- We told you earlier this week – as dispassionately as your humble compiler was able – about the proposal to reconfigure a large number of Dayton City Schools buildings in order to combat “major academic and discipline problems” among the districts’ 7th and 8th graders. Passions, however, are rising among Daytonians in regard to the changes. (Dayton Daily News, 2/3/16)
- One of the passionate defenses of the status quo in the story above is that if you mess with the grade configurations, kids will leave for the charter school down the street, which is noted to be very high performing. But perhaps that problem is less pressing than the good folks of Dayton think. The D reported yesterday that the Ohio Department of Education has revised both the number of poor performing charter schools (upward, from 6 to 57) and the number of high performing charter schools (down, from 93 to 59) reported to the USDOE in regard to that stalled $71M grant that was all up in the news a couple of months ago. The department said the revision is due to new rating criteria put in place since the original grant application. (Columbus Dispatch, 2/4/16)
- No less august a source than NerdWallet provides our next clip: an interesting ranking of Ohio school districts by comparing affordability and quality. Explains the Chief Communications Nerd: "To determine school quality, we looked at standardized test scores and college readiness indicators… School quality was then weighted against affordability metrics to produce a list that isn't dominated by expensive communities." This story is about Ohio’s second-best district: Old Fort Local Schools. It is interesting to note the supe’s words about inter-district open enrollment in Old Fort. Fun fact: Old Fort is just 15 miles from Port Clinton, whose halcyon days are recounted in Robert Putnam’s book Our Kids. Old Fort. (Fremont News Messenger, 2/3/16)
- There is a large distance between Old Fort and Lima, and I’m not just talking about mileage. The wide-ranging “Lima in Black & White” series alighted on the topic of education in the city earlier this week. Far from Old Fort, Lima in Black & White series touches on education. The Black perspective comes mainly from two multicultural affairs directors in the district. The White perspective comes mainly from the district supe. Both perspectives are instructive. (Lima News, 2/1/16)
- Springfield City Schools is in the process of updating its strategic plan. Three of the twelve identified “key components” for the finished plan were up for discussion in a public meeting this week. They were: How do we define success for a Springfield graduate? How do we nurture a mutually beneficial relationship with the community? What challenges do we need to overcome? 20 members of the community aired their views on these questions. (Springfield News Sun, 2/2/16)
- What up, Lorain?! A group of local pastors took a tour of the new high school under construction in Lorain. I think we’re supposed to be paying attention to their impressions, but I found myself fascinated by the comments of the district’s operations guy, especially in regard to the lack of metal detectors planned for the new building. Also: Can we please retire the word “knuckleheads” from education discourse? (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 2/3/16). The new “gem” of a high school will include space leased by the local community college to help facilitate access to college-level courses for high schoolers. (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 2/4/16). It’s not only the faith community and the local community college, but also business and community leaders that are high on Lorain City School according to this piece. It is interesting to note that “health care reform and incentives for good grades rose to the top of discussion” in a meeting earlier this week about partnerships with the district. It is interesting to note the positivity with which the district spokesperson discussed the Academic Distress Commission in place in Lorain. It is also interesting to note that no for-profit businesses are quoted or even namechecked in this piece, although I’m sure they were there. Seriously. What’s up? (Northern Ohio Morning Journal, 2/4/16)
