- There are no less than three pieces about charter schools in the print version of the Dispatch today. How many does it take to officially count as “obsessed”? First up is an editorial once again lauding the awesomeness that is United Schools Network. Sponsored by Fordham, USN schools make us proud, as Chad’s quote attests. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/20/16). Next is a piece discussing SB 3. You might recall SB 3 as the “education deregulation” bill intended to exempt high-performing districts and schools from some regulation as a reward for demonstrated awesomeness. It is the end of the legislative session prior to elections, and SB 3 was perhaps going to be stuffed like a Christmas stocking prior to quick passage. One with a lump of coal in it called a “similar students” measure, which would replace Ohio’s current value-added growth measure. Chad is on record, as is governor Kasich, as being against anything which would weaken accountability for student success. SB 3 and its amendments have been declared dead until at least the lame-duck post-election session. Whew. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/20/16) You might have noticed the reference to ECOT in that last piece, the online charter school behemoth which is very interested in swapping out value-added for a similar students measure. ECOT has a couple of other fish to fry according to the third Dispatch piece printed today. To wit: an ongoing review of attendance and student participation tracking at ECOT conducted by the department of education raised some questions yet to be answered. To be fair, ECOT is not alone among online schools with similar issues, as the story notes. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/19/16) You can find additional behind-the-scenes reporter-y stuff about how the two charter school stories were put together on the Dispatch website here. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/20/16)
- Meanwhile, the NYT raised some questions about ECOT this week too, although it doesn’t read to this jaded old clip compiler like the stinging rebuke I’m sure the paper thought it was. (New York Times, 5/18/16) Closer to home, the PD was a good bit more pugnacious in their criticism. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/20/16)
- Back to good charter school news for a moment, eight students from the Toledo Maritime Academy have become the nation's first high school students sworn in to the Coast Guard's auxiliary unit. From there they will learn skills applicable to military service, college, and careers. Nice. (Toledo Blade, 5/19/16)
- The Youngstown Academic Distress Commission whittled down the current list of CEO candidates to six. First round interviews are to be conducted next week. The short list looks very much like it would if they were seeking a traditional superintendent rather than a status quo-busting CEO. It inexplicably includes the district’s current interim supe (called it!) and this piece notes how many other traditional superintedencies the various candidates have held and have recently applied for elsewhere. The only bit of logic I can discern from here is that the ADC decided to extend the deadline for applications while the interviews are going on. Seems wise. Now, if they’d only advertise in some non-traditional places. (Youngstown Vindicator, 5/18/16)
