- Sometimes this clips gig is fun; sometimes it lands somewhere south of that. I have to clip this piece—in which my boss Chad Aldis is quoted on the possibility of racial segregation occurring as a result of the state’s voucher programs—even though it is otherwise a confusing train wreck of dubious data, innuendo, and faux outrage masquerading as news. I feel icky. (Spectrum News 1, 6/2/21)
- Fortunately, the folks at Gongwer keep things on the side of straight-up reportage (as usual) as they cover yesterday’s education-related budget testimony before the Senate Finance Committee. Several points from Chad’s testimony, including his answers to some interesting questions, are included. (Gongwer Ohio, 6/3/21) That’s not to say that there wasn’t some “discordance” in evidence during that hearing. In this non-subscriber-only coverage from the OCJ, we learn (to our utter non-surprise) that the education status quo blob prefers the school funding revamp contained in the House version of the budget bill over the one contained in the Senate version of the budget bill. And even though the Senate version of the budget bill was what was supposed to be discussed at that hearing, it feels like way more love is expressed for the House version here. And having watched some of that testimony live, it seemed to me like the witnesses weren’t the only ones disliking the Senate version of school funding reform. (Ohio Capital Journal, 6/4/21) Here is another look at that Senate education funding revamp plan from earlier this week…before so much discordance had manifested. (The Center Square, 6/4/21)
- Columbus City Schools previous told us in that in early May, 55 percent of the approximately 2,700 district seniors were on track to graduate. In this piece, we learn that one month later, 72 percent of district seniors will actually walk the stages at the various ceremonies being held. “In total, Columbus City Schools will graduate 2,146 students this week,” said Superintendent Talisa Dixon. About a fourth of graduates, or 521, are headed off to college, she added. But 72 will likely not be the final figure the district reports because students are able to take credit-recovery classes in the summer—and we’ve seen that the high school summer program in Columbus is heavily geared toward this—and still graduate in August as on-time, four-year graduates. That’s more than two whole months! (Columbus Dispatch, 6/3/21)
- Citing a decrease in student enrollment, East Cleveland City Schools terminated 10 teachers this week, after terminating 17 teachers last year for the same reason. The local teachers union is up in arms over the decision, by which they said they were “blindsided”. You know what makes this interesting? East Cleveland is being run by a CEO, who got to make those decisions on his own. And while East Cleveland’s iteration of the Academic Distress Commission has not seen the public rhetorical and legal fireworks that persist in Lorain and Youngstown, the union VP quoted here seems to indicate that that may change in the near future. (Cleveland 19 News, 6/3/21) Also interesting in the brief piece above is the topic of money. One assumes that the decrease in enrollment is not in question. The union flak isn’t quoted on it one way or another, but she does prominently note her belief that the state and federal largesse coming to districts meant that no further reductions in force would happen regardless of the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, St. Bridget of Kildare School will close after 60 years of service to the families of Parma, due to falling enrollment…and no additional giant piles of cash falling from the sky. Now that is logic I can understand. I don’t like it, but at least it makes sense. (Fox 8 News, Cleveland, 6/3/21)
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