Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/17/26—Awesome and not so awesome
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Governance
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/15/26—Abide by the law and benefit; flout it, and pay big time
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Commentary
Governance
Ohio lawmakers aim to bring evidence-based innovation to higher education
In Ohio, the summer months are quiet on the legislative front. This fall is shaping up to be quiet, as well, with lawmakers focusing most of their attention on the November election and its potential impacts. But there is some low-hanging, bipartisan fruit that policymakers can and should pluck before the end of the year.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/13/26—“So many wonderful opportunities”
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/10/26—Slow the presses a tiny bit
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/8/26—So many moving parts
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. You have been warned. Post-vacation edition covering 6/24 – 7/6/26.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing, School Finance, Governance, Teachers & School Leaders
Ohio should incorporate student attendance into the school funding formula
Thousands of Ohio students are M.I.A. from school and losing the opportunity to reach their potential. Nearly 385,000 students—about one in every four—were “chronically absent” in 2024–25, meaning they missed more than 10 percent of the school year. Of these students, 125,000 were absent more than 20 percent of the year, or about two months’ worth of school.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/24/26—Churchillian advice
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Commentary
Governance
Cautious optimism for Ohio’s Statewide Innovative Waiver Pathway
For the last decade, Ohio’s dual credit program, College Credit Plus (CCP), has been giving academically eligible students in grades 7–12 the opportunity to earn postsecondary credit by taking college courses for free.
Commentary
Governance
Measuring equity-efficiency tradeoffs in elementary education settings
School leaders regularly make decisions on how to deploy their finite resources—staff, money, time—in ways they believe will best serve their students.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/22/26—The urban/rural non-divide
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/17/26—Nothing can bring back the hour of splendour in the grass
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/15/26—From squishy emotion to cold hard contractual obligation
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/12/26—Complicated matters
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/10/26—Math!
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/8/26—Web surfing
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Commentary
Governance
School districts run roughshod over Ohio’s unused facilities law
Amid plunging enrollment and budgetary woes, Ohio’s urban districts have moved to permanently close dozens of school buildings.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/5/26—Clips that ridicule themselves
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/3/26—VAP(idity) on parade
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 6/1/26—Actually? It IS a big whoop.
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/29/26—Show your strength
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/27/26—A winning bid
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Commentary
Governance
Are high school graduates too optimistic about future college success?
Earning a bachelor’s degree has long stood as a marker of success—in one’s education journey, in life generally, and as the starting point for one’s career. Though the financial cost can be high (especially for those who struggled academically), the potential success is often deemed to be worth it.
Commentary
Governance
Ohio’s superintendent standards and the “moral imperative”
The Ohio state board of education recently released draft revisions of its professional standards for superintendents.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/22/26—“It’s on the schools”
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Commentary
Governance
The case for (strategic) school district consolidation in Ohio
School district consolidation has recently emerged as a hot topic, as discussions about local tax burdens and the cost of government continue to percolate throughout Ohio.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/20/26—Graduation, with sprinkles on top
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/15/26—Exemption
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/13/26—Case for the defense
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Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 5/11/26—The high cost of desperation
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