Statewide Education News
- Group offers bold plan for improving city schools (Vindicator)
- State bill to aid schools has detractors (Journal-News)
- Ohio schools join to fight AEP rate increase (WKYC 3 NBC)
Youngstown - A draft improvement plan for the city schools is a start, but representatives of a Cincinnati-based education-reform organization advocate an even bolder approach. KnowledgeWorks representatives met with Vindicator news and editorial staff Wednesday to talk about their recommendations. They’ll make a presentation at today’s city schools Academic Distress Commission meeting. Read More…
A proposed state bill that would allow school districts to explore new revenue streams by earning profits on facilities, services and merchandise does not sit well with some local officials. The bill — introduced Feb. 3 by state Rep. Mike Henne, R-Clayton — would amend current legislation and allow Montgomery County’s 16 school districts to pilot the new program, possibly as early as the 2013-14 school year. Henne said the bill could expand to other school districts outside of Montgomery County, other counties or the entire state. Read More…
COLUMBUS - Three of the largest Ohio school groups have joined together to fight a sudden jump in their bills from American Electric Power. The groups are asking state utility regulators to give special consideration to school districts at a time of budget cuts and the bad economy. The Ohio School Boards Association, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators raised their concerns in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Tuesday. Read More…
Local Issues
- Tough decisions ahead for Akron schools (Beacon Journal)
- Parents say switching schools could result in switching students to another district (Morning Journal)
- Fight to save Libbey was good lesson for schools (Blade)
Akron superintendent David James made the case for passing a levy in November with his fourth annual “State of the Schools” address Wednesday. But he delivered no big announcements about the consequences of failing to pass a new tax. The district must eliminate a $22 million deficit before July 1, which could mean the layoff of up to 300 teachers if the cuts were made exclusively to labor costs. Read More…
LORAIN — With Lorain High School students being relocated for four years, starting next school year, to the old Southview High School while a new high school is built, many parents reacted to the news by stating they would seek to enroll their student at another district. However, open enrollment opportunities are few and far between. The Amherst school district is experiencing financial problems and probably won’t have that many openings for students outside the district’s borders. Read More…
As dozens of schools fall in the final stages of Toledo Public Schools' massive building project, the district's remaining aged architecture soon could receive new distinctions and potential protections. Toledo Board of Education members and district officials researched and discussed in recent weeks the benefits and drawbacks of an effort to place older schools on the National Register of Historic Places. Read More…
Editorial
- Shame Is Not the Solution (NY Times – Bill Gates)
Last week, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that teachers’ individual performance assessments could be made public. I have no opinion on the ruling as a matter of law, but as a harbinger of education policy in the United States, it is a big mistake. I am a strong proponent of measuring teachers’ effectiveness, and my foundation works with many schools to help make sure that such evaluations improve the overall quality of teaching. Read More…