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- The Dispatch (and Aaron Churchill) are still talking about the dire state of math achievement for Ohio’s K-12 students. The latest installment of their series is about how higher education is dealing with the lower skill level of the high school graduates entering their institutions in the last few years. Not surprisingly, the answer is to re-teach what the kids should have learned in high school…or middle school. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/6/25)
- Following that sad story, the kudos I have for the OSU/Marion Technical College here resound even louder. To wit: 172 students from seven area middle schools recently competed in the Marion Math Challenge, with the top three winners receiving scholarships to MTC! This feels like a better incentive for higher ed folks to help overcome the math-education inertia we have been reading about in the Dispatch this week, if you ask me. (Which no one did, of course, or has ever done.) (Marion Star, 5/5/25)
- Our Aaron Churchill is also out there talking about Ohio’s career and technical education (CTE) infrastructure. Specifically, the ways that the state still needs to tweak that infrastructure to make sure it is the most helpful and the most available for the most students possible. (WVXU-FM, Cleveland, 5/7/25)
- Here is a brief good news story about how the We Are Linden organization is celebrating successful young people in the historically-struggling neighborhood of Columbus. I for one appreciate the group for cheering on good students no matter what kind of school they attend, including the charter school featured in this piece. (ABC 6 News, Columbus, 5/6/25)
- By contrast, here’s a look at a big meeting held in Dayton this week to address what high-profile officials think needs to be done to solve the ongoing problem with student busing. Doesn’t sound like much was even agreed to as to what the problem is, let alone any common movement toward solutions but more meetings are planned. I am at least glad to hear that Mr. Mayor is “open to working with more partners” in those future meetings, because it doesn’t sound like any charter or private school leaders have yet been included…which is of course a gigantic problem in itself. (Dayton Daily News, 5/6/25)
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