- Fordham’s Chad Aldis is quoted as saying that online schools are “not going away” in this piece from earlier in the week in which Columbus editors opine in support of Auditor Yost’s (…) recent guidance regarding charter school funding claw backs. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/17/17)
- On the very same day, the D published this chirpy piece about the start of the new school year, noting (with a tiny bit of surprise, perhaps?) that online school teachers are prepping for the first day just like all the other teachers out there. Those that still have jobs, I guess they mean. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/17/17)
- Speaking of the new school year, let’s take a quick look at some “innovations” happening around Ohio. First up, Toledo City Schools are debuting ten new Wi-Fi enabled school buses as part of a pilot program to create what they call “rolling study halls” especially for kids with the longest commutes. If it works out, more buses will be added. How will they know if it’s working out? Reportedly by tracking the academic performance of student bus riders. (Gasp!) It is worth noting – and the Blade does – that since most district high schoolers take public transit and not yellow buses, this experiment is being conducted with K-8 students. Which means they are more likely to turn their bus rides into one continuous yellow-filtered Instagram story rather than a study hall, if I had to guess. (Toledo Blade, 8/16/17) Second, it’s lunch that’s getting juiced in Cleveland. By which I mean the roll out of “Flavor Stations” in cafeterias district-wide. Convinced that a healthy lunch is a bland lunch (thanks again, Obamafare) and therefore a big teen turnoff, officials in CMSD have hit upon the idea of flavor blasts – chili garlic, zesty orange, and General Tso's sauce in monster pump containers – to “customize” and flavorize plain ol’ burgers and chicken nuggets. Tons of spicy – or ridiculous, YMMV – details await you in this piece. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/17/17)
- Back in the real world, a lack of teacher diversity in Mansfield City Schools has drawn the attention of at least one person as the school year begins there. (Richland Source, 8/16/17)
- On a probably-not-unrelated note, the Lorain school board president is continuing his public records request onslaught against everyone and their brother regarding the hiring of the district CEO. Sounds like most recipients of his strongly-worded letters are holding pat at this point. (Elyria Chronicle, 8/18/17) Meanwhile, the aforementioned CEO, David Hardy, seems to have hit the big time. He was interviewed for the blog of The 74 Million earlier this week. I will forgive their seeming confusion over CEOs vs. supes – this time – but only because Hardy seems so right on the money with his comments. (The 74 Million, 8/16/17)
- Finally today, Dayton Christian School announced that it will be closed on Monday – a “calamity day”, they call it here in Ohio – rather than potentially expose their students to the impending solar eclipse without approved sun filtering glasses. Ummm… You guys know they don’t HAVE to look at it, right? (Dayton Daily News, 8/15/17)
