- While the state budget bill is the big news we want to talk about today, the good folks in the media have not forgotten about that other legislation out there. You know: The two companion bills in the House and Senate that would make education funding fully portable for families in a “backpacky” sort of way. Our own Aaron Churchill and researcher Stéphane Lavertu are among those quoted on the side of “the sky will not fall”. Lots of other voices saying the opposite, of course. (Dayton Daily News, 4/27/23) Meanwhile, the president of School Choice Ohio, Rabbi Yitz Frank, has been filling the airwaves with support for school choice as well. You can check out his important family-and-kids-first message here and also here.
- Now to the big news of the week: The state budget bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Among the education provisions of interest are a big boost in state foundation dollars as part of the new school funding formula, additional per-student funding for independent STEM schools (super yay), a retention of the governor’s plan to raise funding for high-quality charter schools. (WKYC-TV, Cleveland, 4/26/23) On the no-no list: A provision to eliminate the retention requirement of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. (Gongwer Ohio, 4/26/23) The bill moves on to the Senate next week, with the president telling Gongwer he is considering adding several other education provisions to it along the way. (Gongwer Ohio, 4/26/23)
- Also included in the House version of the budget is additional money for school transportation. I personally have my doubts that it is enough to fix the problems (since I think the problems are mainly about willingness and competence). But on that note, Cincinnati City Schools officials—having given up on fixing anything this year—are making changes to district bell schedules for next school year in an effort to improve their woeful transpo system. Let’s hope that the thousands of students utilizing school choice in Cincy will also benefit from the changes being made (c.f. my misgivings above), but no one is talking to the media about that aspect of the issue just now. Shocking, I tell ya. (Spectrum News 1, 4/26/23)
- Finally this week: Early college high school students who don’t want to go to college for four years (or at all), serial entrepreneurs (“I switch around a lot”), and a whole lot of wait-and-see-ism (“I can make it right for me at any point, so if it’s not, then there are also multiple opportunities”). The throughline I get from this set of interviews with high school seniors in the Cleveland area is that their futures are still over the horizon. Perpetually. School is nearly out, all of these kids have likely satisfied their grad requirements long before now, and yet they all seem to be waiting still. The kids all seem to have a lot of energy and motivation, but their direction seems unclear. Perhaps it is a sign of the times? Or maybe something else? Check it out and decide for yourself. (Signal Cleveland, 4/27/23)
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