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- Seems like the bulk of this piece—looking at newly-introduced Ohio Senate Bill 19—was in the can before NAEP scores were released last week. The bill seems like a math-centered version of the state’s previous science of reading efforts, using state report card data on miserable math performance far and wide around Ohio. Then the NAEP data came in, and a coda was added, reinforcing the need for action on math achievement via national numbers, and including our own Aaron Churchill’s downbeat assessment: “Overall, these results indicate that far too many Ohio students are struggling to master core math and reading skills.” (Ohio Capital Journal, 1/31/25)
- Aaron’s thoughts on NAEP scores are at the very top (and bottom, and middle) of this opinion piece from the editorial board of the Times Leader. In fact, his assessment makes up the bulk of the text! The editors then conclude, “It is time to renew our focus on educating students to give them the skills and critical thinking ability to be productive and contribute to progress in the real world. Focusing on anything less will only continue to be disappointing.” Nice! (Times Leader, 2/3/25)
- I’m going to go out on a limb here to say that something is very weird in Mansfield City Schools. We talked last week about how the cash-strapped district submitted a cost-cutting plan to the Department of Education and Workforce back in July in order to avoid a declaration of fiscal emergency…but then didn’t do what was in the plan (or “did it wrong”). Now, leaders have until February 28 to create a second plan and cannot seem to come to an agreement on what to cut as the clock ticks down—even though the local teachers union has already given them a list of cuts they would accept that is nearly double the amount of the projected deficit! Instead, they are paying two outside consultants (one a former superintendent) to take a real deep dive into district operations to find cuts. Even if you think consultancy is the right path to take, what other cuts do you think these hired guns will find? It’s not a very big district. What more could there really be other than what the union has identified? Acceptable cuts are being handed to on a platter, folks. That never happens. Take them and end the madness! Mansfield News Journal, 1/31/25)
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