Education News for 12-14-2012

State Education News

• Tax exemption annoys Upper Arlington school chiefs (Columbus Dispatch)

A property-tax exemption for Tree of Life Christian Schools would have been challenged had Upper Arlington schools known about it, school district Treasurer Andrew Geistfeld said…Read more...

• Veteran awarded diploma posthumously (Lima News)

The Lima school board approved a high school diploma Thursday for World War II veteran Ralph G. Washam. Ohio Senate Bill 75 allows schools to grant diplomas to World War II veterans who left school to serve during the war…Read more...

• Districts turn to fees to pay for activities (Springfield News-Sun)

More local school districts have implemented or increased pay-to-participate fees as budgets tighten and voters have said no to property tax requests…Read more...

• Academic commission takes over Youngstown school district (Youngstown Vindicator)

The city schools Academic Distress Commission is taking over budget authority for the school district because of a projected $1.5 million deficit this school year…Read more...

Local Education News

• Harmony talk turns divisive (Columbus Dispatch)

Talk of harmony among racial groups devolved into accusations of communism, racism and McCarthyism at the Olentangy school-board meeting yesterday evening…Read more...

• Panel starts discussing fix for schools (Columbus Dispatch)

With so many members they at first couldn’t all fit at the table in the largest meeting room in City Hall, Mayor Michael B. Coleman kicked off his new “education commission” to examine Columbus City Schools…Read more...

• Computer error throws off schools’ math competition results (Dayton Daily News)

A computer glitch miscalculated the scores at Dayton Public Schools’ Math-O-Lympics competition Saturday, leading some of the wrong teams to get trophies…Read more...

Editorial

• Think big for best use of windfall (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

As Vienna trustees discuss what to do with a $3.9 million windfall, they should engage their residents and think big. Really big…Read more...

Education News for 12-13-2012

State Education News

• Perry Local Supt. Richard to retire, Bowe to replace him (Canton Repository)

After seven years, Perry Local Schools Superintendent John Richard plans to retire at the end of January to become the senior executive director of the Ohio Department of Education…Read more...

• Ohio Senate OKs new school evaluation system (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed a Republican-backed education bill that calls for a more demanding evaluation system for schools, along with other significant changes…Read more...

• State officials auditing troubled charter school (Columbus Dispatch)

A Columbus charter school already strained because of poor fiscal management now is under state scrutiny for its work with special-needs children…Read more...

• House likely to OK school report cards (Columbus Dispatch)

The House is expected to approve legislation today to create a new school report card and accountability system that supporters hope will help improve student learning…Read more...

• Steep cuts, levy crucial for Carlisle schools to avoid takeover by state (Dayton Daily News)

Carlisle Local Schools may consider eliminating at least one bus route in January as part of $400,000 in potential cuts to keep the district from falling into fiscal emergency status and a takeover by the state…Read more...

Local Education News

• 25 local leaders on Coleman’s city schools panel (Columbus Dispatch)

The chief executive of a major corporation, a federal judge and a prominent attorney will lead a commission of 25 people appointed…Read more...

• Berea school officials listen to parents, readjust next year's hours Sun Newspapers)

Berea school officials reconsidered next year’s proposed time changes for the district’s elementary schools…Read more...

• Midview schools facing major cuts WKYC)

The Midview Schools may cut up to 25 percent of teachers and go to a five-hour school day. The Midview School District says if a levy fails in February, $2.3 million will need to be cut…Read more...

Editorial

• Newfound urgency Columbus Dispatch)

Ohio’s new “third-grade reading guarantee” is causing big headaches, especially in big-city school districts. While they aren’t anything to celebrate, those headaches are necessary and overdue…Read more...

Education News for 12-12-2012

State Education News

• School-grading system incomplete (Columbus Dispatch)

Ohio lawmakers are expected to approve a new grading system today for determining how well schools…Read more...

• Hubbard and Liberty sharing a treasurer (Youngstown Vindicator)

The Hubbard school district has agreed to a temporary sharing of its treasurer with Liberty schools. The neighboring districts came to an arrangement after James Wilson…Read more...

Local Education News

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District may auction off headquarters (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

With Cuyahoga County well into its real estate consolidation, another public body will seek bidders for prime property in downtown Cleveland…Read more...

• Arlington Schools: No raises for administrators, nonunion staff (Columbus Dispatch)

School administrators and nonunion staff members in the Upper Arlington district won’t receive salary raises next year…Read more...

