- A group of Horizon Science Academy schools across Ohio are suing the state over what they reckon to be an ex post facto change in the application rules for the state’s new Quality Community Schools Support Grant. (Cleveland.com, 6/15/20) Not to be outdone, the legal scholars that make up the elected school board of Canton City Schools voted this week on a resolution that says Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program is unconstitutional and committing money to join a putative lawsuit against the state to that effect. Should it materialize. (Massillon Independent, 6/15/20)
- Jeff Graham must have held on to his passcard when he left Lorain City Schools a couple years ago. Because he’s back already, starting work as the district’s new “CEO” even earlier than originally planned. (Morning Journal, 6/15/20) Speaking of districts who are supposed to be run by Academic Distress Commissions but really aren’t, Youngstown City Schools has come up with a way to keep the elected school board from being replaced by the mayor (via what is here termed a “truce” agreement hammered out by those two parties alone). Not just for now, but, thanks to the ‘rona, likely not ever. But you knew that was how it was going to turn out, didn’t you? (Vindy.com, 6/16/20)
- Tangentially related to the above, Dayton City Schools says that the results of its recent survey of district parents reflect a level of satisfaction with the district which is connected to its rise from a report card grade of “F” to “D” last year. With some caveats. (Dayton Daily News, 6/16/20)
- Looking forward to next year, Dayton Christian Schools says it’s ready to conduct fully in-person classes—safely—when it reopens on August 19. Although the head of school says they’ll also be ready to pivot to a hybrid model if it becomes necessary. (Dayton Daily News, 6/16/20) Finally today, the elected board of tiny Fort Recovery Local Schools voted this week to hedge their bets and join a consortium of other districts launching a fully online school for families who want it next year. The details provided in this brief piece are fascinating: the curriculum is promised to be “more rigorous than the remote-learning” they participated in this spring; extracurricular participation = yes, co-curricular participation (think band, choir, voc ed) = no due to the in-person requirements; the district will provide laptops but makes sure to know that these home devices will have the same “filtering restrictions” as in-school ones do; principal and counselor approval will be required for moving in or out of the program; schedule flexibility will be available as long as participation requirements are met; and seniors can earn their Fort Recovery diplomas via the online school, but will be ineligible for valedictorian consideration due to “in-school class requirements”. Fascinating indeed. (The Daily Standard, 6/16/20)
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