Statewide Education News

State education board mum on Cleveland plan (Dispatch)

The Ohio Board of Education had no immediate response to Gov. John Kasich’s request that the panel support a controversial plan to turn around Cleveland schools. At its monthly meeting in Columbus yesterday, the board decided to discuss the issue at its April meeting. Traditionally, the board has not waded into political and legislative debates, but on Monday the governor pleaded with members to pass a resolution or provide some sort of backing to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s plan. Read More…

Ohio 3rd-graders who can't read at grade level could be held back under Gov. John Kasich's plan (Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS — Third-graders who are not reading at grade level would be held back a year under a midterm budget plan Gov. John Kasich will announce today. The policy will be part of a handful of education initiatives the Republican governor will unveil, the administration confirmed to The Plain Dealer. Other items in the plan, which would require legislative approval, include revamping teacher evaluation metrics and overhauling the state's school report card because the administration believes it encourages mediocrity. Read More…

Gridlock in Congress threatens Ohio programs (Dispatch)

Automatic spending cuts triggered by gridlock on a bipartisan congressional “supercommittee” could cost Ohio nearly $313 million next year, with a large chunk being pulled from funds for poor students and those with special needs. The overall reduction in federal funding for the state — 1 percent — might be small, but it would hit certain programs hard. Head Start faces a nearly 9 percent cut. So do special-education grants for K-12 schools, work-study payments for needy college students and extra nutritional aid for low-income pregnant women and children, according to an analysis done last month by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Read More…

Local Issues

City, county, schools join in drive to prevent bullying (Blade)

Local city, county, and school officials announced a joint public awareness campaign Tuesday to combat bullying. Calling the impact of bullying on communities "devastating," Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak said that children can't be effective learners if they feel threatened in school. "We want to prevent the bullying," Ms. Skeldon-Wozniak said. "We want the schools to feel safe." Students, faculty, and staff of area schools will be asked to sign anti-bullying pledges, where they will vow to monitor for bullying and support victims, among other promises. Read More…

Community split on whether Richmond Heights students should wear uniforms (News-Herald)

The Richmond Heights community is split on the topic of whether the school district should have students wear uniforms. Interim Superintendent Robert J. Moore, at Monday’s school board meeting, shared the results of a survey sent out to families which showed that almost 50 percent are for student uniforms and 50 percent against. Moore said he plans to revisit the issue and propose a sport coat or jacket with the Richmond Heights logo on it in order to create a sense of unity within the community and district. Read More…

Lakota eyeing unemployment claims, severance after cutting 141 jobs (Journal-News)

LIBERTY TWP. — The Lakota Board of Education, which approved $10.5 million in cuts and a reduction of 141 positions Monday, is now turning its attention to unemployment compensation and severance pay. Treasurer Jenni Logan said the district wants to make sure to give those employees enough lead time to find gainful employment elsewhere. “Our hope is to have that process firmed up and to formally take action on all of that at our final board meeting in April,” she said. Job cuts for the 2012-13 school year will be based on seniority and licensing, Logan said. Read More…

Editorial

Raising the bar (Courier)

Whether or not our children decide to compete for a job in another state or country, or stay home, they must have the best education possible. And it must start well before they get to a university, community college or trade school. Signs show good things happening in most schools in Ohio. More than half of the 609 schools that received a state report card for the 2010-2011 school year got "excellent" or "excellent with distinction" marks. And more than a handful of those schools are in our area. Read More…

Cleveland school-reform bill needs teachers' input (Plain Dealer)

When the usually reserved Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson says he would trade his office for "quality education for our children," all of the other adults involved in the high-stakes discussion on school reform ought to determine what they would give up as well. So far, judging from the Cleveland Teachers Union's tepid response to the mayor's Cleveland-only school reform package, the answer appears to be little or nothing. Read More…