Gadfly Bites 2/26/20 – Dismantling

1. Still in something of a holding (our breath) pattern on EdChoice in Ohio, so let’s talk about some other stuff first. Big news from the world of student wellness funding. Governor DeWine says more money’s coming. So I say, “Let’s fill up those empty rooms!” Link (Gongwer Ohio, 2/25/20)
    
2. Graduation season is on the horizon, but not everyone is rejoicing. The elected school board in Tipp City Exempted Village Schools was told by the assistant supe that Ohio’s graduation requirements are super de-duper complicated, gee whillikers, and it’s just too hard for him to keep up. He suggested that the board could “talk to the legislature” about this and get it changed. Hopefully they reminded his whiny a$$ that the reason they’re complicated (and the reason why they’ve changed several times recently) is because he and his colleagues didn’t think the exceedingly simple “pass the test and you’re in” pathway was acceptable. (Troy Daily News, 2/25/20)
   
   

3. Folks in Massillon City Schools say that their CTE program is “not the same voc ed as 20 years ago”. Everything I see and read in this piece says otherwise. Honestly, it’s only one photo of some grease-covered kid peering out from under the hood of a diesel engine away from being exactly the same voc ed as 40 years ago. Only difference seems to be the massive numbers of kids taking it in Massillon today. (Massillon Independent, 2/25/20) Staying in Massillon—and continuing to talk about what’s new is old—this is a piece that tries to convince us that a “vivarium” (look it up) is a great new education opportunity for high schoolers. First up, this project as described seems more like enrichment for adults. And secondly, this cutting edge “vivarium” thing is said to be 25 years old and has likely been sitting mostly unused outside Washington High School since the last time raising chickens was supposed to be the next big thing in biology education. (Massillon Independent, 2/25/20) Meanwhile, in not-Massillon, I think we have finally actually found not-your-grandad’s CTE. (Patch.com, 2/25/20)
    
4. Perhaps it’s just better to move rezone your house to another district. The residents of the Village of Hills and Dales, despite ongoing legal challenges, will get to vote on whether folks who want their houses rezoned should be allowed to do so. Despite the law already saying they can. (Canton Repository, 2/25/20)
   
   

5. Now on to voucher stuff. This is an editorial, from the Dispatch, which opines that a purely income-based voucher program would be fairer than one based on school suckitude. (Columbus Dispatch, 2/25/20) This is a news story from local TV in Toledo which reads like an editorial. It includes the endlessly repeated indelible rhetoric of Washington Local Schools. (WTOL-TV, Toledo, 2/25/20) Lots of opinionated quotes in this piece, but let’s just stick to the important fact presented: Governor DeWine says he will be meeting with House and Senate leadership (probably today) to try and hammer out a voucher deal. (Dayton Daily News, 2/25/20)
    

6. But don’t forget that there is, currently, more at stake in this dealmaking beyond just vouchers. The aforementioned rezoning law has been chucked in there, along with Academic Distress Commissions. The usual local folks in Youngstown are all saying the usual stuff about dismantling their ADC and returning power to them the people. (Vindy.com, 2/25/20) Meanwhile, the Lorain ADC is being dismantled apace, no legislation required it seems. (Elyria Chronicle, 2/24/20)

Did you know you can have every edition of Gadfly Bites sent directly to your Inbox? Subscribe by clicking here.