Education News for 04-02-2012

Statewide Education News

• Charters hire coordinators to get kids into college-prep high schools (Dispatch)

As middle-school students, they’ve been preparing for college. Pennants hang in their classrooms. The only missing piece: high school. Most of the students at KIPP Journey Academy and Columbus Collegiate Academy, both charter middle schools, would attend a low-performing high school if they went to their neighborhood schools. That won’t do, so each of the middle schools has hired someone to help get students into excellent, even elite, area high schools. Read More…

• District seeks to strengthen standards at high schools (Vindicator)

Youngstown - The proposed update to the city schools academic-recovery plan focuses on strategies to improve high school students’ achievement. The plan, adopted by the academic distress commission March 15, awaits approval by state Superintendent Stan Heffner. Heffner, who has 30 days to review the plan, may approve, reject or modify the document. Adrienne O’Neill, chair of the distress commission, said the plan that’s been in place since July 2010 focuses on the elementary schools. That plan remains in place, but the newly-constituted commission updated it. Read More…

• Ready for college? Some seniors aren't (Daily Record)

WOOSTER - Getting into college and being ready for college can be two different things. The academic standards being phased in by the 2013-14 school year are in part motivated by "the need to help Ohio students be best prepared for college and or careers after high school," said Patrick Gallaway, the Ohio Department of Education's associate director of communications. It's apparently not a new problem. Read More…

• Teens hungry to learn about managing money because they're not learning it at home (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Two years after the Ohio Department of Education told all high schools they had to start teaching financial literacy, schools are finding a hunger among teen-agers to learn things their parents never taught them. "Many parents feel more comfortable talking with their kids about sex than finance," said Beth Pagan, a business teacher at North Ridgeville High School. "And honestly, with some of them, I think the parents are financially illiterate." Read More…

• Charter schools get boost from busing (Beacon Journal)

Charter schools claim to offer a superior education than that provided by traditional public schools. But Akron school officials suspect parents have another reason for choosing charter schools: free busing courtesy of the city school district they are abandoning. A combination of law and geography gives charter schools an advantage over the Akron District. The financially strapped district buses students only if they live more than two miles from their school, ruling out most Akron City students attending neighborhood schools closer to home. Read More…

• Schools enact new plan to battle bullies (Tribune Chronicle)

Officials at Warren City Schools said they want to make it clear the minute students, parents and community members step inside any of the districts buildings that they have entered a "No Bully Zone." The city school district, which has seen several reported cases of bullying among students this school year, has developed a K-12 anti-bullying initiative it hopes will reduce the number of bullying incidents. Read More…

• Galion boy attends school via Skype (News-Journal)

GALION - Cage Nolen has been out of class for almost five months, but in some ways, he's never been gone. The 8-year-old Galion Primary School student said he prefers to be at school. "It's just more fun," Cage said. "Plus, I can play UNO there without fighting with (brother) Chris." But his parents say it's too much of a risk. "Cage can get pneumonia very, very easily," said his mother, Diana. "He usually gets it a couple times a year." Read More…

• Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schools (Dispatch)

Spend first, ask permission later, and don’t bother with receipts. The loose financial systems at some of Ohio’s charter schools have led to questionable spending in recent years. Some schools hired treasurers with spotty track records; others hired qualified treasurers but disregarded their advice when they insisted on better checks and balances. The recent case of a charter-school treasurer who misspent more than $600,000 in public money over a decade at several schools has highlighted how common fiscal missteps have been in charters. Read More…

• Former Congressman Louis Stokes in favor of Mayor Frank Jackson's idea for Cleveland schools (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Cleveland needs the kinds of major improvements to its schools that Mayor Frank Jackson is proposing, former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes said Friday. "This is the time we must put everything aside and say, 'How do we give kids the education they're entitled to?' " said Stokes, who served in Congress for three decades. Now retired, Stokes said he decided to speak about Jackson's plan after hearing the mayor talk recently and being impressed with his sincerity about wanting to improve the schools. Read More…

Local Issues

• Olentangy schools audit spurs theft report (Dispatch)

An Olentangy school board member has filed a theft report because a state audit said two district athletic directors had misused money in tournament accounts. Board member Adam White said he filed the complaint so authorities would launch a probe, not as an accusation that Jay Wolfe and Thomas Gerhardt broke the law. The report filed Thursday with the Delaware County sheriff’s office says only that a theft occurred and names Olentangy schools as the victim. Read More…

