The opportunity for a better life
Two high-level staffers from the Heritage Foundation published an op-ed this week in which they lauded school choice as “life-changing” for students looking for the best educational fit. They cite research and compelling anecdotes that show charters, vouchers, and other forms of choice work for students and argue that greater access to choice is imperative.
Dollars and sense
Another charter school canard debunked: A new report from the Fordham Institute shows that, contrary to popular myth, charter schools not only don’t drain funding from traditional districts, most districts see significant increases in their total revenue and their local revenue per pupil. Additionally, the report indicates that total spending per pupil goes up—especially spending on student support services. Even better: the research was conducted by a charter school skeptic.
Further alarming detail
Following up on a first look last week, Patrick O’Donnell at The 74 took a deeper dive into new research comparing student test scores across Ohio from fall 2019 to fall 2020. O’Donnell’s focus is on Cleveland, and notes that the dire achievement losses seen there were somewhat mitigated for students who attended school in-person for at least part of the last year—including those in a charter school featured prominently—fared better than their fully-remote peers.
Resolving
The state board of education, at its meeting this week, passed a resolution to “Re-affirm the Irreplaceable Role of In-Person Learning for K-12 Education in Ohio.”
A plan
Finally this week, Governor Mike DeWine announced that he will require all Ohio schools to submit a learning recovery plan to him by April 1. School districts will create their own plans according to unique local needs—although the governor had numerous suggestions such as summer school and high quality tutoring—and DeWine said the state stood ready with $2 billion dollars in federal aid to help schools execute those plans.
