- A bit more coverage of the Ohio charter school facilities report, with whose release we helped out last week, courtesy of statewide public radio. (Statehouse News Bureau, 2/6/17)
- Here is a story about simple, common-sense stress reduction efforts underway in three Columbus City Schools elementary buildings. By all measures presented here, these efforts have worked miracles for students and have aided discipline and focus building-wide. Even the teachers are said to have reduced stress levels. And while there is no mention of how much any of these steps have cost, none of them seems to be very expensive at all and a local non-profit is said to be involved. So stipulating, I will present you with the piece’s conclusion: “Ohio Avenue's academics still need to catch up, she said, but kids aren't being sent out of lessons so often for discipline problems. Feeling calm and secure, they might be absorbing more material. The hope is that test scores will climb accordingly.” And now I will ask rhetorically if any of my loyal Gadfly Bites readers can guess the question lingering in my mind… (Columbus Dispatch, 2/5/17)
- Speaking of improvements, here is an update on Youngstown City Schools’ efforts to improve its transportation service. You will recall that a report enumerating a busload of compliance problems in the department – a “surprise” report that had actually been known about for many months – necessitated a delay in bus service starting on time at the beginning of the school year. Those rudimentary problems seem to have been dealt with by the new transportation coordinator – a self-proclaimed and highly-regarded “bus nerd” recruited by CEO Krish Mohip from nearby Austintown Schools as one of his first leadership additions, you will also recall – and now it seems like real improvements are in the works. Things like safer stops, smarter routes, and better communication with parents. (Youngstown Vindicator, 2/4/17)
- Here is an update on the private pre-K tuition assistance program getting underway in Dayton and Kettering through the Preschool Promise organization. I must admit that I came away from this piece with some confusion over why Dayton City Schools is contributing to private pre-K tuition assistance when it provides free public pre-K already, but I’m sure that the always-thorough Jeremy Kelley will keep tabs on the program and explain it to us all eventually. (Dayton Daily News, 2/5/17)
- Remember we told you last week that swanky suburban Ottawa Hills Schools is looking to recruit a few kids from outside the district to “top up” their classes? Well, today we learned that the bar is pretty high for wannabe Green Bears – not only will you need to have the $13K in tuition, apparently you’ll need to be a pretty good chess player too. Congrats to the very young chess champs of Ottawa Hills. (Toledo Blade, 2/6/17)
