Statewide Education News

State audit faults Columbus schools’ tutor spending (Dispatch)

The Columbus school district paid tutoring groups for serving children who weren’t enrolled in Columbus schools and for services that were never provided, a state audit says. The district does “actively monitor” the federally required tutoring program, auditors said. Yet auditors “identified several inaccuracies and falsified vendor documents,” particularly on the invoices that tutoring groups submitted to the district. Read More…

Ohio legislators aim to introduce Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's schools plan next week (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's sweeping plan to transform Cleveland schools won't reach the Statehouse launching pad this week as the mayor had hoped. Instead, legislators are giving him and the Cleveland Teachers Union one more chance to reach agreement first. Four legislators who have been working with the two sides announced Thursday they will hold off until after the union and the mayor's office meet again Tuesday. Read More…

Local Issues

Cleveland schools, teachers union plan rally Saturday to showcase district's successes (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland School District and the Cleveland Teachers Union will hold a "Rally for Excellence" on Saturday, showcasing success in the city schools. The event, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at East Technical High School, 2439 East 55th St., will feature author and Oprah Winfrey Network TV host Wes Moore as the keynote speaker at 11:45 a.m. A youth advocate, he is the author of the bestseller "The Other Wes Moore." Read More…

ACTION demands answers from leaders (Vindicator)

Youngstown - State and local leaders were placed on the hot seat at Thursday’s ACTION meeting, where community members requested from them specific levels of commitment toward fixing the education system in Youngstown. At the meeting themed “Save Our Children,” state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd, Youngstown Superintendent Connie Hathorn and Larry Ellis from the Youngstown Education Association sat at a table in front of a packed Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church on the city’s east side. Read More…

Southeastern teens' anti-bullying video goes national (News-Sun)

SOUTH CHARLESTON — What started as a school project on bullying is gaining national attention. Tyler Gregory and Scott Hannah, both members of the Family Community Career Leaders of America, made an anti-bullying video as part of a project for the organization. The idea came following the national attention surrounding the suicide of 14-year-old Jamie Rodemeyer. “I never thought that we could stop bullying,” Gregory said. “But we wanted to do something that would alleviate it, help it out a little bit so people think before they do it.” Read More…

Warren Schools may expand (Tribune Chronicle)

WARREN - Not even two years after the city school district opened two of its new buildings, officials are considering options to expand those buildings, at a cost of about $1 million. William A. Schurman, executive vice president at Hammond Construction, presented plans to the Warren City Schools Board of Education during a recent work session. Plans call for the addition of several classrooms at each of the Jefferson and McGuffey K-8 schools on the city's west side. Read More…