Why yes, that is a Doctor Who/Dalek reference in the title of today’s clips. How astute of you to notice!
- We start the week with two pieces from Akron City Schools, both of which have headlines that ask questions. First up, the ABJ asks: Six years into the College and Career Academies transformation of all district high schools, what’s changed inside those schools? It takes more than 1,700 words into the story to get to what I consider to be the answer, which is “very little”. Because the very premise of the question is wrong, at least from the perspective of students. While the term “college and career academies” makes it sound like you will learn all that you need to get a job in XYZ field, that is not the promise being made to students. The school counselor for the business academy says, “It’s at least going to be something you learn that you can take somewhere else.” Hmmm…. That sounds very much less “promise-y” than I might have expected. And the counselor at the freshman academy sums it up even more bluntly: “So they learn those basic, valuable skills that’s going to carry you, whether you’re working at a hospital or you’re working at McDonald’s.” Oooookaaaay. I definitely didn’t see “McSkills Builder” on that roster of academies, did you? So what did this piece blather on about for 1700+ words before actually getting to the point? A graduation rate boost—something which every urban district in the state saw over the time period—which was later explained away as being “likely due to a combination of factors, including the state changing the graduation requirements to add different avenues to a diploma.” So the full proper answer to the headline question is “nothing has changed in Akron City Schools except things which would have changed without the academies”. (Akron Beacon Journal, 4/8/22)
- Meanwhile, today’s piece gives us an either/or headline question: repair all the janky buildings in Akron City School District—to the tune of a minimum $113 million—or replace them—to the tune of who knows how many millions? This is a shorter piece than the previous one so it only takes 600 words to get to the point, which is that there is a third option not put forward in the headline: consolidate. But even then, it is only hinted at because that’s not what anyone wants to talk about. Hard data on student enrollment loss and undersubscription in busted/non-busted buildings is entirely absent, as is the possibility that buildings could be closed and sold, resulting in a net gain for the district. (Akron Beacon Journal, 4/11/22)
- And speaking of questions, even after reading this additional information on ODE’s $5 million partnership with PBS stations to provide afterschool and summer enrichment, I still have lots of them. (Dayton Daily News, 4/9/22)
Did you know you can have every edition of Gadfly Bites sent directly to your Inbox? Subscribe by clicking here.
Policy Priority:
Topics:
