- Only two items to talk about today, but both of them are pretty interesting in their own way. First up, Governor Mike DeWine announced this week that every Ohio school serving students in sixth through eighth grades will have free access to the online platform Zearn Math for the next two years. “The online learning option is being made available to provide flexible use during the school day, with tutoring, and outside of school with a parent or caregiver,” says the news release quoted here. Feels like this could be a game changer, right? (Toledo Blade, 7/18/23)
- As a parent who had this very situation arise back when our children were entering middle school, I am personally elated for the families in northeast Ohio who learned this week that their independent STEM school is now enrolling sixth grade students for the first time this fall. The highly-popular iSTEM School in Painesville has been adding a grade level a year since 2021 and has now reached the beginning of middle school. I reckon most parents of rising sixth graders up there already knew this was coming, but just in case you are just hearing about this now, parents: I personally urge you to schedule a visit to iSTEM rn, no matter what plans you already have locked in for your sixth graders this coming year. You’ll learn something new and valuable even if you don’t choose to enroll. Just sayin’. (The News-Herald, 7/18/23)
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