At the end of November, we asked you—our loyal Ohio Gadfly readers—to tell us what you thought were the top education stories for 2016. The choices were numerous and we appreciate all of the responses. In the spirit of “ringing out the old,” we give you the Top 5:
Longtime Ohio education curmudgeon Bill Phillis found an outlet through which to express his distaste for a proposed new funding formula introduced in the state legislature last week by the chair of the House Education
Here’s another article on Fordham-sponsored charter school DECA Prep’s expansion plans, now underway in Dayton. There’s some great detail here about the school’s plans. I find the “parent center” portion to be very interesting.
The end of the legislative session in Ohio included a couple of surprises, one of which was a bill from Rep. Andrew Brenner proposing a fairly radical overhaul of school funding in the state.
Fordham’s first-ever analysis of Ohio’s EdChoice program – released earlier this year – was cited in a “School Vouchers 101” piece on NPR. NPR!! (National Public Radio, 12/7/16)
NOTE: The State Board of Education of Ohio is today debating whether to change graduation requirements for the Class of 2018 and beyond. Below are the written remarks that Chad Aldis gave before the board today.
Editor’s note: Earlier today, the Center for American Progress, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Fordham Institute released the following letter to states outlining the opportunities in the Every Student Succeeds Act to support high-achieving students.
Most Ohio Gadfly readers know that we typically offer in-depth commentary one topic at a time. This tendency assumes (pardon the holiday metaphor) that one huge present is preferred—like the Lexus tied up in a bow. We recognize that other folks might prefer a bundle of gifts. So, for those yearning for a little more diversity in their inbox, this one is for you.
Fordham-sponsored charter school KIPP: Columbus is among the grant recipients recently announced by the Columbus Foundation as part of its Capital Improvement Funding Partnership to “prioritize and respond to capital needs in the community.” Congrats to local
As the school’s sponsor, Fordham is namechecked in this story about an impending expansion at DECA Prep, one of the first charter schools to win facilities funding from the state. Awesome! (Dayton Biz Journal, 12/7/16)
One of the big Ohio education stories of 2016 was the growing popularity of College Credit Plus (CCP), a program that provides students three ways to earn college credit from public or participating private
By Jonathan Plucker, Ph.D.
Our own Chad Aldis was busy yesterday.
What are the chances that the ongoing kerfuffle between Ohio’s largest online school and the state department of education regarding their recent attendance audit will be solved via legislation in the current lame duck session of the Ohio G
By Dr. Clar M. Baldus and Dr. Hope E. Wilson
Editors in Youngstown yesterday opined in praise of the Youngstown Plan and expressed hope for Lorain as it embarks on its own version of the plan.
By Jonathan S. Budd and Victoria McDougald
We start with an update on a few stories we’ve been following. First up, here is a more detailed look at the State Auditor’s (yeah, him again) report on the plusses and minuses of interdistrict open enrollment.
In case you missed it last week, Betsy DeVos was chosen as the next U.S. Education Secretary. Public media in Cleveland got hold of our own Mike Petrilli to discuss the choice and what it might mean for Ohio. (IdeaStream Public Media, Cleveland, 11/24/16)
A member of the state board of education member tendered his resignation this week because he and his family are moving out of state. He’s got a few things to get off his chest on the way out.
As another year ends, we want you to tell us what you think were the most important Ohio education stories in 2016 and what you predict will be the top story next year.
Italy has an achievement gap—one that may sound familiar to Americans. PISA scores show a marked gap between Italian students and those of other OECD countries in both math and reading.
Our own Chad Aldis is among the list of Ohio officials and experts (by process of elimination, Chad must be one of the latter) deploring the uncertain future for education in Ohio in the wake of the presidential election.
Loyal Gadfly Bites subscribers (“Get a life!”) will recall that Dayton City Schools is facing a funding decrease due to declining enrollment. As a result, some staff reduction has already been undertaken and more has been mooted by the school board president.
By Jonathan S. Budd and Victoria McDougald
