At sea, but not at sea
After last week’s coverage of the recent history of Toledo Maritime Academy, this week we have coverage of its future. To wit: TMA’s plans for the new pandemic-influenced school year. They are offering a four-days-per-week in-person track, a customizable hybrid option, and a fully-online version of their program that officials seem interested in marketing beyond the shores of Lake Erie if possible.
Planning for a safe return to school…eventually
Horizon Science Academy in Lorain will start the school year fully remote, but that is not stopping them from preparing for the day when students are back in their classrooms. This includes a detailed cleaning and disinfection regimen, described in this piece, worthy of the school’s reputation for scientific rigor.
Legislation to address transportation concerns
Here is a brief look at pending legislation which would, if enacted, clarify the transportation requirements for districts regarding resident students opting for school choice. As we have seen, charter and private school families in Dayton and elsewhere in Ohio have been in a constant state of uncertainty over whether and how their students would get to school this fall.
The national view
A similar dynamic is playing out on the national stage this week. A proposed plank of the Democratic presidential platform includes a requirement that school districts would have a say in funding for charter schools within their boundaries. It’s drawing the ire of charter leaders in Michigan.
What the research says
It would be a shame if short-sighted political concerns were to curtail or reverse charter school growth across the country, because research once again indicates that the presence of charters benefits traditional school districts. A new working paper by Jesse Bruhn, Scott Imberman, and Marcus Winters, shows charter schools acting as a “farm system” for teaching talent which eventually filters up to traditional districts. Despite what we sometimes read, the relationship between charters and district schools seems more symbiotic than antagonistic.