• Cleveland residents back Mayor Frank Jackson's plan for city schools, poll shows (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — Cleveland residents aware of Mayor Frank Jackson's plan to improve schools in the city support it by a 2-to-1 ratio, according to a poll sought by Jackson and the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Sixty percent of those people said they have a positive opinion of the plan. The poll by the Triad Research Group in Rocky River also shows support for Jackson's plan rising to 75 percent after respondents were questioned about issues the Cleveland School District faces and about parts of the mayor's plan. Read More…

• TPS aims to beef up its magnet program (Blade)

The light glowed dimly, at least in the room, but served as a beacon for big plans and past ideas. Cody Hagen and Austin Miner, both 18, inspired by Nikola Tesla and working with a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are developing ways to transmit electricity without wires. So far, they've made their wireless currents light up objects a couple of inches away; the MIT team is up to seven feet, they said. Still, they correspond frequently, with the Massachusetts side offering tips through email. Read More…

• Teachers stress finance skills (Enquirer)

Fourteen local educators and students were recognized recently for their work in financial literacy. The awards were presented March 22 by the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center, which offers financial literacy programs for students and teacher training. The Economics Center says it’s important to recognize those who go above and beyond to help students understand financial issues. “The educators that we are honoring today are obviously exceptional teachers, but they are more than that,” said Economics Center’s Director, Julie Heath. Read More…

• Lorain union preparing for teacher cuts (Morning Journal)

LORAIN — The process of laying off Lorain City School teachers and other staff, which will play out over the next 30 days, is nothing new to Lorain Education Association Union President David Wood. Over the next month, Interim Superintendent Ed Branham will be meeting with staff to help determine the 119 teaching positions that will be cut at the end of this year. The employee cuts, which total 182 district wide, were announced at Thursday night’s school board meeting. Read More…

• Board wants to beef up summer-school program (Dispatch)

The Columbus Board of Education plans to expand summer-school offerings in 2013 and wants a committee to keep that in mind as it decides whether the district should ask voters for more money. The board voted yesterday to give the committee five district priorities, with expanded summer school topping the list. The committee is scheduled to deliver its recommendations to the board by June. Depending on when in June the advisory panel completes its work, the board might have only days to decide whether to seek a property tax in the general election this year. Read More…

• All good news for Little Miami Schools (Enquirer)

HAMILTON TWP. — The youngest students in Little Miami schools will once again go to kindergarten every day in neighborhood schools when classes resume next school year. In a reversal of a February decision, the state-appointed commission that has run the financially-struggling district since it was put in fiscal emergency two years ago approved three resolutions Thursday, making good on promises made to the community by the elected school board last November following voter approval of a 13.95-mill levy after eight failures. Read More…

• Chardon Superintendent Joe Bergant to stay with district another year (News-Herald)

Chardon Schools Superintendent Joe Bergant, whose resignation was scheduled to be effective in July, has chosen to stay with the district for another year. In making the announcement, the district said Bergant’s decision is a personal effort to help restore the learning environment which was severely disrupted on Feb. 27 as tragedy struck Chardon High when three students were killed and another three were injured. Read More…

Editorial

• Breathing space (Dispatch)

That Ohio has one of the nation’s toughest laws on charter-school accountability is a good thing; poorly-run charter schools can’t remain open, short-changing their students year after year. It also is a good thing that the Ohio Department of Education wants to put in place a tougher, more-realistic set of standards for grading schools, even though it will lower the grades of many. But the department shouldn’t allow the combination of those two to doom charter schools that are making progress. Read More…

• Awful literacy stats make the case for Jackson's school reform plan (Plain Dealer)

Imagine living in a place where nearly 44 out of every 100 residents are incapable of using a bus schedule to figure out how to arrive at work on time. Or in a community where the same number of people cannot write a brief letter explaining a credit card billing error. If you live in Cuyahoga County, you already are living that reality. Those measures are included in the sobering, countywide literacy findings regularly compiled by Case Western Reserve University's first-rate Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development. Read More…

• Boundary lines (Dispatch)

It appears the 26-year-old Win-Win territory agreement among Franklin County school districts needs a tune-up, as cash payments among districts may be out of whack and changes in state business taxes have complicated things. But Columbus City Schools and the suburban districts should keep negotiating toward adjustments to the pact. The one-of-a-kind agreement has allowed school-district boundaries to remain predictable during periods of dynamic development, and that’s something worth preserving. Read More…

Education News for 03-30-2012

Statewide Education News

• State audit faults Columbus schools’ tutor spending (Dispatch)

The Columbus school district paid tutoring groups for serving children who weren’t enrolled in Columbus schools and for services that were never provided, a state audit says. The district does “actively monitor” the federally required tutoring program, auditors said. Yet auditors “identified several inaccuracies and falsified vendor documents,” particularly on the invoices that tutoring groups submitted to the district. Read More…

• Ohio legislators aim to introduce Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's schools plan next week (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's sweeping plan to transform Cleveland schools won't reach the Statehouse launching pad this week as the mayor had hoped. Instead, legislators are giving him and the Cleveland Teachers Union one more chance to reach agreement first. Four legislators who have been working with the two sides announced Thursday they will hold off until after the union and the mayor's office meet again Tuesday. Read More…

Local Issues

• Cleveland schools, teachers union plan rally Saturday to showcase district's successes (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland School District and the Cleveland Teachers Union will hold a "Rally for Excellence" on Saturday, showcasing success in the city schools. The event, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at East Technical High School, 2439 East 55th St., will feature author and Oprah Winfrey Network TV host Wes Moore as the keynote speaker at 11:45 a.m. A youth advocate, he is the author of the bestseller "The Other Wes Moore." Read More…

• ACTION demands answers from leaders (Vindicator)

Youngstown - State and local leaders were placed on the hot seat at Thursday’s ACTION meeting, where community members requested from them specific levels of commitment toward fixing the education system in Youngstown. At the meeting themed “Save Our Children,” state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd, Youngstown Superintendent Connie Hathorn and Larry Ellis from the Youngstown Education Association sat at a table in front of a packed Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church on the city’s east side. Read More…

• Southeastern teens' anti-bullying video goes national (News-Sun)

SOUTH CHARLESTON — What started as a school project on bullying is gaining national attention. Tyler Gregory and Scott Hannah, both members of the Family Community Career Leaders of America, made an anti-bullying video as part of a project for the organization. The idea came following the national attention surrounding the suicide of 14-year-old Jamie Rodemeyer. “I never thought that we could stop bullying,” Gregory said. “But we wanted to do something that would alleviate it, help it out a little bit so people think before they do it.” Read More…

• Warren Schools may expand (Tribune Chronicle)

WARREN - Not even two years after the city school district opened two of its new buildings, officials are considering options to expand those buildings, at a cost of about $1 million. William A. Schurman, executive vice president at Hammond Construction, presented plans to the Warren City Schools Board of Education during a recent work session. Plans call for the addition of several classrooms at each of the Jefferson and McGuffey K-8 schools on the city's west side. Read More…

Education News for 03-29-2012

Statewide Education News

• Kasich gets bill requiring teaching of founding documents (Dispatch)

Ohio students in grades four to 12 would have to be taught the original texts of the U.S. Constitution and other founding documents, and high-school students would take end-of-course exams for American history and government under a bill that won final legislative approval yesterday. The bill was sparked by a February 2011 report from the Fordham Foundation that was critical of Ohio’s history-education standards. Supporters argue that children cannot be expected to defend the rights and freedoms the Founding Fathers intended without an understanding of the documents. Read More…

• Ohio lawmakers hoping for compromise before introducing Cleveland schools plan (Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS - Despite pressure from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's office, the Democrat's sweeping plan to transform Cleveland schools didn't reach the Statehouse launching pad Wednesday. For Statehouse Democrats, the main sticking points holding up introduction of the legislation were a pair of provisions fiercely opposed by the Cleveland Teachers Union and the Ohio Federation of Teachers. A so-called "fresh start" provision would begin future contract negotiations without carryover items from previous contracts. Read More…

• Bill shortening school year revised to give districts flexibility (Dispatch)

Sorry, kids, but it doesn’t look like you’re going to get a longer summer break after all. A state legislator has dropped a proposal to require school to start after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day. Instead, a new version of the legislation unveiled today would give school districts more flexibility with their school calendars. House Bill 191, introduced by Rep. Bill Hayes, R-Harrison Township, would change state laws regarding the minimum time that students must spend in school: from 182 days to 1,001 hours for grades seven through 12. Read More…

• Lawmakers honor Chardon ‘heroes’ (Dispatch)

Just a month after a high-school shooting in Chardon left three dead and two seriously wounded, Gov. John Kasich and the General Assembly honored law-enforcement, firefighters, school officials and other first responders for their efforts. Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said the governor wanted the 47 men and women, whom Kasich called “ real heroes” in a tweet yesterday, to share their experiences with his cabinet. After the emotional meeting, Nichols said, the group had lunch with the governor, before receiving commendations from the Ohio House and Senate. Read More…

