Give Ohio teachers control over their own retirement
The soap opera at the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), the entity that manages Ohio’s teacher pensions, has made non-stop headlines of late.
The soap opera at the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), the entity that manages Ohio’s teacher pensions, has made non-stop headlines of late.
“Teaching to the test” is a common pejorative term that touches on a number of hot-button education policy issues—top-down mandates to schools, shrinking curriculum, hamstringing teacher autonomy and creativity, and dampening student interest in learning to name just a few.
This is second in a series where I examine issues in K–12 education that Ohio leaders should tackle in the next biennial state budget.
One of the hallmarks of Governor DeWine’s administration has been its emphasis on expanding and improving career pathways for students. Thus, it came as no surprise that the governor focused on this critical issue in his recent state of the state address.
A new report from the Hoover Institution’s Education Success Init
Ohio regularly creates and funds major education policies in a two-year biennial budget, so it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2025 cycle. This is the first of several posts where I’ll discuss issues that should be on lawmakers’ radars as they gear up.
Last January, during his 2023 state of the state address, Governor DeWine pledged to invest additional state funding in career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Career-technical education (CTE) has become a significant priority for Ohio leaders and lawmakers over the last several years. For those who aren’t familiar with CTE, or who may have outdated views about what it offers students, this increasing emphasis may be surprising.
Last year, Ohio lawmakers overhauled the state’s K–12 education governance system by transferring the majority of powers and duties assigned to the state board of education to a revamped executive branch office known as the Department of Educat
Our latest policy brief provides an overview of the CTE landscape for Ohio high schoolers.
As we approach September 2024, the education community is bracing for the expiration of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. There’s a growing narrative that this marks a significant funding cut for schools.
A new research report examines the confluence of career and technical education (CTE) and the academic trajectory of high school students with learning disabilities (SWLD).
Although it’s a brand-new year, many Ohio students are still caught in the education riptide of the pandemic era.
What is the impact of teacher salary increases on recruitment and retention? A new report gives us an interesting on-the-ground look using data from Washington State.
With the past year now in the books, it’s time to look back. During 2023, we at Fordham wrote extensively about the biggest and most important policy issues of the past year, most of which were debated as part of the state budget process.
One of the best kept secrets in education policy is that Ohio policymakers have set achievement goals for Buckeye State students.
Between 2007 and 2022, California saw its K–12 public school enrollment decrease by more than 390,000 students, or more than 6 percent statewide, according to data from the state’s Department of Education.
In late November, two large urban Ohio school districts publicly engaged in academic goal-setting exercises. They ended very differently.
For nearly a decade, leaders in Indiana have shaped state policy based on the Next Level Agenda, a series of legislative and administrative priorities that cover a wide variety of issues ranging from the economy and infrastructure improvements to the drug epidemic.
Industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) can validate attainment of technical skills and signal to employers that a worker is qualified to perform certain tasks. While credentials are particularly useful for adults, they can also benefit high school students by helping to build their skillsets and giving them an edge when it comes time to compete for a job.
“Social promotion,” the practice of pushing struggling students from one grade to the next regardless of their academic readiness, can have damaging long-term effects.
For nearly two decades, Ohio’s EdChoice program has unlocked private school options for tens of thousands of students by offering state-funded scholarships.
Data show that America’s current manufacturing workforce is aging and retiring as the sector is expanding exponentially and its
Academic Distress Commissions (ADCs) have a long and controversial history in Ohio.
For more than two decades, Ohio’s school report cards have shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s public schools. This year’s report card is no different.
The first pandemic-influenced data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) test are in. Unsurprisingly, an initial analysis says the news is bad.
This morning, the Ohio Department of Education released its annual school report cards based on results from the 2022-23 school year. This year’s iteration makes clear that the impacts of the pandemic on student learning are still being felt, especially for students from less advantaged backgrounds.
Some Ohio public schools may be headed for a world of hurt.
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.
The start of a new school year means that big yellow school buses are back on the road. For many, they’re a welcome sign that a familiar routine has resumed. For others, they spark nostalgia. But for district and school administrators across Ohio, the sight of a yellow bus likely spurs stress and concern thanks to widespread bus driver shortages.