Education News for 02-25-2013

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State Education News

  • 'Bad apples' mean end of tutor program (Cincinnati Enquirer)

    • Last year, Telina Crooms’ young daughters spent their Saturdays at the Price Hill Recreation Center doing crafts, learning yoga, listening to classical music and, most importantly, learning math at a popular Price Hill tutoring program…Read more...

  • Kasich education proposals aim to cut regulations (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Gov. John Kasich’s proposed school-funding plan and voucher expansion have received plenty of attention, but he also wants a variety of other education-policy changes…Read more...

  • Here’s what the federal budget cuts mean (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Title I money, which goes to the neediest school districts, would decrease by $725 million during the next year, potentially eliminating support to some 2,700 schools serving 1.2 million students…Read more...

  • Cuts might be bad, but no one is panicking yet (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Congress has less than a week to undo scheduled spending cuts of $1.2 trillion over the next decade, but the halls of the Capitol didn’t just lack urgency last week…Read more...

  • GED test, cost to change in 2014 (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • Impending changes to the General Educational Development test, or GED, make 2013 an important year for students who want to pass the exam and achieve his or her Ohio High School Equivalence Diploma…Read more...

  • Open enrollment to face state review (Zanesville Times-Recorder)

    • A program that allows students to attend any participating school district in the state will be reviewed for the first time in 20 years amid consensus the tax dollars involved make winners of some districts and losers of others…Read more...

Local Education News

  • State transportation subsidies put schools on the road to tax increases (Akron Beacon Journal)

    • Area school superintendents say they are alarmed by Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to keep the transportation budget unchanged at a time when fuel and equipment costs…Read more...

  • Reynoldsburg students learning while doing in Capstone program (Columbus Dispatch)

    • The students base their research projects on problems they want to solve: A solar-powered cellphone charger. A hydroponic system that helps low-income families…Read more...

  • Mentors at Ohio State help Latino youth (Columbus Dispatch)

    • At age 15, Martin Perez found himself working in a tortilla factory on Columbus’ West Side — 247 miles from his family home in Michigan…Read more...

  • Columbus school board gave Harris all the power (Columbus Dispatch)

    • If it looks like the Columbus Board of Education hasn’t been paying close attention to the details of running a $1 billion-a-year enterprise, it’s by design…Read more...

  • District eyes cuts, transportation fees (Springfield News-Sun)

    • Urbana City School board members are reviewing about $650,000 in potential cuts and possibly closing a school building as part of $1 million in spending reductions by the 2013- 2014 school year…Read more...

  • Local teachers learn to be 'First Responders' (WKYC)

    • Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's "Active Shooter Training for Educators" will be held in the Cleveland area all-day Monday in Valley View…Read more...

  • Youngstown schools spent $7 million on substitute teachers over the last five years (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS SPENT NEARLY $7 million on substitute teachers the last five years, with more than three more months left in this school year…Read more...

Editorial

  • CCS plan addresses urgent challenges (Canton Repository)

    • The restructuring plan for Canton City Schools that Superintendent Adrian Allison unveiled last week will aggressively tackle two urgent challenges facing the district…Read more...

  • Catching charter-school cheaters (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    • Recent criminal charges filed against officials at Cleveland's Lion of Judah Academy charter school for allegedly shifting $1.2 million…Read more...

  • Don't rush for schools chief (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Conducting a search right now for a new superintendent of Columbus City Schools poses serious challenges: What top-notch executive would leap…Read more...

  • Support technology education (Marion Star)

    • Earlier this week we published a story about middle school students taking part in a robot competition. Young teens and tweens from across the county spent the day testing their machines in competition with each other…Read more...

What Administrators Are Really Saying About Kasich’s School Plan

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From our mailbag.

The Governor’s office deceptively highlighted the minority of Administrators across the state that are actually pleased with Kasich’s plan to make permanent his historic education cuts. What are school administrators among the 60% of districts receiving no additional state funding actually saying about Kasich’s plan?

