- Fordham is namechecked in this brief New Year’s Day story on possible report card changes for schools and districts coming via legislation in 2018. (WOSU-FM, Columbus, 1/1/18) The findings of Fordham’s recent report on suggested improvements to state report cards feature more heavily in this editorial encouraging the above-mentioned legislative changes. (Toledo Blade, 1/2/18)
- Speaking of editorializing for the New Year, editors in Columbus asked central Ohio leaders to “share their resolutions” for 2018. Columbus school board president Gary Baker shares…something. It raised several questions in my mind, but that’s probably just me. (Columbus Dispatch, 1/1/18)
- In actual Columbus City Schools news, it appears that the district will be allowed by the state to expand its roster of “selective admission” school buildings in 2018. Columbus is a pioneer in this regard, prioritizing up to 20 percent of seats in as many as six of its alternative schools for students who meet academic and disciplinary requirements. Interesting. (Columbus Dispatch, 1/2/18) Meanwhile, the district is currently facing some budget shortfall projections for the next couple of years, but the interim supe seems pretty confident those will work themselves out. But I bet that probably depends on who the new permanent supe is. Right, Doc? (ThisWeek News, 1/2/18)
- Another area ripe for change in 2018 is Ohio’s teacher evaluation system. A bill to do just that has already been introduced in the state Senate, but the marquis provision to reduce or eliminate student test scores in the teacher evaluation process is not sitting well with the leader of Cleveland Metropolitan School District. In fact, he says that the Cleveland Plan by which his district has been guided since 2012 is predicated on strict accountability and that changes to test-based teacher evaluations could undermine the entire plan. He is preparing to testify against the bill as soon as hearings begin. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/3/18)
- I am starting to picture Ohio’s high school diplomas looking like those old suitcases with travel stickers plastered all over them – or perhaps a Girl Scout vest festooned with merit badges – as yet another “seal” is added to the roster of those that students can earn along with their sheepskins. This time it’s a dubious-sounding (IMHO) “work readiness” seal. You know what I think is a really good “work readiness” indicator? Being able to do math and to cogently analyze written texts. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/2/18)
- The transportation chief of Youngstown City Schools once told the Vindy that she “bleeds yellow,” so dedicated is she to her job. Well, the district's food service chief must bleed homogenized chocolate milk because she too clearly lives for her work. The headline talks about improvements to Youngstown’s food service, but the body seems to indicate racing to catch up. The return to neighborhood schools in the district this year, along with the need to serve three meals and a snack to thousands of kids each day, required a lot of adjustments for the food service team. Interesting piece here, and some of those numbers are pretty huge. (Youngstown Vindicator, 1/2/18)
