CREDO releases report on Ohio’s charter school sector
On Tuesday, Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) released a new analysis of the academic performance of Ohio charter school students. As Fordham’s Aaron Churchill explains, the study reveals that Ohio’s brick-and-mortar charters are on the upswing—Ohio’s black students make impressive gains when enrolled in charters and there are positive and improving results for charter elementary and middle school students. Ohio’s online charter schools, on the other hand, are struggling and the study reminds us of the hard work ahead to improve the online education model.
West Virginia TV station features Ohio charter school
West Virginia policymakers are debating whether to allow charters to finally open in the state. To see if Ohio charter schools could provide some guidance, a Charleston television station recently visited Sciotoville Community Schools in Portsmouth. The reporter spoke with Superintendent Rick Bowman about what the charter school model has to offer and heard from students about the benefits of attending a charter school.
Parma charter school’s teachers go on strike
Teachers from Summit Academy in Parma went on strike this week, a rare occurrence for charter schools. The teachers’ frustrations are centered on class sizes, the availability of teacher aides, and breaks and planning periods. The Plain Dealer has your coverage.
Dayton charter named business of the year
Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) was recently named the 2018 Non-Profit Business of the Year by the Dayton Business Journal for its dedication to improving Dayton’s workforce and continued innovation and expansion in the community. According to Superintendent Judy Hennessey, “There’s a lot of attention right now on Dayton’s workforce and how we have to raise the workforce’s level of education in the future. We play into that. We won’t be solving all of the workforce’s problems, but we’re definitely part of the solution.”
Legislative updates
It was a relatively slow week for education in the Statehouse. Representative Ingram presented sponsor testimony for HB 43 (bill analysis) in the House Primary and Secondary Education committee. The bill would remove the provision in existing law giving charter schools first dibs on unused district buildings. In addition, Senator Kunze offered testimony to the Senate Ways and Means committee on a proposal to give teachers a tax deduction of up to $250 for professional development and classroom supplies.
National Charter Schools Week
Mark your calendars! National Charter Schools Week (NCSW19) is May 12-18.
