This is our first edition of the new year but we’re covering the final clips from 2022 first—specifically, those published between 12/24 and 12/31/22. Happy New Year, and welcome back!
- The voucher grouchers involved in suing the state over the EdChoice Scholarship Program are not, it seems, fans of Fordham’s latest report, which shows that the EdChoice program is not harmful to traditional districts along the dimensions of funding, segregation, or student achievement. These findings directly contradict several of the claims in the lawsuit, but that doesn’t get in the way of those grouchers’ arguments here. (Dayton Daily News, 12/30/22)
- A TV news report from northeast Ohio purports to give us “the real deal” on concurrent enrollment; that is, students earning college credits while still in high school. (WKYC-TV, Cleveland, 12/28/22) Despite a couple of common sense concerns expressed, the previous story is generally very positive, especially on the idea of kids completing a college degree even before earning a high school diploma. This here, though, is probably the REAL real deal. It looks at a 14-year-old who likely has blown entirely past high school and has leaped from middle school directly into freshman classes at Baldwin Wallace University. The effort is not without difficulties, but it seems that neither he nor his family are looking back. (Cleveland.com, 12/28/22)
- As we discussed earlier in 2022, Dayton City Schools lowered the GPA requirement for student athletic participation as long as those low-performing students attended the so-called “study tables”. Here’s our first look at how this effort is working out. The only data provided are anecdotal (except that lots of kids are taking advantage of study tables) and the chief discussion centers around a troubling lack of math teachers to staff the tables and the quality of snacks provided. (Dayton Daily News, 12/26/22) Meanwhile, several members of the elected school board that run Dayton City Schools are beefing with their colleagues over an expenditure. Specifically, the district spent nearly $70K on hoodies for high school students, personalized to each building. While no one questioned why the district would even think to give students an article of clothing that is (as I understand it) banned by the dress code, they did spend a lot of time talking about who spent the dough before all the board members knew about (or voted to approve) the purchase. Hilarity! (Dayton Daily News, 12/28/22)
- Speaking of district spending sprees, the elected board that runs Lorain City Schools voted to spend some of their Covid-relief funds to purchase an empty building…to store winter coats. Bonus: Check out who the new-ish communications flack for the district is. Welcome back, sir. Welcome back! (Chronicle-Telegram, 12/29/22)
- In good news news: Springfield’s Global Impact STEM Academy is on the grow in a big way, expanding both its physical footprint as well as its career pathway options for students. (Springfield News-Sun, 12/29/22)
- As befits the newspaper of record here in central Ohio, the Dispatch published a piece looking ahead to education issues which will likely loom large in the region for 2023. Two of them will likely take a while to resolve either way, but that school transportation issue? We’re going to see the rubber hit the road on that one (or perhaps not) as early as today. If it doesn’t work out, perhaps we could have that young BW student take a look at the nuts and bolts instead. (Columbus Dispatch, 12/27/22)
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