School Choice Ohio Blog

On this day ten years ago, arguments were made in a landmark school choice case that continues to affect education in Ohio and all across the nation.

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris was a federal lawsuit brought by opponents against the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program that questioned the program’s constitutionality. In a ruling on June 27, 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the program. The Institute for Justice calls it “the most important education decision since Brown v. Board of Education.”

The impact of this decision extends beyond the boundaries of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and even beyond the state of Ohio because it set the precedent for school voucher cases with regards to questions of constitutionality.

Because of this ruling, thousands of students in Ohio and across the nation have the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. We see the positive results of this decision in the faces of these students who are now able to thrive and excel in an educational environment that best fits their learning needs.

School Choice and Education News
February 9 – February 16, 2012
 

Ohio

Cleveland school district plan draws enthusiasm, concern from state school board
The Plain Dealer
February 14, 2012
Cleveland Metropolitan School District Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon presented Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s plan to overhaul Cleveland education to state school board members this week. The Plain Dealer reports that the board members reacted with enthusiasm to the portion of the plan that calls for partnering with high-performing charter schools. Board President Debe Terhar says that she hopes the board will soon have a decision with regards to whether they will support the plan.

School pays kids to come to class
Cincinnati Enquirer
February 12, 2012
Dohn Community High School, a Cincinnati-area charter school, will begin a new experiment this week by paying students in Visa gift cards to attend class. Students from the school tell the Enquirer that the money will motivate more students to come to school. The goal of the incentive program is to decrease the number of dropouts and improve attendance and graduation rates. The school also hopes that the program will help keep students off the streets.

Ohio could get STEM schools on agriculture
The Columbus Dispatch
February 13, 2012
A plan that proposes creating regional schools with an agriculture focus for grades 6-12 in Ohio is in the works. Sen. Chris Widener, Sen. Peggy Lehner, and Sen. Cliff Hite are teaming up to work on the plan. The plan envisions students completing projects and doing field research.  Linda Martin, associate dean and director for academic programs at OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, tells the Dispatch that job opportunities in the agriculture sector have never been better.

Cleveland school district seeks to fill seats at best-performing schools
The Plain Dealer
February 14, 2012
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s CEO Eric Gordon tells The Plain Dealer that some of the district’s top-performing schools still have empty seats. The district’s New Tech high schools have open seats as do the Design Lab at Jane Addams and the schools at John Hay Campus, including the MC2STEM program. In addition, several elementary schools with an “effective” rating from the state have open seats. The district is encouraging students to apply for their top school choice next year by Feb. 20.

Vo-tech students set to fly into careers
Toledo Blade
February 11, 2012
This article highlights Toledo Public Schools’ aviation program, which is available through the vocational education programs provided by the district. The program is one of only four high school programs in the state that provides FAA mechanic certification training. Students who complete the program will graduate with their high school diploma as well as their FAA certification.

National
Students rally for education reform at Indiana statehouse
The Courier-Journal
February 16, 2012
Yesterday, more than 1,000 students, teachers and legislators gathered at the Indiana Statehouse for the “Ed Reform Rocks” rally to advocate for education reform.  Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels participated in the rally. This article shares quotes from two students who attended the rally and say they hope these changes will help them graduate and get into college.

Today the Thomas B. Fordham Institute , Ohio Grantmakers Forum, and Achieve hosted an event called “Embracing the Common Core: Helping Students Thrive.” Speakers at the event talked about how Ohio will be on board with new national standards developed by the National Governor’s Association. Teachers will mainly focus on preparing students for success in three important subjects: literature, English, and math.

Stan Heffner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction told the group that there was a survey that students completed, and 40-45 % said that they were not prepared for college. Do you feel that this number is too high? When I was in college classes for the first time, I felt unprepared even though I took college preparation classes in high school. The goal of the Common Core is for all students to graduate from high school ready for college and career.