  • “The statements the governor made are a damn lie.” – Arnol Elam, Superintendent of Franklin City Schools
  • “[We were] duped by Kasich. We got told all the right things, but he didn’t follow through. This is not what we were told.” – Bob Caldwell, Superintendent of Wolf Creek Local School District
  • “Everyone in the room when he [Kasich] announced his budget was misled.” – Roger Mace, Superintendent of Gallipolis City Schools
  • “This is really going to hurt us.” – Becki Peden, Huntington Local Schools Treasurer
  • “It just seems like the rich get richer, and the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves.” – Larry Hook, Superintendent of Carlisle Schools
  • “What the governor and his staff told us in Columbus just was not true… Five of the seven districts will not receive any more money [in fiscal year 2014].” – John Rubesich, Superintendent of the Ashtabula County Educational Services Center
  • “Instead of closing the gap between poor and wealthy districts, it appears to be exacerbated.” – Tom Perkins, Superintendent of Northern Local Schools of Perry County
  • Aurora Schools Treasurer Bill Volsin said his district will receive the exact same amount from the state as it did last year. While state government officials say Aurora will receive almost half a million more in 2014, Volsin and Superintendent Russ Bennett claim that isn’t true. – Auora Advocate, 2/13/13

Education News for 02-22-2013

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State Education News

  • Educators, state agency in deadlock over funds (Akron Beacon Journal)

    • The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and more than 350 school districts are in a fight over millions of dollars in Medicaid money that is used to provide services…Read more...

  • Ohio Federation of Teachers members take concerns about evaluations to state legislators (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    • Members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers fanned out across the offices of state legislators today to air their concerns…Read more...

  • More changes coming to Youngstown schools (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • Next year will see restructured schools and programs for the city school district for the second time in three years…Read more...

Local Education News

  • School chief will face no charges (Cincinnati Enquirer)

    • A local school superintendent investigated by prosecutors said an agreement Thursday ending his case doesn’t end the need for more state funding for poor families…Read more...

  • No charges for schools chief who ripped Kasich (Columbus Dispatch)

    • The Warren County prosecutor will not charge a Dayton-area superintendent who blasted Gov. John Kasich’s school-funding plan…Read more...

  • McDonald police to patrol village schools (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • The McDonald Board of Education has agreed to hire village police officers at $25 an hour to patrol the school campus daily…Read more...

  • Youngstown superintendent is finalist for another job (Youngstown Vindicator)

    • The city schools superintendent is one of four finalists for the top job in the Little Rock, Ark., school district…Read more...

Editorial

  • School funding? Still clear as mud (Canton Repository)

    • Tuesday night, in his third State of the State address, Gov. Kasich was generous in his praise of the Legislature for backing the “big ideas” he championed in his first two years as governor…Read more...

  • Ohio heroes make life better for all (Columbus Dispatch)

    • When Gov. John Kasich initiated the Governor’s Courage Award during last year’s State of the State speech, he called attention to the brave and selfless acts of ordinary Ohioans — and some famous ones…Read more...

Stop Saying That

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When the governor of my state announced his plan for a new school funding formula, he said, "this is not about teachers, this is about the students." I wish he, and others, would quit saying that.

We hear this refrain almost every time there is an announcement about school reform or funding. It is meant to send a message: teachers do not care about kids.

I had hoped that after Newtown, with teachers selflessly giving their lives for their students, the 'teachers don't care' mantra would stop. Wrong again.

But here is the deal: this type of rhetoric is not only unhelpful, it is just plain wrong.

First, rhetoric like this does not help. We never hear it about other public policy debates. (Imagine: "This farm bill is not about farmers, it is about cows.") I cannot for the life of me figure out why policy makers think teachers are the enemy when it comes to education reform.

It might be that what they really mean is that this is not about the teacher unions. But that approach is incorrect as well. As a veteran administrator, I can assure you that there has not been any proof that non-unionized teachers do better in helping students achieve than those who are unionized. What does matter is how well teacher are supported in doing their jobs, and it's that support that teachers unions fight for.

The real problem with the idea that education reform and budgets are 'not about teachers' is this: if you want students to succeed, any reform must include teachers.

[readon2 url="http://forumforeducation.org/blog/stop-saying"]Continue reading...[/readon2]

Education News for 02-21-2013

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State Education News

  • Teachers' credentials for helping students struggling with reading under discussion (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    • Ohio lawmakers are considering some tweaks to the coming third grade reading guarantee to make sure enough teachers will have the required credentials to work…Read more...

  • Kasich aide among 30 seeking schools post (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Gov. John Kasich’s top education adviser heads the list of 30 candidates for Ohio superintendent of public instruction…Read more...

