Statewide Education News

New voucher effort serves special-needs students (Dispatch)

Ohio is about to launch its fourth tax-funded education-voucher program, this one for students with special needs. The application process is expected to begin in early February for the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship, named after the former state representative from Delaware who pushed for the program. The vouchers — up to $20,000 a year — will be available for the 2012-13 school year. Supporters say the program will give students with disabilities access to services tailored to meet their needs. Read More…

Cloverleaf school district placed in fiscal emergency, state oversight (Beacon Journal)

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost placed Medina County’s Cloverleaf school district in fiscal emergency Tuesday because the district cannot overcome a nearly $600,000 deficit this June. The following year, the deficit will balloon to $2.6 million. The declaration means the district can borrow money from the state, but must submit all financial decisions — including whether to put a levy on the ballot — to a state commission for approval. Within the next 15 days, a five-member commission will be formed to oversee Cloverleaf’s finances. Read More…

Ohio schools boost ranking in 2 U.S. studies (Dayton Daily News)

Ohio ranked 10th and 21st for its K-12 education performance and policy as compared to all other states and the District of Columbia for 2011, according to two national studies released this month. In a third study, released today by the National Council on Teacher Quality, the state’s teachers tied for fifth in the nation. According to the NCTQ, Ohio teachers earned a “C+” for 2011 in biennial report. The state had received a “D+” two years ago, making it one of the most improved states according to the most recent study. Read More…

Local Issues

Youngstown schools distress commission gets another new leader (Vindicator)

Youngstown - The commission charged with developing a plan to move the city schools out of academic distress has a new leader for the second time in three months. Richard Ross, retired superintendent of Reynoldsburg Schools near Columbus, announced his resignation as commission chairman this week. Adrienne O’Neill, a commission member, will take his place. Stan Heffner, state superintendent of public instruction, had appointed Ross last November to lead the academic distress commission, the only one in the state. Read More…

Riverside Schools to cut 25 teachers (News-Herald)

In a situation becoming quite common in the area, another school district announced teacher layoffs to help balance the budget. At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Riverside Schools announced the district will cut 25 teachers to help make up lost revenue after three failed levies. The elimination of the teaching positions will save the district about $1.5 million of the $3.1 million deficit, Superintendent James Kalis said. Read More…

Youngstown board resolves union issues (Vindicator)

Youngstown - The school board has resolved two unfair-labor practice charges filed by the teachers union. The Youngstown Education Association filed a charge last April with the State Employment Relations Board after the Youngstown Academic Distress Commission returned management rights to the school district. Some management rights had been relinquished in collective- bargaining agreements. But because the district was in academic emergency last year and under the commission’s control, the law allows the commission to restore those rights to the district. Read More…

Richmond Heights School Board terminates contract with lawyer investigating superintendent (News-Herald)

The Richmond Heights School Board voted 3-2 Monday to terminate the services of Charles Tyler, the attorney who had been working on the investigation of Superintendent Linda T. Hardwick. Hardwick was relieved of her duties with pay in November pending the investigation of her alleged misappropriation of district property, specifically confidential documents and emails. That investigation has come to a close, but pending issues still exist, and information from Tyler’s report has not been made public as of yet. Read More…

Editorial

Expert panel could revamp education in Ohio (Dispatch)

Albert Einstein told us that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Sound like our educational system? More and more money, a lot of tinkering, constant reforms and so little change. The recession and state budget woes set off alarms, warning that many education needs can’t be met if we keep this up. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan now talks about the New Normal. Read More…