• Board curious about auditor (Columbus Dispatch)

With possible criminal referrals looming from a data-rigging probe that started with the Columbus City Schools’ internal auditor…Read more...

• Ledgemont Schools drastically cut busing (Willoughby News Herald)

When many Ledgemont School District students head back to school after the holiday break they won’t be riding in a school bus…Read more...

• Judge denies motion to suppress accused Chardon shooter's statements (Willoughby News Herald)

A Geauga County Common Pleas Court judge has denied Thomas Lane III’s motion to suppress statements he made to sheriff’s deputies and Chardon police after the Chardon High School shootings…Read more...

• Youngstown prepares to meet third grade challenge (Youngstown Vindicator)

The city school district is training teachers and testing students to try to prepare for a law that would require students to be retained in third grade if they aren’t reading at grade level…Read more...

Education News for 12-11-2012

State Education News

• Program to help Ohio schools teach historic texts (Dayton Daily News)

COLUMBUS — An educational program unveiled last week by the Ohio Historical Society is meant to help schools comply with a new state law requiring students in grades 4-12 to study the texts of the U.S. and state constitutions…Read more...

• Ohio Board Of Education Takes First Step Toward Statewide Restraint, Seclusion Room Policy (WBNS)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - School officials discussed plans for what would be the first statewide policy regarding restraint and seclusion rooms in school.…Read more...

• Ohio Senate Panel Vote Set On School Letter Grades (WCMH-TV)

A bill bestowing familiar-looking A through F grades on Ohio school districts, buildings and specialty programs is headed to likely passage in the Ohio Senate. The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill …Read more...

Local Education News

• Unioto to provide more feedback on quarterly tests (Chillicothe Gazette)

Parents of Union-Scioto students can expect more feedback on how their kids are performing on quarterly assessments, if they want it. The district plans to make available, by request, summary reports…Read more...

• Mayor Frank Jackson names members of schools' advice panel, a 1st step in districtwide overhaul (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

A key part of Mayor Frank Jackson's broader plan to boost academic performance in 
Cleveland took hold Monday when he named an advisory panel that will help set standards for charter schools in the city.…Read more...

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District to auction its headquarters building (Crains Cleveland Business)

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District plans to auction off its headquarters building at 1380 E. Sixth St. In downtown Cleveland.…Read more...

• Superintendent announces retirement (Findlay Courier )

Findlay Superintendent Dean Wittwer held back tears Monday as he announced his plan to retire at the end of the school year.…Read more...

• Carey voters likely to see school proposal on ballot (Findlay Courier)

Carey Superintendent Mark Vehre said Monday the school board will be asked next month to act on resolutions to place a tax package for a new school building before voters in May.…Read more...

• School board votes to close Washington Intermediate (Findlay Courier)

Tensions ran high as Findlay school board unanimously voted Monday to close Washington Intermediate School at the end of this school year. More than 20 Washington staff, students and parents filled Findlay High School's library Monday…Read more...

• Tri-Rivers invites students, parents to explore school (Marion Star)

Tri-Rivers Career Center is talking careers and credits as it encourages sophomores to consider attending the vocational school next year. The career center recently had its Exploring Career Days for sophomores followed by an open house for their parents.…Read more...

• River Valley board interviews school chief candidates (Marion Star)

MARION — The River Valley Local Schools Board of Education has started interviewing superintendent candidates as the district invites the community to say farewell to 14-year Superintendent Tom Shade.…Read more...

• Grant to aid area school districts (Youngstown Vindicator)

Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership for Education, a Cincinnati-based initiative, and the Mahoning County Educational Service Center have secured a $100,000 grant from the Local Government Innovative Fund.…Read more...

Editorial

• Poverty and a brain that is able to learn (Akron Beacon Journal)

Except for some massaging, Ohio lawmakers are all but done writing a new law that changes how the state will measure and tell the public how well or poorly its schools are performing.…Read more...

Education News for 12-10-2012

State Education News

• What makes a Grade A school? (Cincinnati Enquirer)

As everyone knows, an A on a report card is good. An F is bad. And when it comes to a student’s progress, most parents are comfortable using those grades to determine their child’s academic strengths and weaknesses…Read more...

• Ohio schools face new grading system under proposed legislation (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The House's passage of the latest Republican-backed education bill that implements a more demanding evaluation system for schools, along with other significant changes…Read more...

• Web tool would prescribe specific help for student (Columbus Dispatch)

Reynoldsburg wants its teachers to be like doctors, diagnosing students’ academic ills and prescribing the right treatment…Read more...

