Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/22/21—Delivering
Repeat after me: “Report cards are just a snapshot. Tests do not define our students.
Commentary
Private School Choice
Gadfly Bites 10/20/21—Down is up
In 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.
Commentary
Governance
Moving school board elections on-cycle, and other policy musings
Hot-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.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/18/21—Feats of creativity
Toledo City Schools continues to celebrate its increased graduation rate, as per the school and district report card data released last week, with the
Commentary
Career & Technical Education
The promise in Ohio’s Career Promise Academy pilot
Between the state budget, debates over school choice
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/15/21—Jarring
In case you missed it, Ohio released school and district report cards yesterday for the 2020-21 school year. They are, in general, not pretty.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Fordham Institute media statement on the release of Ohio’s school report cards
Earlier 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).
Commentary
Private School Choice
Backpack funding bill would put parents in control
Every 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.
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Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/13/21—Episode 562 of “If This Were a Charter School…”
No less a light than former New York Lt.
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Accountability & Testing
The Cleveland Plan gets a refresh
In 2012, Governor Kasich signed legislation that allowed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide education t
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/11/21—Saving us from a hyperbole deficit for sure
In 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
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/8/21—Finger pointing
In case you missed it, Wednesday’s press conference on House Bill 290 has been getting some media coverage.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/6/21—Honey I shrunk the district…for $50 million
The elected board members of Belpre City Schools in southern Ohio this week considered several options to consolidate their entire pre-K to 12th grade student body (an
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Public school accountability is a myth
NOTE: The Thomas B. Fordham Institute occasionally publishes guest commentaries on its blogs. The views expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham. Traditional public schools are accountable, right? I mean, everyone says they are, so it must be true.
Commentary
Charter Schools
A national look at charter school enrollment trends during the pandemic
A recent, state-level report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) seeks to shed some light on how many families made a school change during the pandemic. Comparing enrollment numbers from various states can be difficult as each jurisdiction has its own reporting protocols.
Commentary
Governance
Researchers test a simple method to reduce suspensions for Black students
Is it possible to reduce the number of out-of-school suspensions experienced by Black students in America by means of a small tweak in school practices, such as adding a simple activity to some school days?
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/4/21—Oh my
“I’m not sure Jesus and his 12 apostles (could do the job) right now.” That was the blunt assessment of the former transportation director for Dayton City Schools last week.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Ohio should set a goal for academic recovery
Over the past year, raucous debates have erupted over school reopenings, masking in classrooms, and critical race theory.
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 10/1/21—“Please know”
This week, Barberton City Schools announced it was suspending its main transportation routes until at least October 7 due to t
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 9/29/21—There’s only one hand that matters
Pardon the brief interruption of service on Monday. Back with you with lots of good clips!
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 9/24/21—The high cost of normality
We start our Friday clips with a trio of STEM-related stories.
Commentary
Private School Choice
Voucher critics are at it again
It’s been a banner year for private school choice in Ohio.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 9/22/21—Getting all the headlines…and then digging deeper
Fordham’s Chad Aldis was extensively quoted in Crain’s this week—along with other commentators—discussing legislative changes recently wrought upon school funding, school choice programs, and state report cards.
Commentary
Governance
Suburban school districts can help urban students succeed
It’s no secret that many of the best public schools are located in America’s leafy suburbs. They’re typically staffed by well-trained teachers, boast up-to-date textbooks and technology, and offer advanced and specialized coursework.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 9/20/21—Creating your own goals
Please don’t let the focus of this piece on school transportation woes in central Ohio school districts fool you. Numerous issues of accuracy and lateness have been building in districts large and small for years—long before anyone ever heard of SARS-CoV-2.
