Statewide Education News

Biden, education chief to visit Gahanna school (Dispatch)

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan are scheduled to speak at 12:15 p.m. Thursday in a town hall-style meeting at Gahanna Lincoln High School, White House and school officials say. The topic will be college affordability — a White House news release said more than two-thirds of Ohio college students take out loans to pay for school and graduate with an average debt of more than $27,000. Biden and Duncan are expected to lay out — in an election year for their boss with swing-state Ohio as the backdrop — what President Barack Obama’s administration has done to hold down college costs. Read More…

New sex education standards released (News-Herald)

WASHINGTON — Young elementary school students should use the proper names for body parts and, by the end of fifth grade, know that sexual orientation is “the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender,” according to new sexual education guidelines released Monday by a coalition of health and education groups. The non-binding recommendations to states and school districts seek to encourage age-appropriate discussions about sex, bullying and healthy relationships — starting with a foundation even before second grade. Read More…

Waiver for gym class? (Tribune Chronicle)

WARREN - Kathy Woods is hoping to secure more time for her daughter: Time the Warren G. Harding High School freshman can spend studying, earning high school credits, finishing necessary tasks. "There's only so much time in a day," the Warren woman said recently. "When your child is active in school, sports and extracurricular activities, their days fill up quickly." Woods has asked the Warren City Board of Education to consider adopting a policy that would allow students who participate in athletics to forgo the physical education classes each student must take to graduate. Read More…

Local Issues

Miffed tutors blame district for delaying students’ help (Dispatch)

A federally funded tutoring program for Columbus students is months behind schedule as the district tries to prevent fraud. The district’s tough approach to checking out tutoring vendors has meant that thousands of students have yet to receive any help, 2 1/2 months after tutoring could have begun. The vendors are crying foul, saying the delay is costing them business and hurting the district’s chances of improving reading and math scores. Read More…

Lorain school board looks at another round of budget cuts (Morning Journal)

LORAIN — The Lorain school board will decide on another round of budget cuts Wednesday in its quest to drop $12.5 million from its budget. At Wednesday’s school board meeting, Interim Superintendent Ed Branham is expected to recommend $5.2 million in cuts, according to Branham. In October, the district approved cutting $1.5 million in expenses before the 1.5 percent earned income tax levy failed in November. Read More…

Westerville, Dublin schools study budget cuts (Dispatch)

Two school districts have added details about plans to make budget cuts because their tax issues failed on the November ballot. In Dublin last night, the district’s school board outlined plans for bigger elementary classes next school year, along with shorter days and reduced busing for high-schoolers. Members of Westerville’s school board presented a framework to decide which programs will be saved if voters approve a March levy. Read More…

Editorial

Online textbooks could work for California (L.A. Times)

It's time for college textbooks to catch up with the 21st century. Online, open-access textbooks that rely heavily on information in the public domain would not only cost students a fraction as much, but they also could be readily updated and easily customized to individual professors' courses. That's a big deal considering that many of the most commonly used traditional textbooks cost more than $150. Buying used books isn't the option it used to be because professors often demand the latest version even when the changes are minimal. Read More…