- This piece asks the big question “What comes next after the historic increase in voucher eligibility enacted in the recent budget?” Everyone interviewed here seems to agree that the answer is “an increase in available private school seats”, but how that is best achieved—or indeed if it should even be attempted—seems to depend on who you talk to. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/12/23) I suppose that you can’t fault the complainers too much for speaking out against EdChoice expansion when even entities whose constituents are likely super supportive of vouchers will give lots of reportorial real estate to the grouchers. (Cleveland Jewish News, 7/13/23) For reals though, politicians and pundits and opinion-havers: Please read this before you start complaining about private schools “taking” kids and money that you feel belongs elsewhere. Many private school families have other thoughts, and those families are not always who you believe them to be. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 7/12/23)
- As we discussed on Monday, vouchers may still not be winning any popularity contests up there, but it seems that folks are warming a bit to public charter schools in Toledo. To wit: While the zoning and planning committee didn’t vote this week to actually recommend a special permit required by a local charter school to expand on the west side of the city, they also didn’t vote it down. On top of that, two city council members on the zoning board also spoke positively about the L. Hollingworth School for the Talented and Gifted and its interest in expanding to daycare and pre-K services via the permit request. The request now moves on to the full city council. As all seven of my diehard Gadfly Bites subscribers will recall, this is a big change from a few years ago when organized neighbors on Toledo’s east side were able to leverage zoning committee votes to stymie Horizon Science Academy’s effort to move and grow, leading the school to shut down entirely rather than prolong a battle they were destined to lose. Feels like progress to me. Slow, gritty progress. (Toledo Blade, 7/12/23)
- Just in case you can’t get enough of hangdog grousing, here’s some more coverage of this week’s state board of education meeting, minus the big bucks subscription price of the stuff we covered on Wednesday. Honestly, I’m not sure you really missed anything, but who am I to judge? (Ohio Capital Journal, 7/13/23)
- Finally this week, firmly back here in the real world, Columbus City Schools is looking to hire more bus drivers for the fall. I note the fact that the pay is nearly $20 per hour, but I don’t see whether these are for the newly-approved full time slots or to backfill the awkward five-hours-a-day-with-a-hole-in-the-middle slots. I suppose we’ll find out on the first day the buses roll…probably the hard way. (10TV News, Columbus, 7/12/23)
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