Commentary
Teachers & School Leaders
All teachers prepare young people for the working world
NOTE: This blog was first published in a slightly different form on The 74 on 5/12/17.
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/12/17 - In which the match up of NAACP vs. OHSAA results in the winner being DPS
We told you last week about the Vindy op-ed penned by district CEO Krish Mohip, in which he opined in favor of big raises he wanted to give his district’s teachers. How big, you ask? How about 7 percent?
Report
Charter Schools
Pathway to Success: The Charles School broadens college access for students who need it
A college degree is becoming increasingly necessary in order for young people to attain the jobs they want, and yet getting to and through college in some ways has never been more challenging. Many students are ill-prepared when they arrive, others lack the “soft” skills necessary to succeed in a postsecondary environment, and the cost of college is immense.
Commentary
Foreword: Pathway to Success – The Charles School
A college degree is becoming increasingly necessary in order for young people to attain the jobs they want, and yet getting to and through college in some ways has never been more challenging. Many students are ill-prepared when they arrive, needing remediation in reading or math.
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/10/17 - Move (out of Columbus right now!) to PROSPER
I was remiss in not clipping this Monday. We have discussed the incipient “Move to PROSPER” project before.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/8/17 - "The quiet and expensive game of cat-and-mouse"
Gongwer, as usual, delved deeper into specific aspects of the state budget bill than other media outlets. Specifically, on proposed changes to the state’s charter school sponsor evaluation framework proposed therein. Yes, they mentioned the magical mystery amendment language (a.k.a.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/5/17 - So many memes, so little time
Our own Aaron Churchill is front and center in the Enquirer, opining on the benefits of private school vouchers for Ohio students. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/5/17)
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/3/17 - You've paid the bill; now, about the service...
Budget season is silly season in Ohio, so the saying goes, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the realm of education. In lieu of large scale changes, we’ve got a lot of noodling around the edges of policy and finance this time around. That often means that single sentences in a bill of thousands of pages can have significant impact.
Commentary
Commentary
Charter Schools
Text of testimony given before the Senate Education Committee 4/25/17
NOTE: The Education Committee of the Ohio Senate last week heard testimony on SB 85, a proposal that would expand Ohio’s private school voucher program. Fordham’s Chad Aldis was a witness at this hearing and these are his written remarks.
Commentary
Governance
Did you know there’s a different way to get your Ohio education news?
If you don't know about Fordham Ohio's Gadfly Bites news clip service, you literally don't know what you're missing!
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/1/17 - The more questions than answers edition
Does the state budget bill as it stands right now water down charter school accountability? Doug Livingston – while NOT on the education beat, mind you – is doggedly on the case to find an answer. (Akron Beacon Journal, 4/28/17)
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/28/17 - Where is Jerry Orbach when you need him?
I imagine we’ve all seen that episode of Law & Order: you know, the one where fingerprint evidence solves the case at the last minute as the ominous strings build up in the background. But what if the fingerprints themselves are missing?
Commentary
Charter Schools
Gadfly Bites 4/26/17 - Chad Aldis vs. The "Naked" Beast
In case you missed it this week, Ohio’s own pale, skinny version of the Loch Ness Monster resurfaced on the shores of the Scioto River, to take a context-free and factually-deficient lunge against charter schools, jaws a-slavering.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/24/17 - To "forego" or to "forgo"? That is the question
Another clips compilation, another set of editors quoting Chad – and opining in agreement with him – about the need to hold the line on graduation standards.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/21/17 - Mrs. DeVos goes to Van Wert
Chad is quoted in two pieces discussing possible budget amendments which would change the state’s charter sponsor evaluations.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/19/17 - Even the neighbors don't like Ohio's decisions
Chad Aldis’ dire warning of a “paper victory” for adults who wish to lower Ohio’s graduation requirements continues to reverberate in cigar smoke-filled editorial board rooms in the Buckeye State and beyond.
Commentary
Governance
A clarification on one of the budget’s College Credit Plus provisions
In a recent blog, we cast a critical eye on proposed changes in the budget bill to the College Credit
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic success
Can a student be so anxious that she can “psych herself out” when it comes to test performance? Can the perceived stakes be so high that no amount of test preparation could overcome the fear of failure?
Commentary
Governance
Fordham Ohio on the airwaves
Of course you’re familiar with Fordham’s blogging and social media outlets. But did you know that Fordham staffers are regular guests on TV and radio programs across the state on important education issues?Just recently:
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/17/17 - No one is immune to the bite of the Gadfly
Quite a bit of opining this weekend in regard to proposals which would lower the bar on Ohio’s new graduation requirements even before they are fully phased in.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/14/17 - The "Gazprom" of education news clips
It has been a busy couple of days for our Chad Aldis. First up, he was quoted in this piece, trying to inject some reality into a discussion of the fiscal analysis of the proposed expansion of the EdChoice voucher program.
Commentary
Gadfly Bites 4/12/17 - Hamilton? Sounds like "Anybody Have a Map?" to me
The state board of education voted 16-3 yesterday to ask the General Assembly to legislate a “one-year-only bailout” which would allow this year’s juniors (the putative graduating Class of 2018) other ways to earn their high school diploma besides the new test-based requirements which are scheduled to go into effect for that aforementioned class.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Testimony given before the state board of education – 4/11/17
NOTE: The state board of education today debated the recent report of a graduation requirements workgroup. Among those providing testimony on the state’s high school graduation requirements was Chad L. Aldis, Vice President for Ohio Policy and Advocacy here at Fordham. The following are his written remarks.
Commentary
Governance
The most problematic public expenditure in K-12 education
Ohio faces a significant budget crunch. This is forcing state lawmakers to scrutinize expenditures—even more closely than usual—to create a balanced budget by the end of June.
Commentary
Governance
Homework and students’ achievement in math and science
A new meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between homework and student achievement looks at 30 years of data involving over 312,000 students worldwide. It was published in the journal Educational Research Review in March.
Commentary
Connecting psychology research to gifted education practice
By Matthew C. Makel, Rena Subotnik, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, and Jonathan Plucker
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 4/10/17 - The answer to that headline's question is NO!
Our own Aaron Churchill is quoted in this piece looking at the proposal being floated in Ohio to water down graduation requirements. Spoiler alert: Aaron is against said watering down. (Columbus Dispatch, 4/9/17)
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