Gadfly Bites 11/12/21—Captain Ron
Jeff MurrayLet’s start with the best news of the week: A groundbreaking ceremony was held earlier this week for a new charter school in Cincinnati the first IDEA school in t
Gadfly Bites 11/10/21—Defined as an increase or improvement in quality, value, or extent
Jeff MurrayFordham’s own Chad Aldis testified before the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee yesterday on SB 229.
Testimony presented before the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on 11/9/21
Chad L. AldisNOTE: Today, the Ohio House of Representatives’ Primary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony on SB 229.
Gadfly Bites 11/8/21—Cannot compute
Jeff MurrayIf you, like me, were hoping that passage of the new school funding formula—and especially the end of those hated school choice deductions from district finances—would make district treasurers happier than dogs in a butcher’s shop, early indications are that you were mistaken.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 11.5.21
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayAfterschool enrichment accounts for Ohio families
Gadfly Bites 11/5/21—The smack of realism
Jeff MurrayThe elected board of Youngstown City Schools voted earlier this week to amend their academic “improvement” plan per the recommendations returned to t
Gadfly Bites 11/3/21—It’s just like “Room and Zoom”, only without the room…or the Zoom
Jeff MurrayThe new nominal head of the Cleveland Metropolitan School district is… But you already guessed that, didn’t you? (The Land, 11/2/21)
The future of high tech education is probably not in your kid’s school
Jeff MurrayRegardless of whether you believe that too much is being asked of our schools and our educators these days, it is always worth asking whether th
Even better than the real thing: Four-day school weeks make adults very happy
Jeff MurrayThe most commonly expressed motivator for school districts to adopt a four-day school week is monetary: lowering expenditures on hourly staff, transportation, and utilities costs. It is not incidental that the most recent uptick in districts opting for them was in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Gadfly Bites 11/1/21—Trick, or treat?
Jeff MurrayIn case you missed it while you were busy finalizing your costume for Halloween, Governor DeWine appointed two new state school board members late in
Youngstown’s academic improvement plan doesn’t promise much improvement
Jessica PoinerSince 2005, Ohio has intervened in chronically underperforming school districts by establishing new leadership in the form of an
Gadfly Bites 10/29/21—Read my lips…
Jeff MurrayAs we have been following in these here clips, the pilot program for a new approach to Covid-exposure quarantines in schools was deemed a success.
Six takeaways from Ohio’s latest school report cards
Aaron ChurchillIn mid-October, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released report card data for the 2020–21 school year. Due to pandemic-era provisions passed earlier this year, no school ratings were available—only raw data. Ohio will return to standard protocol and issue ratings next fall, but even without them, there are important things to highlight.
Gadfly Bites 10/27/21—Don’t we all?
Jeff MurrayThe leaders of Akron City Schools say they want a “reset” after dealing with a concerning uptick in behavio
Gadfly Bites 10/25/21—Sometimes, you don’t need to dig deeper
Jeff MurrayHere is a story about the status of the three Ohio school districts currently operating under the (nominal) aegis of an Academic Distress Commission.
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 10.22.21
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayInteresting discussion of school choice
Gadfly Bites 10/22/21—Delivering
Jeff MurrayRepeat after me: “Report cards are just a snapshot. Tests do not define our students.
Gadfly Bites 10/20/21—Down is up
Jeff MurrayIn our topsy turvy tour of education news clips today, we start with Fairview Park City Schools, which appears to be heavily recruiting students to attend its swanky, newly-upgraded high school next year.
Moving school board elections on-cycle, and other policy musings
Aaron ChurchillHot-button education topics such as masking, vaccines, and critical race theory have dominated headlines this fall. But lost in the shuffle are a few notable items that have also made news—but barely—and have significant implications for Ohio policymakers.
Gadfly Bites 10/18/21—Feats of creativity
Jeff MurrayToledo City Schools continues to celebrate its increased graduation rate, as per the school and district report card data released last week, with the
The promise in Ohio’s Career Promise Academy pilot
Jessica PoinerBetween the state budget, debates over school choice
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 10.15.21
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayFixing gifted education in Ohio
Gadfly Bites 10/15/21—Jarring
Jeff MurrayIn case you missed it, Ohio released school and district report cards yesterday for the 2020-21 school year. They are, in general, not pretty.
Fordham Institute media statement on the release of Ohio’s school report cards
Ohio Education GadflyEarlier today, the Ohio Department of Education released report cards for the 2020–21 school year. Due to emergency legislative measures enacted due to the pandemic, this year’s report cards do not include any school ratings (those are slated to return next fall).
Backpack funding bill would put parents in control
Aaron ChurchillEvery parent has the right to educate their children in way that meets their kids’ needs and accords with their values and beliefs. Don’t just take my word for it: The U.S.
Gadfly Bites 10/13/21—Episode 562 of “If This Were a Charter School…”
Jeff MurrayNo less a light than former New York Lt.
The Cleveland Plan gets a refresh
Jessica PoinerIn 2012, Governor Kasich signed legislation that allowed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide education t
Gadfly Bites 10/11/21—Saving us from a hyperbole deficit for sure
Jeff MurrayIn case you missed it, Fordham’s own Aaron Churchill published an op-ed in Cleveland.com on Friday, laying out the troublesome findings of our recen