Because the Common Core is benchmarked against international standards that are more rigorous than Ohio’s current standards, several speakers said that they expect Ohio test scores to plummet initially. With the higher standards, it will be interesting to see how school districts handle and communicate the expected drop in scores. Will schools be able to buckle down and teach the majority of students what they need to know in the “real world”?     

There is going to be a lot of work that goes along with aligning teaching to the new standards. A good amount of school districts are already on board with the core curriculum, but what about those that are just waiting to “teach the test”? One of the speakers made a great point about how teachers will tell students that they need to know information because it is on the test. Has anyone else heard that before?

I had the experience of being in the Class of 2007, which was the first class that had to take the OGT (Ohio Graduation Test) to graduate. It was obvious that teachers felt the need to take time just to give us practice questions because this was the real deal. I learned how to become a great test-taker, but I also learned how to forget about the material once the test was over.

The purpose of this new test for students is not to help them become better test-takers, but to help them thrive in adulthood. Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, recommends that districts begin working towards the common core now instead of waiting for the test to come out because this will be a tough transition.

Be sure to check out more information about the event. Check out School Choice Ohio’s tweets on the event as well, and tell us what you think. How do you feel about higher standards? About a partially national curriculum?

-Krista Everett

By Daria Dillard Stone

National School Choice Week events were held across the country from Jan. 22 to 28, 2012. These events were shining a spotlight on effective education options for every child. One event that I participated in was hosted/sponsored by School Choice Ohio and the Forum For Educational Options. The event was called “Celebrating Ohio’s Educational Options – meeting the individual needs of students.” It was held at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium on 1.24.12 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Many were honored (Dayton Early College Academy, ISUS, STEM School just to name a few), including Legislative “trailblazers” who have always advocated for the interests of children.

There were wonderful parent representatives from Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton that were also present and vocal regarding their choice issues/challenges as they were given the opportunity to speak with State Representatives in their jurisdiction, including one of our star PACE Students Tevin Ademu an 11th grader at Chaminade Julienne (Dayton, OH). We were excited to hear a speech from a national “trailblazer” who has fought for Education Freedom for many years – namely Ms. Virginia Fowler Walden Ford- and to witness former State Representative Dixie Allen (current PACE Board Member) get honored/recognized for her accomplishments as a legislative “trailblazer” who has always advocated for the interests of children and helped pass the EdChoice Voucher/Scholarship in Ohio in 2006.

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012, a Parent Information Session/Workshop was hosted/sponsored by Tracie Craft, State Director of  BAEO Ohio, at One St. Elizabeth Place in the Chapel. Approximately 40 were in attendance to discuss the processes and timelines for parents interested in EdChoice Vouchers/Scholarships & other scholarships available for special needs children. The online applications for the EdChoice Scholarship Program are submitted by the participating private schools between February 1, 2012, and April 13, 2012, on behalf of the parent, ONLY AFTER the student has been accepted for enrollment by the school.  I was on hand to offer support to BAEO as the parents entered, registered and took group photos.

School Choice and Education News
February 1 – 9, 2012

Ohio

New boarding school outlines Cincinnati plan
Cincinnati Enquirer
February 2, 2012
The SEED Foundation, based in Washington D.C., recently signed an agreement with Cincinnati Public Schools that outlines plans for what could be Ohio’s first public boarding school. The school would serve at-risk youth, and it must still receive approval from the state. This school would be part of an ongoing effort by the Cincinnati Public School District to offer more options to its students.
 
Gov. John Kasich endorses Cleveland mayor’s plan to improve schools
The Plain Dealer
February 7, 2012
Governor Kasich said during his State of the State address that he will help Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson persuade lawmakers to support changes needed to implement the mayor’s new plan to revitalize Cleveland’s public schools. Within six years, Mayor Jackson’s plan looks to triple the number of Cleveland students who attend quality schools –both district and charter. The plan also proposes increasing partnerships with successful charters and creating more flexibility for high-performing district schools.

