- This is some sterling journalism here. Hannah Sparling takes a detailed and multi-faceted look at the work of The Mind Trust in Indianapolis as its mission and one of its leaders is being translated to Cincinnati via the Accelerate Great Schools project. Although there are no parent voices present – hopefully a future story? – our own Chad Aldis has some detailed and important input among the educators, elected leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders in both Indy and Cincinnati. Fascinating piece. Highly recommended. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/23/15)
- Editors at the Big D opined in favor of announced changes to the PARCC testing regime for next year. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/25/15)
- Speaking of opining, editors in Toledo and Akron were on the same page this weekend, urging legislators to eschew tax cuts in the budget for other priorities. In Akron, it was K-12 schools and local government (Akron Beacon Journal, 5/25/15), in Toledo it was higher education (Toledo Blade, 5/24/15).
- And speaking of access to higher ed, the Repository has a great story today about the AmeriCorps program Ohio College Guides (Canton Repository, 5/26/15), which places recent college grads in urban high schools to help especially first-generation college-goers get into college. It seems they are also helpful in getting kids through high school as well, based on this story. The Dispatch is on the same wavelength, taking a look at a number of early college options in use in central Ohio – that is, college credits earned for free while students are still in high school. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/25/15)
- The Dispatch also took a detailed look at the topic of school district mergers. Loyal readers of Gadfly Bites will already be familiar with the fiscal travails of tiny Ledgemont schools (in process of merging after more than a year of work at many levels of government) and Walnut Township schools (resisting mightily calls for merger). Some nuances of those stories are lost here, especially the role of State Auditor’s office in district financial crises (that guy, again?!), but the fact remains that going to the ballot box with levy requests again and again isn’t the only option available for struggling districts. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/26/15)
- We end today in the realm of school choice. First up, a new charter school is scheduled to open in Springfield next year. The News-Sun takes a look, with what might be called an “obscured” lens (Springfield News-Sun, 5/23/15).
- Lastly, an editorial opining against the proposed expansion of the Cleveland Scholarship Program to private schools outside the city’s border. It utilizes – in a very short word count – every possible argument. Every. One. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/25/15)
