Statewide Education News

Ohio education in top 10 nationally despite a so-so grade (Dispatch)

Ohio’s grade on a national report card this year slipped to a C-plus, down from a B-minus, but the state inched up to the 10th best school system in the nation. Ohio was 11th in last year’s report. Read More…

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is crafting a plan for the Cleveland schools and Gov. John Kasich is poised to help make it happen (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Mayor Frank Jackson is working on a plan to make the Cleveland schools academically successful and financially stable, a task that will require changes in state law and that Gov. John Kasich said "could set a standard for the whole state." Jackson declined Wednesday to discuss details of his plan, saying that would be premature. But he said several times that guaranteeing the success of the Cleveland schools will require both local and "systemic changes" - a term he regularly uses when talking about needing revisions in teacher work rules and pay structures for the district. Read More…

Talks between city, school key to success (Newark Advocate)

NEWARK - A successful school system is key to improving the city of Newark, Mayor Jeff Hall said Wednesday evening. "I'm a firm believer that we need to raise our kids educated," he said. "The graduation rate, that's why you're here. That's the name of the game." Hall has been talking with Newark City Schools leaders since being elected in November and said communication between the city and district is essential. He met Wednesday with the district's Graduation Rate Committee, which is filled with district officials, board members and community representatives. Read More…

Local Issues

Springfield faces funding cuts (WTOL 11 CBS)

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield school district is cutting back nearly $1 million after facing funding cuts and increasing costs. The district is dealing with a deficit of nearly $700,000 for the next school year, causing them to submit a plan to the state outlining proposed cuts if finances don't improve. Schools are feeling the effects of tighter budgets, and Springfield schools are dealing with less money from property taxes, cuts in state aid and unfunded mandates. The district's superintendent, Kathryn Hott, says that the district has already made millions in cuts, but more are still needed. Read More…

Richmond Heights Schools move toward accreditation (News-Herald)

The Richmond Heights School Board has taken the first step toward accreditation for its schools with a new mission and vision statement. The statements which were approved this week is one of several requirements of AdvancED, an organization that helps districts achieve the necessary steps prior to accreditation — a voluntary step districts may take to ensure quality performance. The mission and vision for Richmond Heights Schools were created by district leaders, and state that the district will “Learn, adapt and excel in a changing world,” and that it is “A community committed to student success through creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.” Read More…

Teachers, one-by-one, rally at board meeting (Tribune Chronicle)

NILES - One-by-one, 181 teachers stood at a microphone Wednesday at the meeting of the Niles Board of Education and urged schools Superintendent Mark A. Robinson to return to the negiotiating table. Members of the Niles Classroom Teachers Association have been working without a contract since Aug. 28. Negotiations between the union and the board broke down Dec. 1, when the negotiating committee gave what Robinson said was their ''last, best offer.” “We are projecting a deficit of $375,000 by the end of June,'' Robinson said, ''and an approximate $2.5 million deficit by the end of the next fiscal year in 2013.” Read More…

Grants to teachers to help students with phonics, fitness (Newark Advocate)

The Granville Education Foundation has awarded funding for two grants for its 2011 Fall Grants to Granville teachers. The first grant, for $851, written by Emily Goins and Ruth Ellen Kozman at Granville Elementary School, will fund the purchase of materials for "Phonics of Reading" for GES. The second grant, for Granville Middle School, was submitted by Sue Borchers, Ralph Hicks and Craig McDonald to fund the purchase of a Concept 2D Rower for the school's Fit 4 Life program. Read More…

Editorial

The best teachers impart lessons that truly profit students (Plain Dealer)

Everyone knows that children who fall behind benefit from a teacher who can help them succeed and raise their scores. But economists Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman of Harvard University and Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia University have found that the best teachers can also improve students' earnings. That news ought to inspire Ohio school officials who are working on a state-mandated plan to use test scores, value-added measures and classroom observations, along with other tools, to evaluate teachers. Read More…