Straight Up Conversation: Departing Kasich Edu-Advisor Bob Sommers on Reform in Ohio
Education Week
February 1, 2012
Bob Sommers, Governor Kasich’s former education advisor, talks with Education Week about education reform in Ohio. When asked about Ohio’s most significant education reforms passed in 2011, Sommers highlights the development of a school ranking system, the expansion of Ohio’s school voucher programs, and the removal of the cap on charter schools.

Charter-CPS battle goes to higher court
Cincinnati Enquirer
February 6, 2012
The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case that could set precedent for the future handling of public school districts’ vacant buildings. The Theodore Roosevelt Public Charter School is fighting an attempt by Cincinnati Public Schools to shut down their building. The charter school is housed in a building formerly owned by Cincinnati Public Schools. The building was sold under a contract agreeing not to open a school in the building, but the purchaser argues that the contract went against public policy.

High school grad calculator changes
Cincinnati Enquirer
February 6, 2012
This year, states must begin counting high school graduation rates based only on those students who graduate in four years. The goal of this change is to standardize graduation rates across states and make schools more accountable. Last year, Ohio’s official graduation rate was 84.3 percent, but using the new method of calculating, its four-year rate was 78 percent. This article discusses some of the concerns about how the new method will affect schools that work with at-risk youth or students with special needs.  

National

White House to Issue Waiver List on No Child Left Behind
The Wall Street Journal
February 9, 2012
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Obama administration will announce today the list of 10 states that will receive waivers to release them from requirements of No Child Left Behind. According to the article, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee will receive waivers.  

Governor John Kasich delivered his second State of the State address today at Wells Academy in Steubenville. While stressing the need to do more to improve the quality of education and student performance in our schools, the governor also took time to highlight the many accomplishments in the expansion of school choice in the past year in Ohio.

2011 saw significant expansion of the state’s school choice programs. Through the hard work of our legislative champions and Governor Kasich, Ohio increased the number of EdChoice scholarships available for students to 30,000 for the current school year and 60,000 for the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to an increase in the number of EdChoice scholarships available, eligibility for the program was expanded to include students who attend the bottom 10 percent of schools in the state, based on performance index scores.

In addition to the expansions made to the EdChoice program, the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program was expanded and Ohio’s fourth school voucher program – the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program – was created.

Cleveland Scholarship & Tutoring Program                                                                                                                        

• Scholarship amounts were increased to mirror EdChoice scholarship amounts
• Eligibility was expanded to include all high school students who live in the Cleveland School District

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

• Ohio’s fourth school voucher program will provide scholarships to students in grades K-12 with special needs.

This significant expansion makes Ohio among the leaders in the school choice movement across the country.

While highlighting this achievement, Governor Kasich declared that “No mom and dad should have to have their kid in a school where they are not safe and they are not learning. It is a Civil Right. When schools aren’t working and they are underperforming, let our children go.”

School Choice Ohio salutes the significant expansion of school choice in our state over the past year and we look forward to working with the Governor and legislature to make Ohio the State of School Choice!

By: Ron Adler, president
Ohio Coalition for Quality Education

There’s plenty of chatter around Ohio since the Governor announced that he would break with tradition and deliver his February 7th State of State address at a school in Steubenville, OH.

The speculation and hand-wringing around Ohio seems to be in overdrive.  Some are fretting that it, ‘breaks with the tradition” of presenting the State of State Address in the Statehouse.   Others have said Steubenville is too far from the state capitol and would cost too much.  We’ve even heard that he picked this little town on the West Virginia border for political reasons.

Is it possible that everyone is over-thinking the Governor’s motives?  Perhaps he just cares about education and wants to underscore the importance of Steubenville’s Wells Academy.  This little known school in this little town was named Ohio’s No. 1 public elementary school based on Ohio’s new school ranking system.

Last year, every third and fourth grade student at Wells passed state assessments in math and reading and more than 70 percent performed at “advanced” levels.  This wonderful school, which few had heard of, has earned a 100% mark on their tests every year since 2006.

