Statewide Education News

Why Lions, Tigers and Bears Roaming the ‘Hood Aren’t a Free Pass to Skip School Days (State Impact Ohio)

A sign warns passing motorists about exotic animals on the loose from a wildlife preserve October 19, 2011 in Zanesville. Ohio state law doesn’t recognize lions, tigers, bears and a monkey with Herpes roaming the neighborhood as an acceptable reason to close schools. Read More…

Lectures by videocast; assignments at school (Newark Advocate)

Tami Fitzgerald spends virtually no time lecturing to her Advanced Placement physics class. At least, not in person. Instead, she comes into the students' study halls and living rooms by way of videocast. Students watch her lectures instead of the usual homework. Then, when they come to class the next day, they work on assignments that traditionally would have been assigned as homework. Read More…

Principal roles changing for 21st century schools (Dayton Daily News)

There was a time when principals were mostly known as building managers, the people in charge of making sure of two things: Maintaining discipline when a student became too disruptive for the teacher and keeping office supplies stocked. Read More…

Local Issues

Ruby Weems, who founded and ran the Weems School: Whatever happened to ...? (Plain Dealer)

Whatever happened to Ruby Weems, who founded and ran the Weems School and is responsible for paying back taxpayer money that was improperly spent there? The other shoe hasn't dropped yet in the case in the case of Weems, which illustrates just how long and complicated the process can be. Her Tremont charter school was shut down by its sponsor, Cincinnati-based Educational Resource Consultants of Ohio, in 2009. Read More…

Schools look for solutions to challenges of new technology (Lancaster Eagle Gazette)

Back in the good ol' days when a cellphone could only call and text, defining on and off school grounds was as simple as drawing a line. But now, in the age of smartphones and Facebook, school districts are struggling with how to address use of these technologies. This year, school districts are rewriting policies to comply with two new rules. The first is the Jessica Logan Act, signed into law in February, which requires school districts to address cyberbullying. Read More…

Dragonfly Academy director defends school (Canton Repository)

The director of Dragonfly Academy said she welcomes any state investigation involving the private school for autistic children. Dragonfly will reopen on Monday, Brianne Bixby-Nightingale, the school’s chief executive officer, said in an email Saturday. Read More…

TPS summer school returns (Toledo Blade)

Summer school is back after a two-year hiatus at Toledo Public Schools. Canceled in 2010 because enrollments were too low to cover its costs, summer school's resurgence is thanks to a new, cheaper format. Students will use a computer-based curriculum to take courses they missed or failed, saving staffing costs. The format also means fewer students need to enroll. Read More…

Schools might not be eligible for calamity days because of animal escape incident (Zanesville Times Recorder)

The three school districts that canceled classes for a day in the wake of the release of dozens of exotic animals from the Thompson farm in October might not be able to declare a calamity day. West Muskingum, Maysville and Zanesville City schools are required to make up the lost day of class work, according to current Ohio law. Read More…

Other Ohio school districts trying shared superintendents (Marietta Times)

The Warren Local and Fort Frye Local school districts' agreement Wednesday to share current Warren Local Superintendent Tom Gibbs is not a new concept in Ohio. Over the last four years districts in both Wayne and Fairfield counties have opted to share superintendents. In 2008, Jon Ritchie, superintendent of Orrville City Schools in Wayne County, became superintendent for Rittman Exempted Village Schools as well. And as of last week Ritchie agreed to take on a third district-Southeast Local Schools. Read More…

Advancements force new look at old policies (Newark Advocate)

Back in the good old days when a cellphone could only call and text, defining on and off school grounds was as simple as drawing a line. Now, in the age of smartphones and Facebook, school districts are struggling with how to address use of such technologies. This year, school districts are rewriting policies to comply with two new rules. Read More…

Class strikes chord for autism awareness (Findlay Courier)

Standing in front of about 30 Central Middle School sixth graders, special education teacher Angel Buck held back tears as she told of how her daughter was recently diagnosed with autism. "My fear is my daughter is going to go to school and get made fun of," Buck said to a clearly impacted crowd. Health teacher Kevin Swan also shared stories of his young son who has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, to the young middle schoolers. Read More…

