mike McShane, of the Indiana nonprofit organization called EdChoice (no relation), lays out the opposite case in Forbes today where he burns away the “obfuscation and pettifogging” arising from Ohio’s dyspeptic suburbs and gets to the actual data-based heart of the matter. Nice. (Forbes, 12/9/19)
    
4. Speaking of things that probably burn: Outgoing Lorain City Schools CEO David Hardy will get a bonus as part of his final contract settlement. Why? Because he did his job very well. “Lorain showed a great increase in graduation rate, closing the achievement gap and performance index rose dramatically, compared to previous years,” said the chair of the Lorain ADC. “So the student outcomes have really grown overtime during his tenure and that's what that's indicating.” Just like he was supposed to and against some staggering odds. (Elyria Chronicle, 12/7/19)

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