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- Today features only news from traditional school districts—an unusual occurrence here in the Bites. But, as ever with these unusual editions, we can focus in a bit more closely on the topic. First up, here’s a look at a Columbus City Schools senior who was awarded a Gates Scholarship. Michael Hoch from Independence High School was one of just 300 students from across the country to win the scholarship to attend college in the fall. The award includes additional mentoring and support to help him and all awardees persist and finish their degrees. Good for him, of course, but dude was already crankin’ out the credits with College Credit Plus, to the tune of at least 75 at both Columbus State Community College and Ohio State University over the last three years. Thinking about it a bit more deeply, that means Michael was able to make short work of high school, keep pace with actual college freshmen and sophomores (it’s unclear whether he traveled to the college campuses from the east side for classes, but obviously an even bigger kudo if so), and to do all of this through pandemic education disruptions. There was clearly much to laud about him even before the Gates folks noticed. (NBC4i, Columbus, 5/1/24)
- Next, meet Cleveland Metropolitan School District senior Chardon Black, from whom our title quote today comes. He, also, is a Gates Scholar and is headed to Princeton in the fall. However, what we have here is not his resumé but his own words. Specifically, he explains how having to take public transit to school for the last three years has influenced his mind, his life, and his perspective. Interesting and insightful. No matter how he travels in the future, I think Chardon is going to go far. (Signal Cleveland, 5/2/24)
- Finally this week, staying on the roads in CMSD, we learn that the district transportation system has a costly problem. (“Quelle surprise,” I hear you murmur. “Only the one costly problem then?”) They are haunted by “ghost riders”. That is, kids who are signed up for transportation but don’t end up riding. “I can route a bus and it will have 48 students on it. But in actuality, the ridership is usually around 20 to 25 [students].” And that’s an expensive lack of efficiency, says the transportation director. To solve the problem, the district is surveying families now to see who is and isn’t really going to use the yellow bus service they previously signed up for. Now, I’m no transportation planner, and perhaps I’m missing something not covered in this piece that shows the ghosts somehow manifesting at school without riding the bus, but isn’t this really just the definition of “chronic absenteeism” rather than some vexing lack of efficiency? (Signal Cleveland, 5/3/24)
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