Local Issues

• Tax panel seeks info on Columbus schools employee salaries (Dispatch)

A citizens committee looking at whether Columbus City Schools should ask voters for more property-tax money wants a wide range of detailed financial information, including how employees’ salaries and benefits size up in today’s jobs market. Committee member Alex Fischer urged Superintendent Gene Harris to “dream big,” not only on what she wants to preserve but also on what should be cut. Fischer is president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, a group representing the leaders of about 30 local businesses. Read More…

• Rachel's Challenge event coming to Perry Schools (News-Herald)

In the wake of the deadly Chardon school shooting, Perry Schools will bring Rachel’s Challenge to the district on Thursday. The presentation, which promotes positive change in treating others, is named after Rachel Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine school shooting in 1999. Shortly after the event, her family began speaking about the incident using drawings and writings from Rachel’s diaries to help spread positive messages. Read More…

• Ohio Federation of Teachers says Cleveland reform plan lacks any proven methods for success (Plain Dealer)

When Mayor Frank Jackson introduced his plan to radically reshape Cleveland public schools, it was almost inevitable that the union representing Cleveland teachers would push back. Condemning the proposal as a crackdown on the collective bargaining rights of teachers akin to last year’s controversial Senate Bill 5, both the Cleveland Teachers Union and the larger group they belong to — the Ohio Federation of Teachers — spoke out. Read More…

• Literacy program seeing results (WKYC 3 NBC)

CLEVELAND - The Literacy Cooperative has received and analyzed data measuring the first year pilot of SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) in Cuyahoga County and the results are very promising. As part its mission to improve lives by enhancing literacy, The Literacy Cooperative is piloting SPARK in selected communities in Cuyahoga County as a model for increasing early childhood literacy and school-readiness. Read More…

• 3 elementary schools would merge in Buckeye Valley tax plan (Dispatch)

RADNOR — School officials in the Buckeye Valley School District are capitalizing on the attention elementary schools are receiving in a budget crisis as the district prepares to ask voters to pass another income-tax increase and bond issue. Tonight, Superintendent Jamie Grube presented the board with a plan to tear down not only the previously targeted Buckeye Valley North Elementary School, but also the other two elementary schools in the Delaware County district. Read More…

• Field Trip Helps Students Think About the Future (WJW 8 FOX)

ASHLAND – Forget recess and finger paints. Garfield Elementary students ditched their schoolbooks for a taste of higher learning. “We’re visiting Ashland University to mostly to visit our pen pals and mostly to know what it’s like at Ashland University,” said fourth grade student Kristen Lyons. Kristen was one of 70 fourth grade students touring campus. The biggest highlight, for many, was meeting their college pen pals. Read More…

• Chardon heroes welcomed home after visit with state leaders (News-Herald)

The Chardon Walmart parking lot was populated by many community members wearing red and black on Wednesday afternoon. Hundreds lined up to shake hands, hug or simply say thanks to the first responders who worked to save lives and limit bloodshed during the Feb. 27 shootings at Chardon High School. Leadership Geauga and United Way Services of Geauga County helped organized the event dubbed "Hearts for Our Heroes," which welcomed home the heroes after they were honored earlier Wednesday at the Ohio Statehouse. Read More…

Education News for 03-28-2012

Statewide Education News

• Legislators fear reading mandate in Kasich proposal will cost schools too much (Dispatch)

State lawmakers raised concerns yesterday about Gov. John Kasich’s plan to help students who struggle with reading and hold back youngsters who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade. While no one questioned the goal of ensuring that third-graders read proficiently before being advanced, many asked where cash-strapped school districts were supposed to come up with the money to pay for tutoring, summer school and other services that would be required. Read More…

• TPS board seeks delay of new state report card (Blade)

The Toledo Board of Education Tuesday collectively blasted a proposed new state school report card system that would drop the grade for most districts and would especially hit Toledo Public Schools hard. The proposed system would do away with designations such as "academic emergency" and "excellent" that rate schools and districts, and would use an A through F scale instead. Had the new system been used last year, TPS would have been one of only two districts in the state to receive an F. Read More…

• Ohio wants to expand free online tutoring (Dayton Daily News)

Free tutoring will soon be just a click away for more Ohio college students. The Ohio Board of Regents has invited all Ohio universities and colleges to join the Ohio eTutoring Collaborative. The goal is for all 107 institutions of higher learning in the state to join, making the service available to more than 600,000 students. About 2,400 students at 21 participating schools used the tutoring service in fall 2011. Central State University, Sinclair Community, Clark State Community and Edison Community colleges are among participants statewide. Read More…

