Statewide Stories of the Day
- Tougher reading standards passed (Dispatch)
- Legislature OKs education reforms (Vindicator)
- Bill Targets Third-Graders For Reading Help (WBNS 10 CBS)
- Report pushes shared services for schools, local governments (Dispatch)
A sweeping education bill proposed by Gov. John Kasich that imposes a new reading requirement for third-graders and a stricter evaluation of teachers passed the General Assembly yesterday, largely along party lines. The bill says districts must assess the reading skills of all children in grades K-3 starting this fall. Those who are struggling must be given services including “intensive, explicit and systematic instruction.” The additional help cannot be general; it must be targeted at a child’s specific reading problem. Read more...
COLUMBUS - State lawmakers have signed off on legislation increasing reading requirements for third-graders and providing increased intervention for younger students who are not keeping pace with their grade level. Senate Bill 316 calls for increased testing requirements in coming years, eventually blocking students who are not proficient from moving on to fourth grade. The bill also calls for reading assessments of students starting in kindergarten and increased identification, parental notification and targeted teaching intervention for students struggling with reading. Read more...
COLUMBUS - Ohio third-graders lagging in reading skills face the possibility of being held back for up to two school years under a sweeping overhaul of state education policy that has cleared the state legislature on Wednesday. The so-called third grade reading guarantee is modeled after a Florida program that's shown positive results in improving reading scores. It's one of dozens of elements in the education bill that cleared the Ohio House on Wednesday, and the Senate agreed to the changes. Read more...
Shrinking budgets have left Ohio schools and local governments with a choice: raise taxes or cut services. A state report being released today focuses on a third option: sharing services to save money. A state report being released today focuses on a third option: sharing services to save money. It’s not a new idea. In fact, the report, Beyond Boundaries: A Shared Services Action Plan for Ohio Schools and Governments, identifies nearly $1 billion in savings already being realized by 51 collaborative efforts involving schools and governments across the state. Read more...
Local Issues
- USV audit shows potential saving measures (Lima News)
- Springfield seeks free lunch for all students (News-Sun)
- Pay hike for Wolf Creek teachers (Marietta Times)
- Cleveland Schools CEO Hopes to Stay With District (WJW 8 FOX)
McGUFFEY — Upper Scioto Valley schools has already reduced more than a recent state audit said it should, but officials continue to look for more ways to save the struggling district. “We will get control of this. We are trying to salvage and save the district,” said Superintendent Dennis Recker, who also said he faces constant surprise expenses that “bites the district.” A state performance audit suggests adjustments to staff levels and bus routes to address forecasted future deficits. The office believes the recommendations can save $686,900. Read more...
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City School District plans to apply to a federal program that provides free lunch and breakfast for all students in the district. The board will vote Thursday night on a resolution to apply for the Community Eligibility Option for the National School Lunch and Breakfast program. The USDA-funded program allows high-poverty districts like Springfield to serve free lunch and breakfast to all students at all schools, regardless of family incomes, and pays schools back for the cost of the meals. Read more...
Teachers in the Wolf Creek Local school district will receive pay increases in exchange for insurance concessions. The district's board of education unanimously approved a new three-year contract with members of the Wolf Creek Local Education Association during an early morning meeting on May 31. The agreement creates a two-tiered insurance system. Workers who choose the first option, a traditional plan which includes prescription drug coverage, will receive a half-percent increase to their base salary. Read more...
CLEVELAND — The man in charge of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is giving himself a passing grade for the school year, and hopes to be rehired by the school board. On Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon spoke to FOX 8 News about the future of the district. “We’ve got a long way to go,” said Gordon. “We knew that going into it, but we can’t discount how much great goes on within the CMSD every day just because we haven’t gotten to the end goal, so I think we’ve had a great year!” Read more...
Editorial
- A new chapter (Dispatch)
- The Jackson plan finally wins out (Plain Dealer)
When state lawmakers gave the green light Tuesday for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to go forward with a groundbreaking reform plan, they gave that troubled district its best chance yet to break out of decades of dysfunction and failure. And if it brings meaningful improvement, it could provide a model for other districts. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, a Democrat, deserves credit for risking the ire of his traditional political supporters by pushing for changes that the Cleveland Teachers Union and other unions dislike. Read more...
The battle for the Cleveland schools is far from over, but Tuesday's overwhelming Ohio House and Senate votes to approve Mayor Frank Jackson's school reform plan show what can happen when politicians look beyond partisan self-interest. The mayor, who often works behind the scenes, deserves tremendous credit for staying out front and for acting without regard to his Democratic Party affiliation or his own political future. Read more...