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- Mike Petrilli, Il capo, uses Ohio’s recent expansion of EdChoice as the prime example of how states can responsibly expand private school choice to near-universal eligibility while a) not breaking the bank, and b) not giving an extravagant handout to wealthy families who don’t need it. He links to and discusses a blog post on that topic by our colleague Aaron Churchill along the way. This is all part of a larger national piece that also presents the other side, titled “We Need to Welcome the Wealthy under the Tent of Private-School Choice,” by 50CAN boss Derrell Bradford. Excellent reading. Take a look! (EdNext, 8/20/24)
- Back here on Buckeye ground, it’s the first day of classes for Columbus City Schools—and for most of the charter and private schools in and around the city as well. The superintendent says the district is ready for the big day, including transportation. (ABC6 News, Columbus, 8/21/24) You will recall that the initial readiness report given to the elected board of Columbus City Schools several weeks ago indicated a less-than-ready status for busing (approximately 75 percent staffed in drivers), including a direct admonition that there would be delays and other transportation problems for the first several weeks of school at least. What changed in between those two points? It seems that many bus routes that focused on charter school students were eliminated, thus rendering the lack of bus drivers moot. The process is called “impractical to transport” and some Columbus charter school parents whose bus transportation evaporated with little notice just before school started are pretty mad about it. So, indeed, are the leaders of United Schools Network, the Graham Family of Schools, and Arts and College Preparatory Academy. Per this news report. (ABC6 News, Columbus, 8/20/24) District officials were tight-lipped in that story and completely silent in this one, in which the grandparent of a private school student laments the same sudden and inexplicable loss of transportation just before school started. Without a full and proper response, I feel like we have a clear picture of Columbus City Schools changing their transportation system from unready to “ready”—in an instant—specifically by burdening families utilizing school choice. I’d say they should look out for fines or some other punitive response from the state, but we now know that that isn’t happening either. These families’ options seem very limited to me. Ironic? Or just as planned? (NBC4 News, Columbus, 8/20/24)
- First day of school in Cleveland Metropolitan School District was Monday. Today—apropos of nothing, I’m sure—the local news has a nice EdChoice eligibility explainer, including the note that “the window to apply for the 2024-2025 school year is currently open.” Indeed. (Cleveland 19 News, 8/21/24)
- Finally today—in news that I know you were waiting on pins and needles to hear—the State Board of Education’s budget is solvent again. Just like we always knew it would. (Statehouse News, 8/20/24)
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