Cleveland schools' teacher cuts are catching up to loss of students (Plain Dealer)

The Cleveland schools, which expect to have a levy on November's ballot, have seen heavy losses of students since voters last passed a tax increase in 1996. Its teaching staff has been slashed too -- just at a much slower rate. Read More…

Hathorn: KnowledgeWorks won’t work in Youngstown (Vindicator)

While a Cincinnati-based education reform group believes the city schools need a complete overhaul, the superintendent says the district requires consistency. Last February, KnowledgeWorks presented ideas for the district, which its representatives said required a whole new system. Among the organization’s plan was professional development to the tune of $450,000 per school over four years. Read More…

Student body (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Celeste Thorne said she never thought the baby's feet she had tattooed to her leg months ago would prompt LaBrae High School officials to send her home two days in a row. Thorne got the tattoo, which includes her late baby sister Sabrina's name, on her 16th birthday in August. Late last month she was removed from class because the tattoo was visible. "I never really thought about it, not like that," said the 16-year-old sophomore. "I didn't see it as a big deal. I wore shorts at the beginning of school and you could see the tattoo then. I don't see the difference now. I just don't get it." Read More…

Hamilton strengthens career education initiative (Hamilton Journal News)

The primary goal for the Career Technical Education program at Hamilton High School is to make sure that each of its students is prepared to enter the workforce or enter college, but the ramifications of that go much deeper. “Our mission is to change the dynamics of each student’s family in a positive way forever,” said Kent Bryson, assistant principal in charge of CTE. Read More…

SPARK of success (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

A smile breaks across Haylee Bartram's face as she realizes "Mrs. Doris" has arrived. The 5-year-old knows what to expect from Doris Freeman - a whole new round of lesson plans and supplies designed to help Haylee, who attends preschool at Warren's Willard school, prepare for kindergarten. "She gets excited to see her," said Loretta Bartram, Haylee's mom. "She knows she'll have books or something with her, fun stuff we can do together." Read More…

Rachel’s Challenge: Pay it forward (Akron Beacon Journal)

In her short life, 17-year-old Rachel Joy Scott managed to make believers out of countless folks about the importance of spreading kindness in the hope it might become contagious. Even though Rachel no longer walks among us, her message continues to resonate. Read More…

Editorial & Opinion

State budget surplus justifies revisiting funding for schools (Vindicator)

When Gov. John Kasich and the Republican controlled General Assembly adopted the state’s $55 billion biennium budget, they justified the deep cuts in funding for school districts and local governments by contending that they had to deal with an $8 billion deficit in the spending plan. Indeed, Kasich had used the $8 billion figure as a sledgehammer in his 2010 race for governor against Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. He accused Strickland and the Democratic controlled House of Representatives of mismanaging the state’s finances. Read More…

Pass new Ohio law to put public-sector treasurers on notice: editorial (Plain Dealer)

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost's Fiscal Integrity Act is a much-needed piece of legislation that would make it easier for the Ohio Department of Education to punish unscrupulous charter school treasurers. It would also provide swifter remedies for abusive public-sector fiscal managers across the state. The Ohio General Assembly should give recently introduced House Bill 529 and Senate Bill 339 swift approval. Read More…

Control bullying at schools (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

It's impossible to really know whether the number of violent incidents is on the rise in Warren City Schools or if the number of violent incidents reported to police is on the rise. Either way, Warren's rash of attacks reported to police this year, especially in its elementary schools, serves as a detriment toward academic and fiscal success. Read More…

Ohio's new educational standards won't fit its old budget: editorial (Plain Dealer)

The times -- as well as the tests -- they are a-changin' for Ohio's public schools. That is a good thing. But just changing tests isn't enough. The state must also show it has a reasonable strategy to use the new tools to improve learning -- and to make sure that have-not districts and disadvantaged children also have the resources to take full advantage of them. Read More…