  • Tuition for fulltime kindergarten appears OK, officials say (Newark Advocate)

    • Granville School officials are proceeding with plans to offer full-time kindergarten classes on a tuition basis next school year, believing that Gov. John Kasich’s proposed new budget will now allow it…Read more...

  • Chardon Schools officials receive Governor's Courage Award for dedication after shooting (Willoughby News Herald)

    • Chardon High School Principal Andy Fetchik said it was humbling to be on stage at the State of the State Address with other recipients of the Governor’s Courage Award…Read more...

Local Education News

  • Kent ponders school security (Akron Beacon Journal)

    • Kent schools Superintendent Joseph Giancola is considering new ways to ensure student safety…Read more...

  • Mayor denies he intends to disband school board (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Mayor Michael B. Coleman insisted yesterday that he is not trying to take over Columbus City Schools, a day after the school board…Read more...

  • Butler Tech to issue $3 million in bonds (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • The Butler Tech Board of Education has authorized Treasurer Ed Pokoro to issue up to $3 million in Bond Anticipation Notes to refinance existing debt and secure funds for future capital improvements…Read more...

  • Districts try to recover money lost to charter schools (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • Area school districts are taking different approaches to recoup the millions of dollars they are losing to charter schools each year…Read more...

  • District approves purchase agreement for buses (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • Fairfield City Schools approved a lease/purchase agreement for its 30 new buses at a special meeting Wednesday morning, according to spokeswoman Gina Gentry-Fletcher…Read more...

  • Galion school board tables talk of arming teachers (Mansfield News Journal)

    • The Galion school board meeting was a mixed bag Wednesday, with board members approving a number of initiatives, but some old topics remained in focus…Read more...

Education News for 02-20-2013

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State Education News

  • State aid for Columbus schools uncertain (Columbus Dispatch)

    • What initially looked like a $29 million boost for the Columbus school district under a proposed state funding plan could really be more like $4.4 million…Read more...

  • Taxes, Medicaid, education focus of Kasich address (Dayton Daily News)

    • Gov. John Kasich used his third State of the State address on Tuesday to convince Ohioans and state lawmakers that his budget plan is the right mix of smart government service…Read more...

  • School technology struggles with digital learning push (Hamilton Journal-News)

    • As the state prepares to move to computer-based standardized testing by 2015, officials at some Butler County school districts say they that don’t have the computers…Read more...

  • Senior volunteers mentor students in reading (Lima News)

    • A pilot program pairing senior citizen volunteers with students to improve childhood literacy has been introduced in Ohio…Read more...

  • Kasich Outlines School Funding Plan, Budget In State Of State (WBNS)

    • Ohio Gov. John Kasich is calling his school-funding proposal an objective plan that applies equally to all districts based on their property tax wealth, residents' income…Read more...

Local Education News

  • Upper Arlington lays out job cuts, athletic-fee hikes (Columbus Dispatch)

    • The Upper Arlington school district will cut almost $3 million from the budget next school year under a plan the superintendent outlined…Read more...

  • Coleman’s panel wants city schools to put superintendent search on hold (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Mayor Michael B. Coleman and several members of his Education Commission have told the Columbus school board to halt its efforts…Read more...

  • Elida board approves reductions; higher pay-to-play costs (Lima News)

    • Elida schools will cut $465,569 from its budget next year by restructuring two central office positions, replacing retiring staff with people…Read more...

  • Law enforcement, schools share safety tactics (Lima News)

    • School safety has been pushed to the forefront for many concerned parents and local officials…Read more...

  • Perrysburg Board of Education concerned with governor's school funding formula (Toledo Blade)

    • Perrysburg Superintendent Tom Hosler sat in a car with other local superintendents digesting a statewide education meeting held recently in Columbus…Read more...

Editorial

  • ‘Trigger’ for parents (Akron Beacon Journal)

    • Reformers in recent years have proposed different ways to hold public schools accountable for performance…Read more...

  • Stop investigating Franklin's school chief (Cincinnati Enquirer)

    • Speaking freely is a near-sacred American right, enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. That’s why the decision of the Warren County prosecutor…Read more...

  • Stuck with the check (Columbus Dispatch)

    • During his re-election campaign, President Barack Obama paid many visits to Ohio State University and other colleges around the country…Read more...