Local Issues

• Youngstown schools Board eyes cost-cutting options (Vindicator)

Youngstown - Closing buildings, cutting all overtime and instituting pay-to-play are among the options city school board members must consider as ways to save money. Lock P. Beachum Sr., school board president, said at a school board meeting Tuesday that the possibilities he listed aren’t his recommendations. “These are the things you’ve got to look at,” he said. “I probably won’t be here. This is my last term.” Beachum said he wants to leave office with the district in stable financial shape. Read More…

• Job cuts likely if $450,000 budget trim gets OK at Paint Valley (Chillicothe Gazette)

BAINBRIDGE - Five teachers and a secretary likely will lose their jobs if the Paint Valley Board of Education approves about $450,000 in proposed budget cuts at a special meeting Monday. Superintendent Gary Uhrig said the reduction in force, which also would eliminate two positions currently being filled by long-term substitute teachers, is necessary because the district stands to lose $363,000 in federal funding that was doled out in 2010 for schools to hire, re-hire and retain school employees. Read More…

• Hamilton board continues to shuffle administrators (Journal-News)

HAMILTON — The Hamilton City School District continues to shuffle administrators as it has appointed five new principals and six elementary deans of students for the 2012-13 school year. The new principals include two elementary principals — Katherine Huber and Victoria Kowalk — two middle/freshman principals — Jeffrey Miller and Brandon Stanfill — and one secondary assistant principal — Robyn Jordan. Read More…

• T.J. Lane to undergo competency evaluation (News-Herald)

T.J. Lane, the suspect in the Chardon High School shooting, will undergo a competency evaluation to determine if he is fit to face charges. Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Judge Tim Grendell ordered the evaluation Tuesday. Due to the evaluation, the probable cause/bindover hearing set for next Tuesday will be held at a later date. The bindover hearing will decide if there is enough evidence to move the case to adult court. It is not known whether Lane’s defense requested the evaluation or if the prosecution opposed it. Read More…

Editorial

• Full speed ahead on Cleveland school reform (Plain Dealer)

Mayor Frank Jackson's school reform initiative is making clear progress toward a broad consensus -- welcome news to anyone concerned about the future of this community and an incentive to keep working, full speed ahead. Those efforts must continue even as Jackson and his allies aim to introduce their still-evolving legislation to the Ohio General Assembly this week. No significant bill ever emerges from the legislative process exactly as presented. But introducing legislation will compel all parties to keep searching for consensus. Read More…

Education News for 03-27-2012

Statewide Education News

• Ohio making strides in Race to the Top (Dispatch)

Ohio is “meeting expectations” on implementing changes under its $400 million Race to the Top grant, a study released yesterday says. The Center for American Progress, a Washington-based nonprofit, found that “despite weathering major changes in leadership, Ohio has made significant progress” toward putting the law into effect. The state is one of 19 that have gotten federal money in exchange for promising a variety of changes in how it oversees education and measures success. Read More…

• Educators work to improve students’ college, career readiness in Ohio (News-Herald)

Schools in Lake and Geauga counties have begun work on aligning K-12 curriculum with the expectations of area colleges and universities in hopes of better preparing students for the future. As part of the Ohio Department of Education’s High School-Higher Education Alignment Initiative, the Lake and Geauga group was one of 14 in the state that received a grant in February to help with this alignment. Read More…

• School, safety officials who responded to Chardon High shooting to be honored at Statehouse (News-Herald)

About 50 school and law enforcement officials from Chardon and Geauga County will be honored at the Ohio Statehouse Wednesday for their response to the Feb. 27 shootings at Chardon High School. The group, traveling by bus, will meet with Gov. John Kasich and his Cabinet; be served lunch; visit with state legislators John Eklund and Mary Brigid Matheney, both of Geauga County; and be recognized with presentations before the Senate and House of Representatives. Read More…

Local Issues

• Retirees soften cuts at Dublin schools (Dispatch)

Two central Ohio school districts are finalizing layoffs for next school year after November levy failures. The Dublin school board voted last night to cut 46 teaching jobs –– though only 16 people will lose jobs –– and 133 supplemental contracts, mainly sports coaches and advisers to student clubs. Westerville school officials have yet to propose layoffs to the school board, but a tentative list of reductions includes 71 teachers, about 7 percent of the teaching staff. That could be lower based on retirements, officials said. Read More…

