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- I am happy to see Fordham’s Aaron Churchill quoted extensively in this piece looking at where Ohio students stand nearly five years after the start of pandemic disruptions to their education. His advice focuses on research-based interventions; clear, timely, and actionable information to parents; and holding schools accountable for results, no matter whether the topic is academic outcomes, mental health concerns, or absenteeism. Important stuff. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/8/24)
- Speaking of important information, Ohio is getting ready to add a college, career, workforce, and military readiness measure as a graded component on state report cards. The data are already being collected and, we learned in a legislative hearing last week, most schools would have gotten three stars out of five if the component were graded last year. Some tweaks will still be made, but legislators seemed happy with the progress toward full rollout so far. (Gongwer Ohio, 12/6/24)
- I will admit that I don’t have too much experience with or knowledge of special education. But reading the story of 9-year-old Ryanne McMichael, who needed far better support than her local school district in Kentucky ever could (or, it seems from this story, ever wanted to) give her makes me ever more grateful for school choice. Even if that means a 30-mile drive across state lines to and from Ohio for school every day. Of course it should be far easier for this family and all the others like them to get what their children need, but even my limited experience of special education leads me to believe it happens far more rarely than it should. Honestly, who could read the phrase “She was starving for language” and not want to burn down whatever system resulted in that state of affairs? (Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/7/24)
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