Education News for 05-22-2013

State Education News

• Little Miami regains its independence (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Today is Independence Day for the financially embattled Little Miami Schools. Once Ohio’s poster child for school district monetary woes, the Warren County school system will be autonomous…Read more...

• Coleman, Gee pitch Columbus school proposal to legislators (Columbus Dispatch)

State legislators drew attention to academic failures of the Columbus school district and to its ongoing data scandal last night in the first talks over a bill that…Read more...

• Special-needs aides still fighting dismissal (Columbus Dispatch)

Two Columbus special-needs aides who were fired last summer are still fighting to get their jobs back. The final day of hearings before the Columbus Civil Service Commission…Read more...

• Northridge out of fiscal caution, but levy needed (Newark Advocate)

The Northridge School District is out of fiscal caution. However, the district will have to renew its 8.86 mill levy by the end of 2014 to remain in the black long term…Read more...

• As prepared as we can be for Tornadoes (Portsmouth Daily Times)

An enormous tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., Monday, killing more…Read more...

Local Education News



• Families of the victims of Chardon School shooting are suing the United Way over access to Chardon (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The families of the three Chardon High School students who were killed in 2012 are suing the United Way of Greater Cleveland and its Geauga County chapter…Read more...

• Reynoldsburg takes over charter e-school (Columbus Dispatch)

The Reynoldsburg school board is taking over the charter e-school that it placed on probation last year…Read more...

• Groveport Madison levy still losing by 12 votes (Columbus Dispatch)

Groveport Madison’s school levy gained four votes but is still behind after elections officials counted provisional ballots and added in an uncounted…Read more...

• Columbus school board votes to back report of Coleman’s education panel (Columbus Dispatch)

A resolution supporting the recommendations of the Columbus Education Commission passed a divided Columbus school board last night, after a lengthy debate that centered largely around whether…Read more...

• Brunswick school officials close all buildings in response to norovirus (Sun Newspapers)

Although symptoms of the condition itself last, in general, little more than 24 hours, a norovirus outbreak at the Brunswick City Schools this past week led to the closer of every building…Read more...

• Maysville students benefit from early college courses (Zanesville Times-Recorder)

Skylar Novaria might achieve his goal of becoming a business manager or CEO sooner than expected because of being a proactive teenager…Read more...

Education News for 02-28-2013

State Education News

• IN OUR SCHOOLS: Ohio finally releases report cards (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Ohio’s Department of Education on Wednesday released the rest of its school and district report card data for the 2011-12 school year, six months late…Read more…

• Ohio schools' report cards shifting to new format (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The Solon school district won't be sweating over whether it's rated Excellent or Excellent with Distinction on state report cards anymore.…Read more…

• Yost slams how schools report data (Columbus Dispatch)

State Auditor Dave Yost, whose office investigated data-scrubbing among school districts throughout the state, called on the Ohio Department of Education yesterday to fix the “just-trust-me” system.…Read more…

• School report cards finally released (Findlay Courier)

After a nearly seven-month delay because of a statewide investigation into attendance tampering, the 2011-12 school report cards were finally released Wednesday.…Read more…

• Official state report cards released (Lima News)

The State Department of Education released the final 2011-12 report cards Wednesday.…Read more…

• Final-Not-Quite-Final Ohio School Report Cards Released (State Impact Ohio)

Ohioans finally get to see their schools’ ratings in the nice, clean PDF format they’re used to, instead of the confusing and incomplete spreadsheets the Department of Education released in the fall.…Read more…

• Ohio Department of Education releases finalized school report cards (Toledo Blade)

The Ohio Department of Education released finalized school report cards today, after a months-long delay prompted by a statewide investigation into allegations of data manipulation by school districts.…Read more…

• Justices’ questions leave fired science teacher hopeful (Columbus Dispatch)