• District will transition to new standards (Vindicator)

BOARDMAN - The Boardman School District, like every other school district in the state, will transition to the Common Core Standards by the 2014-15 school year. The standards have been adopted by 44 other states and the District of Columbia. In Ohio, they will replace the current Academic Content Standards. The common core is K-12 standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. Ohio has also revised its social studies and science standards. Read More…

• Chardon leans on each other for support a month after deadly school shooting (ONN)

CHARDON - Chardon residents tell ONN's Cristin Severance that not a day goes by that they don't think about the victims or their families. A group of Chardon women who meet at a local coffee shop every week said they've needed each other's support since the shooting. "We support each other in this special sisterhood we have going," said Vera Erasmus. The women are Chardon's version of "The View," and they volunteer at organizations and work out together every day. "I really can't believe it’s been a month," said Erasmus. Read More…

• Lakota approves preschool venture with county ESC (Journal-News)

LIBERTY TWP. — The Lakota Local School District and the Butler County Educational Service Center have reached an agreement to jointly provide preschool services to students in the district. The board approved the one-year contract agreement by a vote of 4-1 Monday night. It is part of an effort by the district to help reduce an estimated $9 million deficit for the 2012-13 school year. Board Member Julie Shaffer voted against the plan. Read More…

• Poland board takes no action on pay-to-play (Vindicator)

POLAND - School-board members continued discussions of pay-to-participate athletic fees, but they did not make a decision. The board heard from Athletic Director Brian Banfield, who said the average cost of pay-to-participate athletics at Ohio schools is $140 per high-school sport. “I would support a fee of $150 for high-school athletes and $75 for middle-school athletes and a family cap,” Banfield said at Monday’s board session. Read More…

• Cleveland Teachers Union and Mayor Frank Jackson move closer to agreement on mayor's schools plan, but hurdles remain (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Mayor Frank Jackson and the Cleveland Teachers Union worked through several issues involving Jackson's schools plan Monday morning, reaching one major understanding but remaining far apart on two issues. The major accord came with how to handle the layoff and recall of teachers, with Jackson agreeing Monday to use the plan suggested by teachers last week. The compromise plan would rely on teacher evaluations first, and tenure and seniority second. Currently, layoffs and recalls are based mainly on seniority and tenure. Read More…

• City schools consider health clinics within district buildings (Chillicothe Gazette)

CHILLICOTHE - The Chillicothe City School District is seeking a medical provider for a partnership that would blur the line between visiting the school nurse and visiting the doctor's office. The school district is looking to open clinics in the high school/middle school building and Mount Logan Elementary School, each offering a wide range of medical care provided by an on-site nurse practitioner or physician assistant. The goal for these clinics, or school-based health centers, is to improve overall student health while also boosting attendance and test scores. Read More…

• Emergency response training planned at Stow-Munroe Falls schools (Beacon Journal)

STOW - In the wake of last month’s fatal shootings at Chardon High School, the Stow-Munroe Falls school district plans to train its employees on what to do if an armed intruder comes into one of its buildings. “We are all mindful of the fact that things like that can happen in any community, and then it does,” Stow Mayor Sara Drew said. “It really makes you remember that you need to be prepared.” Teachers will undergo training in the ALICE program this week. Read More…

• Bay Village school board OKs superintendent's retire-rehire plan (Sun News)

The Bay Village school board agreed March 26 to a retire-rehire plan for Superintendent Clint Keener. The plan calls for Keener to resign effective the end of the workday July 31, and the board will rehire him effective Aug. 2 at a lower salary. The plan will allow Keener to begin collecting his pension from the State Teachers Retirement System. The new four-year contract will pay Keener $108,000 during the 2012-2013 school year with gradual increases in subsequent years. At the end of the pact, during the 2015-2016 school year, Keener will earn $126,500. Read More…

Editorial

• The ‘community’ in community learning (Beacon Journal)

The first time I heard the phrase “community learning center,” my brain played one of those word-association tricks. Somewhere between the sound of the sequence of words and comprehension, it locked in on “community learning,” not the more usual and rational “learning center.” This led to a moment of puzzlement: What will the community be learning? Idiosyncratic? Probably. But with time that initial word link has been like some sort of trace element, casting its own shade of meaning on the phrase. Read More…

• Student tests prove poverty (Plain Dealer)

