Education News for 01-24-2013

State Education News

• Ohio's teacher training policies receive C- grade from national group (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Ohio is not picky enough about whom is admitted to teacher training nor does the state require graduates of those programs to pass sufficiently…Read more...

• Google VP has Ohio’s students on his mind (Columbus Dispatch)

Meet Sebastian Thrun, a man who represents a unique component of the “ German” investment Gov. John Kasich is seeking for Ohio this week at the World Economic Forum…Read more...

• Ideas offered to boost college graduation rates (Columbus Dispatch)

Some of the country’s most-influential college presidents are calling on their colleagues to take bolder steps to graduate more students — and stem the flow of dropouts…Read more...

• Kasich rejects calls for Terhar’s ouster (Columbus Dispatch)

Gov. John Kasich says that since state Board of Education President Debe Terhar has admitted her Facebook post about Adolf Hitler and gun control…Read more...

• School finances remain a concern (Findlay Courier)

While excited about the future of curriculum and technology, Fostoria school administrators said this week they are leery of what will happen to school funding as the state tries to balance its budget…Read more...

Local Education News

• Music education program at Rainey Institute inspires youths from Cleveland schools (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Some call it the most beautiful concert hall in America. And that's where I went Monday -- to Severance Hall -- for a progress report…Read more...

• Audit citations lead to fiscal changes (Middletown Journal)

Missing money and the use of federal stimulus dollars to purchase items that weren’t allowable are among several citations issued in a state audit of Middletown City Schools…Read more...

Editorial

• Terhar does history (Akron Beacon Journal)

Debe Terhar, the president of the State Board of Education, has called into question her judgment as a public official…Read more...

• Seeing sense (Columbus Dispatch)

The Columbus Board of Education’s decision Tuesday night to cooperate with a mayoral committee’s review of school-district management…Read more...

Education News for 01-23-2013

State Education News

• State budget’s unknowns frighten advocates (Columbus Dispatch)

Faced with a “poker-faced” Kasich administration that won’t divulge new budget details until Feb. 4, a coalition of critics yesterday took a stab at things…Read more...

• Democrats want state school-board head out over Facebook post (Columbus Dispatch)

The head of the Ohio Democratic Party yesterday called for the resignation of Ohio Board of Education President Debe Terhar for a Facebook posting that appeared to compare…Read more...

• Columbus school board decides to assist review by mayor’s panel (Columbus Dispatch)

The Columbus Board of Education relented last night and decided to allow Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Education Commission to conduct a management review of district non- academic operations — and without a written agreement…Read more...

Local Education News

• Referee will intervene in duct-taped students case (Canton Repository)

A referee is going to hear the case of a northeast Ohio teacher who may be fired over an allegation that she posted a Facebook photo of her students with their mouths covered with duct tape…Read more...

• After-school program takes holistic approach Chillicothe Gazette)

When the last school bell rings, things are just getting started at the Salvation Army’s after- school program…Read more...

• Schools sweat out decision to delay start due to cold (Columbus Dispatch)

The decision to delay classes at Canal Winchester schools in yesterday’s frigid weather wasn’t an easy one, Superintendent Jim Sotlar said…Read more...

• Bexley mayor rejects speed traps, student tax ideas (Columbus Dispatch)

Bexley’s mayor opposes the use of speed cameras and taxing students to help the city offset projected losses in state funding, both ideas proposed by a citizens group to raise new revenue…Read more...

• Finalists make pitch to RV public (Marion Star)

River Valley Local Schools gave the public a chance Tuesday evening to meet the finalists as it prepares to choose the district’s next superintendent…Read more...

• TPS won’t place levy renewal on spring ballot; Board cites too little time to mount solid campaign (Toledo Blade)

A Toledo Public Schools levy renewal won’t be on the May ballot after all. The Toledo Board of Education was set to vote Tuesday on a board finance committee recommendation…Read more...