Attorneys for Mount Vernon schools fidgeted in their seats and dropped their heads yesterday as they listened to Ohio Supreme Court justices discuss the case of fired teacher John Freshwater.…Read more…

Local Education News

• Local districts fair well on state report cards (Akron Beacon Journal)

The Ohio Department of Education has found that Akron-area school districts performed higher than state performance averages.…Read more…

• Report cards for Ohio schools unchanged from preliminary results, but Cleveland among districts still (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Your school district's rating on final report cards issued Wednesday hasn't changed since the state released preliminary ratings in the fall.…Read more…

• Hilliard schools top new state ranking (Columbus Dispatch)

For years, Hilliard students consistently have accomplished more than a year’s worth of learning during the school year. …Read more…

• Linden students collect 750 books for hospital (Hamilton Journal-News)

Linden Elementary’s Friday morning book club — The Morning Glories - set out to do something special for the school's participation in the 26 Days of Kindness initiative.…Read more…

• Ohio releases final school report cards (New Philadelphia Times-Reporter)

Sixteen school buildings in the Tuscarawas Valley earned the ranking of Excellent With Distinction in the latest Ohio school report card data released Wednesday.…Read more…

• No surprises as school report cards are finally released (Newark Advocate)

About six months later than usual, the Ohio Department of Education released final school report card data on Wednesday.…Read more…

• Final school report card results released (Springfield News-Sun)

Local school districts maintained their preliminary report card ratings Wednesday when the state released final results for the 2011-12 school year.…Read more…

• Youngstown schools stay lowest ranked in Valley (Youngstown Vindicator)

Final school report cards released Wednesday by the Ohio Department of Education look a lot like those issued last October.…Read more…

• ScholArts charter school to close today (Columbus Dispatch)

A charter school in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood is giving up its legal fight to stay open and will hold its final day of classes today.…Read more…

• Sequester could cut local Head Start (Marion Star)

As Friday’s sequester deadline looms, 47 children in Marion, Morrow, Crawford and Richland counties remain caught in the cross hairs.…Read more…

• Clark to hire school deputies (Springfield News-Sun)

Clark County commissioners plan to spend more than $96,000 this year and $118,000 next year to hire deputies to boost school security, but concerns have been raised whether the county can afford the program.…Read more…

• Schools Scramble To Submit School Safety Plans To State After 10TV Probe (WBNS)

Three central Ohio schools left to submit their safety plans to the state filed them within the past week after being probed by 10TV’s Jerry Revish.…Read more…

• CrimeTracker 10 Analyzes School Safety 1 year After Chardon HS Shooting (WBNS)

Last year’s tragedy at Chardon High School was a painful reminder of how vulnerable places of learning can be.…Read more…

• Chardon Healing Fund helps victims' families after school shooting (WEWS)

The people of Chardon have opened their hearts to help victims’ families of the Chardon High School shooting. They've also opened their wallets and the generosity has been felt from coast-to-coast.…Read more…

• Chardon school shooting victims' families suing T.J. Lane, his family (Willoughby News Herald)

Families of the three students who died in the Chardon High School shootings filed a wrongful death suit Wednesday against the gunman, his parents and his legal guardians.…Read more…

Education News for 02-27-2013

State Education News

• School-funding tweaks possible, Kasich adviser says (Columbus Dispatch)

Legislators got another tutorial on Gov. John Kasich’s school-funding plan yesterday, but the additional details failed to alleviate many concerns about how state aid will be distributed…Read more...

• State education department probes data ‘scrubbing’ by schools (Columbus Dispatch)

Columbus City Schools and eight other Ohio districts are now under investigation by the Ohio Department of Education for misrepresenting student enrollment data, meaning they could lose funding and educators…Read more...

• Schools getting ready for state testing in March (Newark Advocate)

From March 11-15, the high school will start on a two-hour delay schedule because of the Ohio Graduation Tests. Buses will run on their normal schedule. All sophomores, and any upperclassmen who need to retest, need to arrive at 7:30 a.m…Read more...

