Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 1/12/26—Tangible impact
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Topics
Commentary
Charter Schools
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 1.9.26
Stories featured in Ohio Charter News Weekly may require a paid subscription to read in full. More districts, more transpo problems
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 1/9/26—Rubber/glue
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 1/7/26—Clearer, but still pretty complicated
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 1/5/26—Final closeout
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’.
Commentary
Governance
Three predictions for Ohio education policy in 2026
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.
Commentary
Governance
Ranking Ohio’s top ten education news stories from 2025
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.
Commentary
Governance
Fordham Ohio’s six most-read blog posts of 2025
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.
Commentary
Governance
Get the (retro) buzz: Twenty years of Ohio Gadfly
Two decades ago, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Ohio Gadfly newsletter was born—on November 2, 2005 to be exact.
Commentary
Governance
If transparency matters, apply it evenhandedly across Ohio’s public schools
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
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/22/25—Right to Wariness Week
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 12.19.25
Stories featured in Ohio Charter News Weekly may require a paid subscription to read in full. Letter and spirit
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/19/25—Early Christmas presents
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/17/25—How clever of them
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
Four-day school weeks? Toledo should think twice
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.
Commentary
Curriculum & Instruction
Impacts of an AI-powered writing program in middle school
Concern is growing over the impacts of AI use on
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/15/25—What about all those years of “academic blight”, eh?
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 12.12.25
Stories featured in Ohio Charter News Weekly may require a paid subscription to read in full. Learning more to help students succeed
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/12/25—Three options; all of them good.
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Accountability & Testing
Two reasons why the House should pass Senate Bill 19 in the new year
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and Christmas on the horizon, Ohioans are now fully immersed in the holiday season. Between shoveling snow and checking the kids’ Christmas lists, most folks aren’t thinking about their plans for the new year.
Commentary
Governance
Ohio should hold schools more accountable for reducing chronic absenteeism
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.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/10/25—“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/8/25—The things we tell ourselves to feel better
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Ohio Charter News Weekly – 12.5.25
Stories featured in Ohio Charter News Weekly may require a paid subscription to read in full. Leading with kindness
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/5/25—Before the vote and after the vote
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Career & Technical Education
Senate Bill 328 would help Ohio build on its career-connected learning foundation
A new bill introduced in the state Senate offers a great opportunity for Ohio to build on the career-connected learning foundation lawmakers have already established. Here’s a look at two key provisions that should help students make a smoother journey from school to career.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/3/25—The usual noise
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
Gadfly Bites 12/1/25—Definitely not zero
News stories featured in Gadfly Bites may require a paid subscription to read in full. Just sayin’.
Commentary
Governance
A time for gratitude
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.