• Lack of reading skills ‘alarming’ (Columbus Dispatch)

As many as half of third-graders in some of Ohio’s largest urban school districts aren’t reading on grade level…Read more...

• Historical Society aiding students with documents (Columbus Dispatch)

An educational program unveiled last week by the Ohio Historical Society is meant to help schools comply with a new state law requiring students in grades four to 12 to study the texts…Read more...

• Ohio education reform bills moving this way (New Philadelphia Times)

Two bills making their way through the Ohio Legislature will bring a number of changes to the way schools operate…Read more...

Local Education News

• Canton City schools offer low-cost adult education (Canton Repository)

Tisha Mayle knew her mother was a high-school dropout. At 13 years old, Mayle remembers watching her mom studying and getting her General Educational Development diploma…Read more...

• CPS adds student performance to teachers' grades (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Junior-high math teacher Ken DeMann started doing something new this year for students at Roberts Paideia Academy. He sends home a folder each week updating parents on how well each student did on homework, behavior and participation that week…Read more...

• IRS does not miss a trick (Lorain Morning Journal)

School boards in Columbiana County and around Ohio will soon be requiring the people who work their sporting events be classified as part-time district employees…Read more...

• The quieting effects of phone (Lorain Morning Journal)

A school board member believes they should reconsider a ban on students using cell phones while riding buses to and from games and other events…Read more...

• Technology is put to good use (Newark Advocate)

Chandler Eriksen and Keith Seymour have been preparing to take their classmates on a journey to the planet’s core…Read more...

• So far, so good for technology initiatives at other schools (Newark Advocate)

Ever since all Licking Valley High School students received laptops earlier this year, Principal Wes Weaver has noticed something unexpected…Read more...

• Schools flip for technology (Toledo Blade)

From chalkboards to smart boards, text books to e-books and worksheets to web applications, technology has fundamentally transformed the way teachers teach and students learn…Read more...

• These schools aren’t allowed to fail (Toledo Blade)

The failure of too many at-risk students in low-income schools — in Toledo, in Ohio, and across the country…Read more...

• Deal nears to give parochial students public transportation (Youngstown Vindicator)

The city school district is nearing a settlement with parochial school parents whose children weren’t transported to school last year…Read more...

Editorial

• Dropouts (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Former Assistant Secretary of Education Chester E. Finn Jr. once wrote, “Kindergarten is not too early to address the dropout problem.”...Read more...

• Passing grade (Columbus Dispatch)

A clear commitment by Ohio Senate Republicans that a new school-report-card system will give districts equal credit for preparing kids for careers…Read more...

• Making the grade (Toledo Blade)

Charter schools promise to push traditional public schools to do better. They are designed to give parents a high-quality alternative to schools that are failing…Read more...

• Graduation gap (Toledo Blade)

Ohio has one of the top high-school graduation rates in the nation for white students, but one of the lowest for African Americans. The racial gap — fourth largest among the states — must be closed…Read more...

Education News for 12-07-2012

Local Education News

• Buchtel students experience day on job with AT&T (Akron Beacon Journal)

Buchtel High School juniors Elijah Graise, Tylor Williams and DeMontrell Hill got a first-hand look Thursday at trouble-shooting a problem on the job…Read more...

• T.J. Lane's admission about Chardon High shooting should not be used at trial, his lawyers argue (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

T.J. Lane's admissions that he killed students at Chardon High School should not be used at his trial next month because the youth failed to fully understand his rights when officers questioned him…Read more...

• Olentangy may not need new school (Columbus Dispatch)

New enrollment forecasts in the Olentangy school district cast doubt on the need for a new school approved by voters last year…Read more...

• Berea schools' new hours next year concern some parents (Sun Newspapers)

Parents showed up at Monday’s school board meeting to express concerns about the district’s new time shifts, which begin next year…Read more...

• Toledo Public Schools weighs 3 candidates to audit its performance (Toledo Blade)

As Toledo Public Schools ramps up efforts to have an audit of its operations performed, the process of hiring an organization to conduct the audit has widened…Read more...

• Champion plans cuts if next levy fails (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

While the Board of Education will wait until January to officially act on placing a school levy on the ballot in 2013, a plan to slash finances by $602,000 was mapped out this week…Read more...

• Math Night brings kids, parents together in Springfield (Youngstown Vindicator)

Springfield students and parents went on a camping adventure Thursday night. Although the tent was indoors, there were real problems. Math problems, that is…Read more...