• Youngstown school board discusses money woes (Youngstown Vindicator)

Schools Superintendent Connie Hathorn is meeting with his staff to devise recommendations to address a projected $48 million deficit by fiscal year 2017…Read more...

Editorial

• Uneasy money (Akron Beacon Journal)

Ohio schools will receive $38 million from the first distribution of the state’s tax on casino gambling. Have they hit the jackpot? Hardly. The amount boils down to about $21 per pupil…Read more...

Education News for 01-22-2013

State Education News

• Ohio now restricts school’s use of seclusion rooms, physical restraint (Athens Messenger)

For the first time, Ohio has a policy that limits a school’s use of seclusion and restraint for difficult students. Schools must now adopt positive behavior interventions and support…Read more…

• School rules guide whistle-blowers (Columbus Dispatch)

Amid a statewide investigation into data manipulation in schools, districts are creating rules to guide employees if they want to report workers who violate laws or ethics.…Read more…

• Schools await Kasich’s funding model (Lima News)

They want more money and a school-funding system that is fair. But area school officials also just hope for a little honesty.…Read more…

• Turning the page (Mason HS Chronicle)

More third graders than ever before could be held back next year. Due to recent legislation that alters current reading level standards for the 2013-14 school year.…Read more…

• Ranking brings school funding model under scrutiny (Middletown Journal)

Ohio recently was ranked 17th in the nation for its school finance, despite the fact that Ohio’s school funding model has been declared unconstitutional three times since 1997.…Read more…

Local Education News

• Could shared services save Ohio districts $1B a year? (Cincinnati Enquirer)

State leaders are urging school districts, like other local government agencies, to share services and costs, operate more efficiently and reserve more tax dollars for core purposes.…Read more…

• Board, referee clash over teacher firing (Findlay Courier)

A Liberty-Benton veteran teacher, fired this week by the school board, should not have been terminated because the board failed to provide documented evidence for its claim that he had a history of classroom management problems…Read more…

• School patrols increase (Lisbon Morning Journal)

Ever since last month's school shooting in Newtown, Conn., sheriff's deputies have been performing security checks during the school day at five school districts.…Read more…

• Safer schools start with information (New Philadelphia Times)

School districts in Tuscarawas, Carroll, Harrison and Belmont counties are being offered free technology that would assist first responders dealing with emergencies at area schools.…Read more…

• Kiwanis takes stand against bullying (Portsmouth Daily Times)

The Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth has taken a stand against bullying and did so with a recent presentation by club president John Johnson.…Read more…

• Deputies could be added to help with Clark schools (Springfield News-Sun)

New Clark County sheriff’s deputies could be hired as part of a program to boost security in schools, a local response to the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shootings.…Read more…

• Boosters, PTO slate reception for new superintendent (This Week News)

The Northridge Academic Boosters and Northridge PTO invite the community to a "Welcome to Northridge" for new Superintendent Dr. Chris Briggs.…Read more…

• Chardon Schools' installation of security cameras now almost complete (Willoughby News Herald)

Chardon School District’s goal of installing technologically advanced security cameras in and around all of its buildings is nearing completion.…Read more…

• Liberty schools expecting another audit (Youngstown Vindicator)

Liberty schools are awaiting another report from Ohio Auditor David Yost, after a 2011 financial audit was released earlier this week, schools Superintendent Stan Watson said.…Read more…

Editorial

• Alert to danger (Akron Beacon Journal)

Last week, at the first of five regional training sessions, educators and law enforcement officers received graphic and sometimes emotional lessons about how to respond to the kind of shooting incidents that have gripped the nation’s attention.…Read more…

• Alone in school (Akron Beacon Journal)

Think of isolation rooms and physical restraints, and the mind goes not to schools but to prison cells for violent criminals or to efforts to prevent mentally unstable patients from hurting themselves or others.…Read more…

• Right direction (Columbus Dispatch)

With a new State Board of Education policy limiting the use of “seclusion rooms” for students whose behavior is out of control, Ohio schools and students will be better off than they were before.…Read more…

• Good start (Findlay Courier)

Limiting access to Findlay's elementary buildings won't stop all unwelcome visitors. But it should help. …Read more…

Education News for 01-18-2013

State Education News

• Big changes could be coming to transfer rule (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The word "transfer" appears 58 times in the Ohio High School Athletic Association bylaw covering eligibility…Read more...

