Statewide Stories of the Day
- House panel raises bar on third-grade reading test standards (Dispatch)
Last week, the Senate weakened Gov. John Kasich’s so-called third-grade reading guarantee by lowering the bar students need to hit on a state reading test to move on to the fourth grade. This week, the House Education Committee bumped it back up. Despite the debate, all agree that youngsters should be “proficient,” or reading at grade level, before moving on. But the possibility of having nearly two-thirds of third-graders held back in a few years when Ohio schools must start using more-rigorous curriculum standards and assessments has some lawmakers worried. Read More...
- Positive Education Program raises $4 million in agency's first capital campaign (Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND - The Positive Education Program (PEP), which specializes in providing services to children with severe behavioral and learning challenges, announced today that the nonprofit had met its $4 million fundraising goal. The capital campaign, launched two years ago, was the first in the agency's 40-year history and raised money for the PEP Prentiss Autism Center in Fairview Park. The center is named for the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation, which donated $1 million to PEP. Read More...
Local Issues
- Parents plead to preserve schools for developmentally disabled (Dispatch)
Parents upset about a plan to phase out much of the school-age program provided by the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities say they doubt their local districts can provide comparable education and care. “It’s not their passion,” said Becky Swartz, whose 14-year-old daughter attends the board’s West Central School. The two county-run schools have top-notch adaptive equipment, experienced staff and a proven approach that leads to the best environment for children with the most-significant disabilities, she and other parents said during a meeting last night. Read More...
- Conneaut BOE makes cuts to teaching staff (Star Beacon)
CONNEAUT — Many, if not all, of the ten Conneaut educators pared from the Conneaut Area City Schools roster for the 2012-2013 school year Thursday night could be back at their desks in the fall. By a 4-1 vote, the Conneaut Board of Education approved the reduction in force of the teachers. However, a better-than-expected budget forecast could allow the district to bring many of them back, officials said. "We're going to take a look at some options, plug them into our five-year forecast and see what we can do," Superintendent Kent Houston said. Read More...
- Weathersfield schools see no changes in forecast (Vindicator)
MINERAL RIDGE - The Weathersfield Board of Education learned from district Treasurer Laurena Rouan that there are no major changes in the district’s five-year forecast. “Because of big, prudent decisions by the board members and administration, we’ve made incredible strides to be in the position we are in,” Rouan said at this week’s board meeting. Projections for the district still show no major changes from the October 2011 forecast projections, which continue to show the district in the black at year’s end until 2015, when a deficit of $75,000 is expected. Read More...
- Columbus schools to stay in food business (Dispatch)
Five months after food-services firm Sodexo pulled out of its $13 million-a-year contract with Columbus City Schools, the district has decided it doesn’t need help providing 61,000 meals a day. The district’s food-services department interviewed three firms to replace Sodexo, and at least one said it could save the district millions of dollars over the next five school years, said Joe Brown, the district’s food-services director. But Brown recommends going it alone — the same way most districts operate. Read More...
