Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/18/21—Built to last
We will top and tail today’s edition of the Bites with two “say what?” clips.
Commentary
Governance
Big opportunities await Ohio’s next state superintendent
Earlier this summer, Ohio’s state superintendent Paolo DeMaria announced his retirement, effective in September.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/16/21—BTS
The Dispatch is celebrating the first day of school today—for a year that they characteri
Commentary
Teachers & School Leaders
NCTQ sheds light on Ohio teacher licensure exams
Before they can stand in front of a classroom full of students, most prospective teachers have to pass state licensure exams. But how many candidates pass those exams on the first try and how many need multiple attempts? Which schools fare best at readying their students for these exams?
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/13/21—You say school choice is the problem, do you?
An interesting, if tangential topic to start our Friday: The latest annual report on poverty trends from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies notes an ongoing lack of broadband access in some parts of the s
Commentary
Private School Choice
No, EdChoice is not the cause of racial segregation
Opponents of school choice in Ohio continue to threaten a lawsuit seeking to eradicate the state’s largest private-school scholarship program, known as
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/11/21—Gone the way of the “venerable” magnet school campouts
I have to admit I didn’t realize just how venerable (for lack of a better word) those schools-specific public transit routes for Cincinnati City Schools students were—in use for more than 40 years—which explains to my satisfaction why district officials were so incensed when they learned that those r
Commentary
Teachers & School Leaders
Want great teachers and higher achievement? A study from Wisconsin suggests trying flexible pay.
The vast majority of Ohio teachers are paid according to salary schedules that reward seniority and degrees earned, the result of state l
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/9/21—Planning hopefully
The new school year is starting up in an increasing number of schools and districts around Ohio.
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/6/21—Sorta weird
RedefinED’s Matthew Ladner posits that a number of factors—including an ongoing baby bust, that crazy little thing called ‘rona, and the recent removal of restrictions on where charter schools can locate—will c
Commentary
The case for partisan school board elections
This November, Americans will cast their votes in thousands of local school board races. The stakes couldn’t be higher. These governing bodies will decide how public schools handle hot-button issues like masking requirements and critical race theory.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/4/21—Finding your “E”
I know we’re not supposed to talk about “Covid slide” among kids because there is no such thing.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
What explains the pre-pandemic improvement in Cleveland schools?
During summer 2012, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 525, legislation that allowed the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to implement a city-wide school turnaround plan.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 8/2/21—“If we come out of this and everything looks the same, then shame on us.”
As we noted on Friday, Woodcrest Elementary in Columbus City Schools started the new school year last week.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/30/21—The new school year is upon some of us already
In case you missed it, the Ohio Department of Health this week released its Covid guidance for K-12 schools for the new school year
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/28/21—August might be an illusion
We’re back after a week’s vacation. Let’s get caught up!
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/21/21—Just a skosh
Bites will be on vacation for the next week. Back on Wednesday, July 28, with what I hope will be a more scintillating edition than this one. To wit…
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/19/21—Kids in uniform
Only two clips for today, and both of them are military-focused. How nice!
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/16/21—It will be different
Officials with Akron City Schools tell the ABJ that they “learned a lot about online learning since March 2020”.
Commentary
Governance
Poolside potpourri: Ohio’s AP opportunity gaps, a new charter ranking, and fresh national data
With the state budget bill on the books, most loyal Gadfly readers have more time to kick back and read something other than legislation. Here’s a synopsis of a few recent reports that caught my eye. Ohio has one of the nation’s largest AP opportunity gaps
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/14/21—Fair(ly confusing) School Funding Plan
As we have noted in these Bites since the passage of the state budget bill, the cold light of day is a strong antidote to formerly red hot rhetoric. It also seems to induce some caveat emptor vibes as well.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Thanks to state policymakers, charter schools can now open anywhere in Ohio
After months of debate, the state budget was signed into law by Governor DeWine
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 7/12/21—Easy peasy
The powers that be in Youngstown City Schools—all of them—seem to be looking forward to the day that local control will be fully re-established in the distri
Commentary
Commentary
Curriculum & Instruction
Gadfly Bites 7/9/21—Exponential
Our own Chad Aldis is quoted in this piece from public radio here in Columbus, saying that the new state budget “completely divorced” school report cards from vouche
