Gadfly Bites 2/27/26—The pathway

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1. Columbus-based Nationwide Children’s Hospital is featured in this AP story, touting the literacy screenings they have added to their standard pediatric development checkup roster, starting around age 3, in a number of NCH facilities around the state. Based on the results, hospital-based literacy coordinators follow up with a literacy plan personalized to each child, highlighting areas that need more practice and providing tips and tools to help parents boost reading skills ahead of kindergarten. Interesting stuff. (Associated Press, 2/25/26)
   
   

2. State Senator Kyle Koehler published an op-ed in the Dayton Daily News yesterday touting the benefits of Senate Bill 328, of which he is the primary sponsor. Among other things, he writes, the bill will “require the Department of Education and Workforce to develop professional skills standards aligned to the essential workplace skills needed by employers” and will make sure that schools are working to inform and prepare students for pathways into the workforce starting as early as middle school. (Dayton Daily News, 2/26/26) Philanthropic organizations are also working to help Ohio students get on the pathway to a profitable career. Here’s a look at our friends from Learn to Earn Dayton, currently celebrating a $1.5 million grant from the Pathways Impact Fund to expand their career-connected-learning efforts to schools in Springfield and Middletown. “This isn’t about adding another program to schools,” said Learn to Earn CEO Stacy Schweikhart. “It’s about realigning how schools, employers, and higher education work together to ensure that students have the skills — and connections — that they need to thrive as adults.” Love it! (Dayton Daily News, 2/26/26)

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