As I write this, a good number of my 11th-grade economics students have taken the Ohio Graduation Test in reading for the third time. Twice before, they have failed to perform on the test that state officials say is a basic indicator of a 10th-grader's ability to read and comprehend. I have worked with struggling readers most of my career. Each student's story is unique. However, many come with common histories of abuse, neglect or both. Our classroom houses three teachers to help these students: an English teacher, a special education teacher and myself. Read More…

Education News for 03-26-2012

Statewide Education News

• Schools losing $4.5M in taxes (Dispatch)

As a Columbus schools committee deliberates whether to ask voters for more money as early as this fall, the district’s treasurer says the financial picture has deteriorated over the winter. A bigger-than-expected plunge in the district’s total property value will mean $4.5 million less in revenue this school year than was anticipated last fall, Treasurer Penny Rucker said. The loss will grow to $9.1 million next school year, she said. The losses are a relatively small piece of the district’s $747 million general fund. Read More…

• Cleveland Teachers Union, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to continue meeting, legislators cautiously optimistic (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and the Cleveland Teachers Union discussed their school plans with legislative leaders Friday afternoon, leaving many tentatively optimistic, though cautious, that a compromise can be worked out. Jackson, union leaders and Cleveland schools chief Eric Gordon will meet again Monday to work through Jackson's plan and the union's own proposal to put compatible ideas into language that legislators can propose in Columbus. Read More…

• 15 years — no school-funding fix (Dispatch)

Fifteen years have passed since the Ohio Supreme Court first ruled that the state’s system of funding schools is unconstitutional, and Ohio is again waiting for a governor to roll out a new formula touted as bold and transformative. On March 24, 1997, Justice Francis E. Sweeney wrote for the 4-3 majority: “By our decision today, we send a clear message to lawmakers: The time has come to fix the system. Let there be no misunderstanding. Ohio’s public school-financing scheme must undergo a complete systematic overhaul.” Read More…

• Ohio has suspicious school test scores (Dayton Daily News)

DAYTON — A newspaper review determined suspicious test scores from hundreds of Ohio school districts and charter schools point to the possibility that there was cheating, though the analysis doesn't prove that. The Dayton Daily News found steep spikes and drops on standardized test scores since 2005. The review, in partnership with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was part of a larger national analysis revealing that scores in hundreds of cities followed a pattern that, in Atlanta, indicated cheating in multiple schools. Read More…

• 4 in 10 Ohio high school grads not college-ready (WEWS 5 ABC)

REYNOLDSBURG - Kenzie Purtell wants to be a nurse. Lagging in math skills when she hits college would only slow her down. So when a college readiness test showed the 17-year-old Reynoldsburg High School senior would have to take makeup courses to be ready for college math, Purtell enrolled in a computer-based pilot course that's helping kids bridge the gap. The course covers the same material that Purtell would learn if she entered remedial math as a freshman at Columbus State Community College, but it's held at her high school -- before she graduates. Read More…

• Revised grades put charters in peril (Dispatch)

Getting lower-than-typical grades on state report cards would sting for schools and districts. But for charter schools, lower grades can kill. In a dry run of the new school-grading system the state is considering, 1 in 10 of Ohio’s charter schools with ratings of C or better was relabeled with an F. At the same time, a state law that forces low-performing charters to close remains in place. Charter-school advocates say they’re worried that the new grades would mean the end of schools that have long been considered effective. Read More…

• State, schools prepare for severe weather (Daily Times)

March 25-31 is Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week, proclaimed by Gov. John Kasich and promoted by the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness, to encourage residents to prepare for weather incidents that typically occur during spring and summer, but they may strike at any time. As part of a coordinated effort with the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA), Ohio will participate in a statewide tornado drill and test its Emergency Alert System on Wednesday, March 28, at 9:50 a.m. Read More…

Local Issues

• Open enrollment in Reynoldsburg schools? (Dispatch)

Central Ohio parents could soon have another choice of schools for their children beyond public, private, parochial and charter schools — Reynoldsburg. The 6,000-student district in eastern Franklin County is considering opening its doors to anyone who wants to attend, tuition-free. For families, it would be an opportunity to enroll in a district that has an elementary and middle school focused on science, technology, engineering and math; a high school with career-based academies; and a program for gifted middle-school students. Read More…

• Cleveland, teachers union disagree on collective bargaining (WEWS 5 ABC)

CLEVELAND - After a series of meetings on Friday, among law makers, city leaders and educators, one thing has been accomplished in regards to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s plan to reform the Cleveland school system: Everybody knows where each other stands. The first meeting took place at the Board of Education building on East 6th Street between Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon and members of city council. “This school system we have now is broken,” said Ward 2 councilman Zack Reed. Read More…