Local Education News

• Columbus school board well-trained in policy governance (Columbus Dispatch)

Keeping your nose out of the CEO’s business doesn’t come cheap. The Columbus Board of Education has spent almost $100,000 for training in “policy governance” since it adopted the management model…Read more...

• Ignoring mayor, school board plows ahead with superintendent search (Columbus Dispatch)

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and members of his Education Commission demanded this month that the city school district drop plans to hire a full-time superintendent by April…Read more...

• TPS board delays vote to extend pacts for 4 in cabinet (Toledo Blade)

The Toledo Board of Education delayed a vote Tuesday on contract extensions for most members of the superintendent’s cabinet, but board members claimed their actions were not an indication of a lack of board support…Read more...

• Newark School Committee Discusses Arming Teachers To Improve Security (WBNS)

After the tragedy at Sandy Hook, Newark City Schools formed a safety committee which held its first meeting on Monday. Among the safety suggestions that were discussed was the idea of arming teachers…Read more...

• Chardon reacts to T.J. Lane's guilty plea as it remembers school shooting (Willoughby News Herald)

People heading to a Chardon High School concert on Tuesday night had a variety of opinions on Thomas Lane III's guilty plea earlier the same day…Read more...

Editorial

• A word of caution to CCS (Canton Repository)

Canton City Schools Superintendent Adrian Allison rightly feels a sense of urgency about restructuring the district’s schools…Read more...

• For Chardon, an anniversary and a guilty plea (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

A shaken 200-pound Chardon High School football player walking down the hall wrapped in a Linus blanket…Read more...

Education News for 12-12-2012

State Education News

• School-grading system incomplete (Columbus Dispatch)

Ohio lawmakers are expected to approve a new grading system today for determining how well schools…Read more...

• Hubbard and Liberty sharing a treasurer (Youngstown Vindicator)

The Hubbard school district has agreed to a temporary sharing of its treasurer with Liberty schools. The neighboring districts came to an arrangement after James Wilson…Read more...

Local Education News

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District may auction off headquarters (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

With Cuyahoga County well into its real estate consolidation, another public body will seek bidders for prime property in downtown Cleveland…Read more...

• Arlington Schools: No raises for administrators, nonunion staff (Columbus Dispatch)

School administrators and nonunion staff members in the Upper Arlington district won’t receive salary raises next year…Read more...

• Board curious about auditor (Columbus Dispatch)

With possible criminal referrals looming from a data-rigging probe that started with the Columbus City Schools’ internal auditor…Read more...

• Ledgemont Schools drastically cut busing (Willoughby News Herald)

When many Ledgemont School District students head back to school after the holiday break they won’t be riding in a school bus…Read more...

• Judge denies motion to suppress accused Chardon shooter's statements (Willoughby News Herald)

A Geauga County Common Pleas Court judge has denied Thomas Lane III’s motion to suppress statements he made to sheriff’s deputies and Chardon police after the Chardon High School shootings…Read more...

• Youngstown prepares to meet third grade challenge (Youngstown Vindicator)

The city school district is training teachers and testing students to try to prepare for a law that would require students to be retained in third grade if they aren’t reading at grade level…Read more...

Education News for 10-29-2012

State Education News

• Privilege issue stalls hearing in suit over schools’ private discussions (Columbus Dispatch)

After its in-house attorney told members of the Columbus Board of Education in July that they couldn’t hold private meetings to discuss an unfolding data-rigging investigation…Read more...

• Ohio Attorney General honors Chardon High School shooting first responders (WEWS)

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine honored a packed house…Read more...

Local Education News

• Some of the best will help kids learn to read (Cincinnati Enquirer)

A who’s who list of local business leaders is about to kick off an early childhood literacy campaign that seeks support from every workplace in the region…Read more...

