- Editors in Canton agree with Chad today while opining on charter law reforms proposed by Governor Kasich. Well, they really just take one item from his recent House testimony with which they agree, while basically saying the proposals don’t go far enough to suit them. But we’ll take the media hit…and Chad will happily accept the editors’ agreement. Both happen so rarely. (Canton Repository)
- Meanwhile, editors in Cleveland opine on the governor’s proposed changes to charter school funding, agreeing with no one but themselves. CREDO’s report on charter school quality in Ohio – sponsored by Fordham – is name-checked and linked. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- Well, PARCC testing in Ohio – and pretty much everything else – came to a screeching halt when Elsa worked her magic on us, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t Common Core news to talk about. What does it mean to align curriculum to a set of standards? How does that play out in a classroom/school/district? Journalist Chike Erokwu digs into those questions in this thoughtful piece. Spoiler alert: there is art and writing involved, group discussion, a teaching framework from a non-profit organization, and lots of direct input from teachers and administration. The superintendent says the framework he and his staff have created “gives structure to the work that’s going on in the classroom (and) that’s a great thing.” Why yes it is, sir. (Mansfield News Journal)
- Meanwhile, Governor Kasich has had a few more things to say about Common Core while traveling the U.S. on his I’m Not (Yet) Running for President Tour. Such as calling opposition to Common Core in Ohio "a runaway Internet campaign". Such as reaffirming that Common Core is “not something that Barack Obama is putting together”. And such as reiterating that Common Core implementation is “local school boards developing local curriculum to meet higher standards.” (Newark Advocate)
- Moving on to school choice topics, here’s a piece about a private school in tiny Shelby Ohio which has its doors open wide for students on the EdChoice Scholarship. Not too many low-performing schools in Richland County from which to draw eligible students – but the income-based voucher expands to include Kindgergarten, first and second graders next year. Hope some eligible folks in the area will take a look. (Richland Source)
- Speaking of school choice, nearly half of the student body of tiny Lowellville Schools in Mahoning County consists of students open enrolled from other nearby districts. This is the lens through which the district supe looked at the results of a study of student achievement over the last 10 years in his district. The biggest change in that time has been the introduction of open enrollment and the supe is proud to say that his district is “at the top of their game” in providing a quality education for in-district and open-enrolled students alike. Oh, and open enrollment applications are being accepted through March 31. (Youngstown Vindicator)
- A committee in Springfield consisting of school and community members is working to create an improvement plan specifically for the district’s middle schools. It seems to be slow going so far – and there is some concern that the lag time along with the impending retirement of the current supe will derail things – but this week the three pillars of the improvement plan were discussed and approved in a public meeting. They are: teaching and engaging in learning, attendance and discipline, and community and family. As the father of two middle schoolers, I wish them luck with the effort. (Springfield News Sun)
- We end the week with a national NPR piece that focuses on a youth group known as Akron PeaceMakers. The group worked with local law enforcement to create and distribute a two-sided card which gives young people in Akron suggestions for dealing with police. There’s a lot to talk about here, and the journalist does a good job in hitting the big issues. The student-led nature of the effort is probably key, but I will leave it to others smarter than me to opine and dissect further. (NPR)