• Head Start report urges split in administration (Blade)

The most successful Head Start programs use public-private partnerships, collaboration, and transparency to deliver high-quality services to at-risk children, according to a report from a community task force convened in the last five weeks to study the issue. The recommendations were in a draft of the report viewed by The Blade; the final report is expected Monday. The task force was assembled by the Toledo Community Foundation to examine Head Start programs nationally. Read More…

• Talawanda, county join up on preschool program (Journal-News)

OXFORD — The Talawanda Board of Education voted 5-0 to approve an agreement with the Butler County Educational Service Center which will make fundamental changes in the school district’s preschool program. Although many of the details still are being worked out, there probably will be an expanded emphasis on Head Start classes, especially at Kramer Elementary School. “I think our preschool program is top-notch and I would match it against any in the state,” Superintendent Kelly Spivey said. Read More…

• South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools need to cut $2.3 million (News-Herald)

The South Euclid-Lyndhurst School Board will look to make $2.3 million in cuts for the 2012-13 school year that will reduce staff and services and increase fees. Staff reductions will include teachers, administrators, special education services and support staff, which will increase the student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom. Staff related cuts are expected to save the district $2 million annually and will be finalized in April, Treasurer Paul Pestello said. Read More…

• Franklin schools sue city over taxes (Middletown Journal)

FRANKLIN — Franklin schools have filed a lawsuit against the city of Franklin asking it to be reimbursed tax money, according to court records obtained by The Middletown Journal. The school district cites in its lawsuit — filed March 16 in the Warren County Common Pleas Court — the city’s “failure to fully compensate the school district for the loss in revenue due to property tax exemptions granted by the city.” Read More…

• City schools put freeze on Win-Win deal (Dispatch)

The Columbus school district has temporarily stopped billing suburban districts for millions of dollars they paid for the 26-year-old Win-Win agreement, which called a truce to the urban district’s attempts to annex land in the city of Columbus that was being served by suburban schools. A re-examination of the complex deal has been ongoing since 2010, after officials discovered that some suburban districts had paid the Columbus district too much and others not enough, officials said yesterday. Read More…

Editorial

• Don’t miss this chance (Dispatch)

Ohio lawmakers should provide the legislative backing for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s dramatic reform proposal for his city’s deeply troubled schools. The plan would give the Cleveland Metropolitan School District the best chance it has had in decades for real and rapid improvement. The district is mired in “academic watch” status, meeting only one of the 26 performance standards on the state-issued report card, and is facing financial insolvency. As a result, thousands of young people reach adulthood each year with blighted prospects. Read More…

• New school standards to help students find place in world (Plain Dealer)

Like you, I want all of Ohio's children to succeed. That means they need to have the learning opportunities that give them a solid foundation to pursue their dreams and have happy and prosperous lives. Ohio's system of public schools has served our children well, but the system is getting outdated and needs to be modernized. The current system is nearly 20 years old. It was created before there was an Internet and when cellphones were the size of walkie-talkies. Read More…

• Ohio has too often looked past charter schools’ shortcomings (Vindicator)

Carl Shye may be one of the worst examples of Ohio’s failure to monitor operations of charter schools in the state, but he’s not the only example. Shye, a New Albany certified public accountant who has been involved in the financial operations of numerous charter schools for more than a decade has finally been called to account for some of his transgressions. Among the schools in which Shye was involved was the former Legacy Academy for Leaders and the Arts in Youngstown, which operated inside Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church on Oak Hill Avenue. Read More…

• For real Cleveland school reform, slow down, plan well, fix school funding (Plain Dealer)

Recent opinion pieces published in The Plain Dealer have urged Clevelanders and state policymakers to support Mayor Frank Jackson's school plan. U.S. cities struggle with education, and Cleveland is no exception -- change is needed. But what kind of change? Quick change seems to be a top priority for many. As Brent Larkin wrote last week: "Jackson's plan might not work. But given the state of Cleveland schools, not to try something dramatic borders on criminal." Read More…

• Smoke damage (Dispatch)

Given a half century of cancer warnings, it’s discouraging to hear from the nation’s top doctor that tobacco use is a “pediatric epidemic.” Today, nearly one of every four high-school seniors ‍smokes. One of every three adults younger than age 26 ‍smokes. And of every three ‍smokers, only one will manage to quit, and one will die of smoking-related illness. These findings are outlined in a recent report issued by U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, whose office has been warning against the dangers of ‍smoking since 1964 and tracking what had been declines in ‍smoking. Read More…