• Teachers get training on how to cope with shooter (Columbus Dispatch)

Like tornado and fire drills, lockdowns have become common practice in schools…Read more...

• Yost seeks periodic head count of students (Columbus Dispatch)

Conducting official head counts of schoolchildren several times a year would discourage the “ scrubbing” of student data, the state auditor says…Read more...

Local Education News

• Southeastern, Piketon schools honored for clean audit reports (Chillicothe Gazette)

State Auditor Dave Yost has announced a pair of local school governmental bodies have been presented the Auditor of State Award for clean audit reports…Read more...

• Local teachers train to handle active shooters (Dayton Daily News)

The first group of 200 Ohio teachers were trained on Thursday about how to handle an active shooter situation in a school and hundreds more have signed up for upcoming classes…Read more...

• Local schools wrestle with cost of security (WKYC)

Schools across the country are developing plans to avoid tragedies like Sandy Hook but increased security comes with increased costs…Read more...

• City schools facing $48 million deficit (Youngstown Vindicator)

The city school district is facing a $48 million deficit by 2017 without reductions or additional revenue, according to its five-year forecast…Read more...

Editorial

• Ohio searches for that elusive set of tests that does it all (Youngstown Vindicator)

The controversy over how and when to test Ohio students has been going on for 20 years, and rather than being settled, it is entering yet another iteration…Read more...

Education News for 01-17-2013

State Education News

• Retiring Columbus schools official fears he’s data-rigging scapegoat (Columbus Dispatch)

No Columbus school-district worker is thought to have altered more student records over the past few years than Michael L. Dodds…Read more...

• Westerville superintendent search down to 6 candidates (Columbus Dispatch)

Six candidates have been called back for second interviews in the search for the next superintendent of Westerville schools…Read more...

• School reformer backs Kasich’s efforts (Columbus Dispatch)

A national education leader who has the ears of Gov. John Kasich and other Ohio GOP leaders says the state’s education system has improved, and she hopes this year to help push additional reforms through the General Assembly…Read more...

• Ohio Police Department Offers To Add Armed Officers At Schools (WBNS)

A month after the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook elementary, President Obama is making recommendations to increase safety. Some Ohio school districts are taking action of their own…Read more...

Local Education News

• No plan to arm teachers in North Canton schools (Akron Beacon Journal)

The carnage from the Newtown, Conn., shootings has added a new dimension to school safety and security…Read more...

• Principal moved to district office after failing to report assault (Columbus Dispatch)

A Reynoldsburg elementary-school principal who did not immediately report a sexual assault involving two students to district officials or the police has resigned…Read more...

• Coleman critical of school board (Columbus Dispatch)

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman scolded the Columbus Board of Education yesterday for being reluctant to cooperate unconditionally…Read more...

• Three elementary schools getting new security entrances (Findlay Courier)

By springtime, at least three of Findlay's elementary schools will have new security entrances, Findlay Superintendent Dean Wittwer said Wednesday…Read more...

• Arm teachers? Sheriff: response time critical (New Philadelphia Times)

Tuscarawas County Sheriff Walt Wilson believes that schools need both a police presence and armed employees to prevent the mass shootings that have occurred in recent years across the country…Read more...

• Westlake teachers, district reach agreement on 18-month contract (Sun News)

School board members voted Wednesday to approve an agreement with the Westlake Teachers Association on an 18-month contract for teachers…Read more...

• Hilliard Property Taxes Decrease Due To School Refinancing (WBNS)

Hilliard City Schools has taken steps to refinance some of its debt which will decrease property taxes in the district. A district spokesperson said school board members voted on two separate resolutions that will reduce the projected bond millage…Read more...

