Displaying 1261-1290 of 1782 results
Commentary
8.6.2018
Governance

Maximizing the language acquisition benefits of preschool

Jeff Murray

While the so-called “word gap” between children from low and high socioeconomic circumstances continues, as it has for decades, to get much attention, researchers are continuing to dig deeper into the quantity and quality of language with which young children interact. There is more to successful language acquisition than just pouring more words into their ears.

Commentary
8.3.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 8/3/18 - Wrinkles

Jeff Murray

The good news: everyone in Dayton now seems to be on the same page regarding the timeline for a possible academic distress designation in the district.

Commentary
8.2.2018
Curriculum & Instruction

How can children become good readers?

Aaron Churchill

In a paper titled Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement, the Ohio Department of Education recently wrote that districts have “a limited understanding of how to build early literacy in young children.” This is manifestly troubling, as s

Commentary
7.30.2018
Governance

The erosion of teenage employment and a youth minimum wage

Aaron Churchill

Since 2007, Ohio’s minimum wage has climbed from $6.85 per hour to the current rate of $8.30. Earlier this year, state Democratic leaders introduced a bill that would further accelerate minimum wage increases to $15.00 per hour by 2025.

Commentary
7.30.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/30/18 – Their dreamlike vision

Jeff Murray

Fordham’s own Mike Petrilli and Amber Northern have an editorial published in today’s Cincinnati Enquirer, discussing the findings of the recent Charter School Deserts report and urging changes in Ohio law that could address those issues here in the Buckeye

Commentary
7.27.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/27/18 – The gap between rhetoric and reality

Jeff Murray

As we have discussed previously, Madison Local Schools near Mansfield has been engaged in a monthslong kerfuffle with a number of district parents over implementation of a new STEM curriculum in elementary and middle schools.

Commentary
7.25.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/25/18 – Attached at the hip

Jeff Murray

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but summer will be over sooner than you think. Don’t blame me; blame LeBron James. Because his new I Promise School in Akron opens next week!

Commentary
7.23.2018
Governance

Recommendations for local school board members

Chad L. Aldis

A couple of years ago, I had the honor of interviewing for a vacancy on my local school board. Working at an education think tank, especially one that supports school choice, leads many to assume I’m not supportive of traditional public schools. They are mistaken. My three kids have all attended their neighborhood schools, and my school district is a critical part of my community.

Commentary
7.23.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/23/18 – Singularly focused

Jeff Murray

Both Chad Aldis and Jessica Poiner are quoted in this Gongwer piece on the potential effect of new rules for dropout recovery schools, recently approved by the State Board of Education. Sounds like those effects are difficult to prognosticate, but we will likely see how they did within a year.

Commentary
7.20.2018
Governance

Does accurate financial forecasting improve student achievement?

Aaron Churchill

Death, taxes, and the Browns missing the playoffs are just about the only predictable things on this earth. But far greater uncertainty exists in other aspects of life, including matters of school finance. A new paper by Stéphane Lavertu and Travis St.

Commentary
7.20.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/20/18 – “This is our money.”

Jeff Murray

If, many months ago when we were discussing the interdistrict open enrollment situation in Liberty Local Schools, you were asking yourself how it was possible for a district to enact a policy barring white students from utilizing open enrollment to leave Liberty

Commentary
7.18.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/18/18 - A load of old mugwort if you ask me

Jeff Murray

What’s up in Dayton? Awesomeness, that’s what. Just take a look. First up, a change in bell schedules for nearly every school building in the district is on tap for the new school year. Awesome.

Commentary
7.16.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/16/18 – Love it or list it, Dayton edition

Jeff Murray

The Dayton Daily News has, it seems, decided to spearhead an all-out effort to help Dayton City Schools. It is part of their “The Path Forward” initiative which highlights different problem areas in the city. Not sure how extensive this series of articles will ultimately be, but it begins with three pieces published yesterday.

Commentary
7.13.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/13/18 – Sharing is caring

Jeff Murray

Not much to cover in education news today, but half of what there is includes quotes from our own Chad Aldis! So there’s that. First up, Chad is among the folks discussing A-F school report cards. Good? Bad? Informational? Punitive?

Commentary
7.11.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/11/18 – The danger of the thing

Jeff Murray

Following up on Monday’s big news: How did Secretary DeVos’ visit to Northwest Ohio go? Seems pretty good, but it’s hard to tell from this piece, which is more about protestors for some reason. Even Penta Career Center gets shortchanged here.

Commentary
7.6.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/6/18 – Is nothing sacred?

While LeBron James is leaving Northeast Ohio for a new job out west, his family foundation is plowing ahead with its support of the new I Promise School in Akron. He promises to be there on opening day in August. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7/3/18)

Commentary
7.2.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 7/2/18 – Downbeat

Jeff Murray

Remember what we were saying last week about the downbeat assessment of the passage of a bill that would, among other things, change many facets of e-school accountability?

Commentary
6.29.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/29/18 – It’s a kind of magic

Jeff Murray

As we noted on Wednesday, the state legislature was moving expeditiously to pass a ton of bills, including one that contained measures to deal with Ohio’s “online charter school problem” (yes, that problem).

Commentary
6.27.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/27/18 – Expedition

Jeff Murray

On Saturday, editors in Akron opined on the topic of Ohio’s “online charter school problem” – you know the one they’re talking about – and on the need for legislation to fix it.

Commentary
6.22.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/22/18 – It’s deliberate

Jeff Murray

As predicted earlier this month, Dayton Biz Tech – a dropout recovery charter school sponsored by Dayton City Schools – was this week saved from the chopping block by the school board.

Commentary
6.20.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/20/18 – Good thing they hate sunlight too

Jeff Murray

Having already had the image of ECOT rising from the dead like Dracula put into our heads this week, I guess you could call House Bill 707 a garlic-crusted-crucifix-sprinkled-with-holy-water-and-attached-to-a-wooden-stake kind of bill.

Commentary
6.18.2018
Governance

Rethinking regulation in K-12 education

Aaron Churchill

“K–12 education in America is ripe for real deregulation,” writes Michael McShane in his recent paper on school regulations. Hailing from an organization founded by the famed economist and champion of limited government Milton Friedman, his main argument comes as little surprise.

Commentary
6.18.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/18/18 – Rise of the Boogeyman

Jeff Murray

A blog post by our own Chad Aldis is quoted in this piece looking at the future of funding and accountability for online schools in Ohio. The Education-Related Boogeyman™ that is ECOT’s thoroughly-beaten corpse is invoked here. Think I’m exaggerating this Boogeyman joke?

Commentary
6.15.2018
Governance

Gadfly Bites 6/15/18 – Too much opposition

Jeff Murray

Some folks are calling foul after the shocking revelation™ that ECOT utilized NDAs with regard to terminated staffers. You know which folks I mean. Our own Chad Aldis weighs in amid the Dispatch coverage of the issue.