Today’s edition covers stories from the last weeks of 2025. Regular service for 2026 resumes on Wednesday. News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
The countdown clock has hit zero, the confetti has fallen, and folks are basking in the shine of a fresh start. Across social media, Ohioans are predicting what they think the new year will bring for them and their loved ones. But what does 2026 have in store for Ohio education? Here are three predictions.
From college football to movies, everyone loves a good top-ten ranking. In an effort to give the people what they want, here are the ten most notable education stories from the past year in Ohio.
Befitting a busy year with so many education topics to cover—including a state budget, a voucher lawsuit, and a full court press to cut down on chronic student absenteeism—Ohio Gadfly readers found a diverse roster of blog posts to pay attention to in 2025.
Two decades ago, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Ohio Gadfly newsletter was born—on November 2, 2005 to be exact.
Transparency matters. But so does fairness. Ohio’s new ethics disclosure decision singles out charter school board members—even though most district board members face no such requirement. Accountability should be applied consistently across public education
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Toledo City Schools is considering a move to four-day school weeks in hopes of saving money. But evidence shows they are not fiscally beneficial. Even worse: they harm student learning, especially for the students who are already being underserved by their schools.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
To combat Ohio’s attendance crisis, policymakers must tighten accountability for student absenteeism at the school level. We explain how this can be done via state report card changes.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s fitting to pause and reflect on the past year—to take stock not only of the challenges we face but also of the progress being made and the people working tirelessly to improve education across our state.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
In the latest saga at Columbus City Schools, district officials are mulling the elimination of busing for
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Today's story definitely does. Just sayin’. There was no education news worth talking about on Monday, thus no Bites. Today is hardly better.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Note: Today, the Ohio House Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 455 which, among other things, aims to eliminate outdated and irrelevant sections of state education law.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
November’s mid-term elections were a timely reminder about the pitfalls of holding school board elections on off-cycle years. Time for that to change here in Ohio.
