- The new school year is starting up in an increasing number of schools and districts around Ohio. Thus it is a perfect time for Ohio Excels president Lisa Gray to opine positively on the changes to state report cards which will be in place for the first time this year. (Columbus Dispatch, 8/9/21)
- The heads of the Dayton and Ohio teachers unions are also gearing up for the new school year, although they seem a little less certain about their stuff than Lisa Gray does about hers. This piece is only 350 words long, yet discussion of kids getting on academic track after two school years’ worth of disruption goes from “ensure” to “plan to” to “hopefully” really fast. Personally, I’m hopeful that the new report card can tell us which one it ultimately turns out to be. (WDTN-TV, Dayton, 8/6/21)
- Let’s not forget, though, that in-person school requires kids to actually get to those buildings and that acquiring adequate transportation to and from those buildings—especially for students utilizing a non-district choice—is often a tricky proposition for families. Here’s a first look at how changes to the “payment in lieu of transportation” rules, as enacted in the new state budget, will affect some districts. Spoiler alert: It’ll hit ‘em in their bottom line. And if we’ve learned anything from years and years of this Gadfly Bites lark, it’s that district officials and elected board members really hate it when that happens. Although the discussion of one specific student case in Twinsburg is interesting—and kudos to the ABJ for at least including it here—district finances are the main concern of this piece. Shocker. (Akron Beacon Journal, 8/9/21)
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