Gadfly Bites 7/2/25—Just wishin’

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1. Despite being clear winners in the final version of the state budget—especially when Gov. DeWine’s line-item vetoes are factored in—traditional school districts are still being the biggest whiners about it. “He made a budget that could have been absolutely terrible, just a little bit better,” said the head of the state teachers union of the governor’s final flourishes. I know dude is contractually obligated to say that, but it still feels out of proportion to me. (Statehouse News Bureau, 7/1/25)
   
   

2. Also signed into law with the state budget: A bell-to-bell cellphone ban in all public schools in the state. What began as a strong suggestion from the governor is now a requirement, with minimal exceptions allowed. In this coverage, the ban itself is portrayed as the victory, which is good. Because promising any positive outcomes beyond that remains baseless conjecture, given the anecdotal evidence from the handful of such efforts already imposed in schools. See also: “extended” school days, as in the next clip. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/1/25)
   
   

3. All Lorain City School students will have a longer school day starting this fall—from five to thirty minutes longer, depending on grade levels. Many reasons for the change are bandied about, including the fact that Lorain’s elementary schools previously had one of the shortest days in the area, the fact that the change will “bring it more in line” with districts in its athletic conference, and that bus drivers will have an extra half-hour between dismissals to help ease their tight turnarounds. As with the cellphone ban in the clip above, anyone thinking this means more classroom instruction for Lorain’s students, let the elected school board disabuse you of that nonsense right now. The board president tells us clearly that teachers will add no additional time to their workdays after the change and that the extra time will consist of “soft” openings and closings—to allow children “free expression” at the start and end of each school days—rather than experiencing what is termed “rigid instruction” right when they sit down in the morning or as the day draws to an end. Seriously?! Aren’t we all pretty sure that the students in this long-academically-challenged district have been “spared” from rigid instruction for far too long already? I know I am. (The Chronicle-Telegram, 7/1/25)
   
   

4. Finally today, it’s a criminally-belated Happy Birthday from me to iSTEM Geauga Early College High School in northeast Ohio. This STEM gem just turned ten and I couldn’t be happier to celebrate their awesomeness and success. As they blow out the candles on their no-doubt periodic-table-themed cake, I hope their birthday wish was for ten more independent STEM schools to open across Ohio very soon—we really really need them. (The News-Herald, 6/24/25)

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