• Orrville City Schools votes to arm science teacher (WEWS)

When it came to a vote for a school board resolution…Read more...

• Geauga County school leaders discuss consolidating 4 smallest districts (Willoughby News Herald)

After a meeting Wednesday night, it's fair to say there are still more questions than answers about the possibility of consolidating Geauga County's four smallest school districts…Read more...

Editorial

• Code of conduct (Akron Beacon Journal)

Public schools have a tough job when it comes to student discipline. As centers of learning, they are required to maintain an environment conducive to learning…Read more...

Education News for 01-16-2013

State Education News

• Ohio adopts student restraint, seclusion policy (Canton Repository)

The Ohio Board of Education has approved a policy on how educators seclude and physically restrain students in schools…Read more...

• Allison named Canton City Schools superintendent; gets 5-year contract (Canton Repository)

Nearly 64 years after his grandfather became the first black employee hired in the district, as a janitor, Adrian Allison becomes its first black superintendent…Read more...

• Key district official in data-rigging case retires (Columbus Dispatch)

In a flurry of developments yesterday, a key figure in the investigation of Columbus City Schools’ data-rigging retired; the Board of Education gave a cool reception to Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s request to critique district business operations…Read more...

• Schools’ use of seclusion now limited (Columbus Dispatch)

State Board of Education members say their seclusion and restraint policy isn’t perfect, but they’re proud to have done something to protect Ohio’s children…Read more...

• Gov. Kasich says his comprehensive school plan will be delivered shortly (NPR)

Gov. Kasich has signed a bill into law that grades schools on an A through F grading scale. But as Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports, that’s a part of a bigger education plan that the Governor intends to release soon…Read more...

• OPATA offering free training for educators (Portsmouth Daily Times)

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says more training opportunities for Ohio’s educators have now been scheduled…Read more...

• State says former treasurer must repay school (Youngstown Vindicator)

A state audit has revealed excess payments to the retirement fund of the school district’s former treasurer…Read more...

Local Education News

• North Canton takes proactive security steps in schools (Canton Repository)

After the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Police Chief Stephan Wilder feared a copycat gunman could strike here…Read more...

• Looking at the bottom line, Heath schools open doors (Columbus Dispatch)

Less than 24 hours after the board agreed to allow open enrollment at Heath City Schools, a parent sat in the district parking lot filling out applications…Read more...

• After-school shooting sends boy to youth prison (Columbus Dispatch)

A 15-year-old boy who fired a gun outside an East Side elementary school, grazing the head of a 17-year-old girl, was committed to the Ohio Department of Youth Services yesterday…Read more...

• City schools board enters agreement for energy savings (Mansfield News Journal)

Mansfield City Schools could save “tens of thousands of dollars” in energy expenses through a new program, Superintendent Dan Freund said…Read more...

• County delays decision on school funding (Springfield News-Sun)

Clark County commissioners delayed a decision about contributing $100,000 to the Global Impact STEM Academy due in part to uncertainty about the project…Read more...

• Schools to cash in (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Area schools are cashing out. Local school districts soon will receive the first payment of casino-tax revenue, with some districts set to take in more than $110,000…Read more...

• Columbus City Schools Hopes To Have New Superintendent In 6 Months (WBNS)

The Columbus School Board is meeting Tuesday night with the firm that has been hired to lay out the process for searching and hiring a new superintendent. The goal is to have someone hired in six months…Read more...

• Ohio school workers to carry guns have police training (WEWS)

Two of the four employees who have agreed to carry guns at a rural Ohio school apparently have law enforcement backgrounds…Read more...

• Superintendent, board respond to concerns about enrollment at Austintown (Youngstown Vindicator)

Open enrollment was the hot-button topic at the Austintown school board meeting…Read more...

Editorial

• Aiming to excel (Akron Beacon Journal)

As a national monitor for effective and high quality education, Education Week’s annual Quality Counts surveys are a valuable resource in comparative data…Read more...