• District changes evaluation process for top officials (Hamilton Journal-News)

Fairfield City Schools will change how it evaluates its treasurer and superintendent, giving those officials the first evaluations they’ve had in some time…Read more...

• Charter school’s scores outperform Springfield’s (Springfield News-Sun)

Two of Springfield’s three charter schools fared worse than the city’s traditional public schools, and a third school outperformed Springfield City Schools…Read more...

• $23M Pettisville school goes green in big way with building project (Toledo Blade)

Low emission and fuel-efficient cars get premium parking spots outside Pettisville’s new K- 12 school building…Read more...

• T.J. Lane using rarely successful plea in Chardon shooting (Willoughby News Herald)

After Keith Ledeger killed custodian Peter Christopher and wounded three other adults at Wickliffe Middle School on Nov. 7, 1994…Read more...

• Choffin school faces discipline issues after influx of Career Academy students (Youngstown Vindicator)

A teacher believes the addition of Career Academy students to Choffin Career and Technical Center is causing disruption for other students…Read more...

Editorial

• Poor excuse (Columbus Dispatch)

The second round of state Auditor Dave Yost’s probe of attendance-record-keeping practices in Ohio schools reveals two important things…Read more...

• Facing facts (Columbus Dispatch)

The bad news is that graduation rates have fallen for most Ohio high schools on the latest state report cards…Read more...

• Local school districts dealing with huge financial challenges (Youngstown Vindicator)

Here’s a sobering reality about public education in Ohio that should open the eyes of voters in the Nov. 6 election…Read more...

Education News for 05-16-2012

Statewide Education News

• Legislator refuses to rush changes to school-grading system (Dispatch)

Revamping how the state measures schools and district performance on annual report cards is too important and too complex to do on the fly, a state legislator says. House Education Committee Chairman Gerald L. Stebelton, R-Lancaster, said last night that he intends to strip from Gov. John Kasich’s proposed education overhaul a new and more-rigorous grading system. Read More…

National Stories of the Day

• Backer of Common Core School Curriculum Is Chosen to Lead College Board (New York Times)

David Coleman, an architect of the common core curriculum standards that are being adopted in nearly all 50 states, will become the president of the College Board, starting in October. The College Board, a membership organization of high schools and colleges that administers the SAT, the Advanced Placement program and other standardized tests, helped design the standards — an outline of what students should learn in English and math from kindergarten through high school — meant to ensure that all high school graduates are prepared for college. Read More…

• The National Teacher of the Year on what makes a great teacher (LA Times)

The class clown from Mr. Gadberry's high school art class has made good — and how. Rebecca Mieliwocki teaches seventh-grade English at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank — but not next year. Instead, she'll be on the road as the National Teacher of the Year. It took her a long time to get to the classroom — she once worked as a floral designer, doing the flowers for Elizabeth Taylor's private jet — and eventually to the White House, where a fellow teacher, President Obama, crowned her as a national teaching treasure. Before she takes off, Mieliwocki is speaking at commencement at her teaching alma mater, Cal State Northridge — and right here. Read More…

Local Issues

• NBC's 'Education Nation' to spotlight Steubenville's Wells Academy (WTOV-9)

A Jefferson County school will represent a success story on NBC's "Education Nation," the network's initiative to engage the country in the state of education in the U.S. The profile on Wells Academy in Steubenville will focus on the school's Success For All program. Read More…

• Hamilton student overcomes odds to graduate (Hamilton Journal News)

For four days, J’aime Murray’s sat in a hospital bed in a coma following surgery to remove a tumor from her brain stem. The only way her doctors could tell if she had voluntary brain function was when she moved her toes. Read More…

• Virginia Tech alumni talk with Chardon students (News Herald)

Few outside of Chardon could understand what that community has gone through since Feb. 27. One group that can relate to some degree includes those from the Virginia Tech campus. On Tuesday, representatives from the University's Actively Caring for People program stopped in Chardon to speak with students and staff from the high school. Read More…