Statewide Education News

Ohio Senate approves of changes to education reforms despite Gov. Kasich's objections (Plain Dealer)

The Ohio Senate on Wednesday approved a plan to hold back some third-graders not reading at grade level. But Gov. John Kasich, who originally proposed the concept, said the Senate’s version undermines his vision to improve education. Read More…

Members of community gather to look at ways to prevent bullying (Chillicothe Gazette)

Educators, community members and presenters at a seminar on bullying Wednesday agreed the response to the problem shouldn't be a response at all, but rather a strategy of education and prevention. About 40 people attended the three-hour session at the Ross County Service Center, which was sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's office in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Education, the Anti-Defamation League and several other governmental and non-governmental agencies. Read More…

Senate passes education bill it revised (Dispatch)

Downplaying complaints by Gov. John Kasich that legislators had weakened his education package, the Senate yesterday overwhelmingly approved legislation establishing a new third-grade reading guarantee and tougher report-card grading system for schools and districts. “I don’t think we are that far apart from the governor’s legislation,” Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, told reporters after the vote. “We share the same goal.” Read More…

Senate rewrites reading proposal (Springfield News Sun)

Ohio’s General Assembly approved several bills Wednesday that aim to improve education, crack down on illegal prescription use and reform state gambling laws. The Senate passed a revised version of Gov. John Kasich’s education reform bill in a 30-2 vote, despite his vocal opposition to changes made to the “third-grade reading guarantee.” Read More…

Local Issues

No questions please: Embattled director of local Autism school calls a press conference (Canton Repository)

The director of Dragonfly Academy claims local school districts owe her more than $500,000 in billed invoices and says disgruntled parents are harassing her through social media. Brianne Bixby-Nightingale held an invitation-only news conference Wednesday afternoon at the school, but refused to answer questions from The Repository, the only media to attend. Read More…

College at high school (Marietta Times)

By the time the 23 seniors in Waterford High School teacher Deana Dye's sixth-period calculus class graduate, they will have three college math courses under their belts. "It's been tough, but you know it's going to be helpful, so that's why we did it," said Waterford senior Shane Kern. The year-long calculus class covers a trio of courses offered at Washington State Community College, where the students will also receive credit for their work. Read More…

Monroe school district placed on fiscal emergency (Middletown Journal News)

The Auditor of State Dave Yost placed the Monroe Local School District on fiscal emergency Wednesday, a first for a Butler County school district. “We need to focus really on what is at hand,” Monroe Board of Education president Brett Guido said. “This does not need to define us. It doesn’t have to be a deciding factor as to what defines us as a district and a community. We’ll pull through.” Read More…

Countdown: Central Ohio high schools at top of the class (Columbus Business First)

A recent ranking of more than 20,000 high schools around the country has given high marks to some in Central Ohio. The region is home to five of Ohio’s top 10 high schools, according to U.S. News & World Report. The company analyzed data on 21,776 high schools, including more than 860 in Ohio, to compile the ranking. Read More…

Mother wants son to have chance to walk with class at Licking Valley graduation (Newark Advocate)

Susie Ryan knows her son, Cory Ryan, is two years away from fulfilling the requirements he needs to graduate from Licking Valley High School. But she doesn't want him to walk across the stage at graduation two years from now with students he doesn't know. Susie wants her son to have the opportunity to have a social graduation and walk across the stage with his friends at Licking Valley's commencement May 27. Read More…

North Baltimore considers shared administrative duties (Findlay Courier)

North Baltimore school board is exploring the idea of having the district's superintendent handle some of the responsibilities of principal at Powell Elementary School on a regular basis. No decision has been reached, school officials said this week. Last March, elementary Principal Patty Landenberger informed the North Baltimore school board she was leaving her post after two years, citing personal reasons. Read More…

State will get East Side church’s charter-school application again (Dispatch)

The Ohio Department of Education must reconsider a Columbus church’s application to sponsor charter schools but not before adopting a rule to help guide the decision, a Franklin County judge has ruled. Brookwood Presbyterian Church’s application was denied by the state agency in 2008, prompting the church to launch a legal battle. The department issued its denial after deciding that the church is not “an education-oriented entity.” Read More…

Youngstown school officials: Moving students will help (Vindicator)

City school district officials hope that moving some students to different buildings next academic year will bolster student achievement. Last week, the schools academic distress commission approved plans by Superintendent Connie Hathorn to move ninth-graders from P. Ross Berry Academy on the city’s East Side to East High School. The district also plans to move second- through fifth-graders from University Project Learning Center to Kirkmere Elementary School. Read More…

Editorial & Opinion

Take time with school regulations (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

There are those who believe that children who attend school at ages 3 and 4 have an enormous head start over those who wait until kindergarten or first grade. That's why many states, including nearby West Virginia, established ''pre-K'' school programs. The National Institute for Early Education Research cites West Virginia's pre-K program as one of the nation's best. That's one of the reasons that on our side of the border, complaints are mounting that Ohio lags far behind in emphasis on pre-K education. Read More…