- Aaron’s April letter to the editor of the Boston Globe (and, by extension, our school closure report from 2015) is cited again in an EdDive blog, this time in reference to the recent Grad Nation report about high school graduation rates nationwide. Nope. I don’t either. (Education Dive blog, 5/10/16)
- Two state legislators from central Ohio introduced a bill this week that would negate efforts to renegotiate the infamous Win-Win agreement among Franklin County school districts, about which you’ve been hearing endlessly in these very clips. Existing suburban borders would freeze, payments from suburban districts to Columbus City Schools would stop, and the 80s would be finally staked in the heart. Or something like that. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/9/16) One of the sponsors of the new bill gave a bit more insight today, seeming doubtful of the bill’s chances. We shall see in just a few weeks’ time. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/10/16)
- Elsewhere in the General Assembly, Ohio’s new and popular College Credit Plus program was under the microscope this week. Mainly from community colleges. Mostly about money. (Gongwer Ohio, 5/10/16)
- Another education initiative also proving popular (in certain parts of the state at least) is Ohio’s Adult Diploma Program. This is aimed at adults who have neither diplomas nor GEDs but wish to resume their education. It is free to students, has few barriers to entry, and promises a proper high school diploma AND an industry credential upon completion. It has proven popular in the Newark area, so the Advocate is taking a look. (Newark Advocate, 5/6/16)
- Speaking of Ohio’s outlying counties, here’s a look at standardized testing in Butler and Warren districts this year. All districts are reporting sharp declines in the number of students being opted out of testing by their parents this year. District officials cite the use of PARCC tests for the high numbers of opter-outers last year and the lack of PARCC tests for the lower numbers of opter-outers this year. However, I might suggest that we examine the words of one of the parents responsible for both last year’s high numbers and this year’s lower numbers for another clue. Mason mom Kenna O’Sullivan opted all three of her kids out of testing last year because she felt the testing to be “a complete waste of time. It’s government overreach and it takes too much class time. It forces teaching to the test.” She is also responsible for part of Mason’s 47% drop in opt outs because her high school age son was not opted out this year. Why? For “for reasons that were advantageous for him”. Yet she still maintains the “testing is a waste of time” mindset. What’s that you said? You’ll have to speak louder; I can’t hear you over the helicopter! (Middletown Journal-News, 5/10/16)
- I was reminded of the saying “throwing good money after bad” while reading this story. Urbana City Schools is going to spend nearly $1 million to buy quite a bit of land outside their own city limits (Win-Win!) on which to build a schmancy new high school. This purchase was necessitated when the significantly smaller (and disused-landfill-adjacent) piece of land they bought for nearly the same amount of money ten years ago proved “problematic” to develop…because of the adjacency of the aforementioned disused landfill. Objections to the purchase (price, location, size) are being pooh-poohed because the pressing academic need of Urbana’s students—to be obviated in some unspecified way by this out-of-town Colossus—cannot be obstructed by taking time to questions like “Why are you buying such a large swathe of land?” and “What are you going to do with that toxic brownfield we bought you?” (Springfield News-Sun/Dayton Daily News, 5/10/16)
- We end today back in the real world. The very real world. Seniors at the Graham School – part of a small network of charter schools in Columbus – are required to participate in “Walkabout” before graduation, an educational program based on the Australian Aborigine tradition. The kids profiled here took the charge literally, surviving a hike along the Appalachian Trail that included busted knees, norovirus, and a big welcome home orchestrated by the local liquor store. Nope. I don’t either. But kudos anyway boys. (ThisWeek News/Clintonville Booster, 5/10/16)
