- The Akron suburb of Woodridge debated school building issues for most of their meeting last week. But the superintendent wanted to talk about some nuts and bolts good news as well. Such as the great work being done to make sure all third graders pass the reading test and move on to fourth grade, explaining what Common Core means for the district and how good the new standards are, and that the district is ready for PARCC exams. Nice. (Akron Online)
- How is this possible?! As noted in the above story, there are plenty of high-level resources available to districts to help them reach the goals of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. How, then, did that train-wreck of a volunteer reading tutoring program in Akron that we mentioned last week get over 100 kids signed up? (Akron Beacon Journal)
- What do you think of when you hear the term “foreign language immersion school”? It’s a school for folks who want their children to learn a foreign language, right? Unless that term has changed meanings over the years (could be, I’m kinda old), I think that Toledo Public Schools may be unfamiliar with the concept as they seem to think that a Spanish Immersion School is mainly for children who speak Spanish as their primary language. While the effort to reach out to the growing number of Spanish-speaking families in Toledo is very important, a different name (International School, Welcome Center, etc.) seems to be in order before the school opens its doors. (Toledo Blade)
- Springfield City Schools has committed up to $250,000 in local tax money to an alternative program which appears to have been very helpful in getting at-risk students across the stage with a diploma. (Springfield News-Sun)