I bet that Governor Kasich also likes the fact that Wells Academy directs a high percentage of their educational dollars into the classroom where it benefits the children.

Now for anyone who might have difficulty finding Steubenville without their GPS, it’s a small city located along the Ohio River on the Ohio-West Virginia border.  Population under 20,000.  And ever since their steel industry dried up in the 1980′s, there hasn’t been much to brag about.
 

That is, until the Governor’s staff called to inform the Steubenville school superintendent and mayor that the Ohio Governor wanted to recognize their outstanding school.  He wasn’t going to merely mention Wells Academy in his speech or invite them to Columbus.  Governor Kasich is actually coming to Steubenville’s Wells Academy.  Not for a quick photo-op but — to deliver his State of State address at their school!!! 

For the last three decades Steubenville, OH was best known as the birthplace of singer, actor Dean Martin, oddsmaker Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder and Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Rollie Fingers.  Thanks to Governor Kasich, after February 7th Steubenville’s 18,659 residents will have something new to brag about.  Wells Academy will now be a household name in Ohio.

Last week Ohio celebrated Digital Learning Day with a proclamation from Governor Kasich, testimony from Ohio students, and a visit from a high-profile digital learning expert.

Governor Kasich’s proclamation hit on a key reality: “Education has yet to realize the potential of effective use of technology in delivering personalized learning to every child.”

Part of the process of tapping in to this potential is to understand more about this new frontier. Digital Learning Day was an important step forward in this regard. Thanks to the work of state leaders, including the KnowledgeWorks Foundation’s Lisa Duty, we heard wonderful stories, national trends, and data sharing.

• National expert, Tom Vander Ark presented testimony to a packed house in the House Education Committee and fielded questions from committee members. Tom shared a dynamic tool for state leaders and reformers: the very thoughtful “Roadmap for Reform.”
• Parents and teachers shared how their perceptions of online learning were shattered when they took a chance on this new style.
• And students shared their experiences with the digital learning options that are already available in Ohio.

These presentations got us thinking about the possibilities of digital learning. We could look back one day and chuckle at the ways things used to be. I imagine a conversation something like this:

Remember when …

… students all had to move at the same pace in all their classes even if they were way ahead or way behind?

… teachers learned Spanish from teachers who barely knew Spanish themselves and couldn’t take classes from fluent, native speakers?

… “World Studies” classes didn’t involve any video chats with classes in other countries?

… students couldn’t take 2 classes they really wanted if the schedules conflicted?

… students went home for the summer and then had to spend the first 25% of the next year re-learning what they forgot during the summer?

… teachers had to do professional development en masse, even if it wasn’t relevant for them?

… schools had to buy all new history textbook sets after major historical/geographic events?

… students would pass a grade based on their age instead of what they knew? And when passing to the next grade level was all or nothing?

… the state had to wait 3 months to process students’ standardized tests? And teachers didn’t find out their test scores until the next year when the new students had already arrived?

… teachers had to be in the same state as their students and the best teachers could only teach 25 students at a time?

… students couldn’t get personalized attention because the teacher had to teach 25 students at a time?

One of our top policy priorities as an organization is to advance flexibility for students to access a range of high quality digital learning options. KnowledgeWorks lays out some of the barriers we face here in Ohio – we have some work to do.

We are looking forward to working with other innovators to knock down some of these barriers to help schools begin building the next generation of learning.

The enrollment periods for the EdChoice Scholarship Program and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program officially open today. Both programs are now accepting applications for the 2012-13 school year.

If your child is eligible, now is the time to begin calling and visiting participating private schools to find the right fit for your child!  School Choice Ohio is here to help if you have any questions along the way.

Check out some general program info and steps to follow to apply for a scholarship below.

EdChoice Scholarship Program

• Available to students who attend the state’s lowest performing public schools
• Approximately 100,000 students are eligible
• There are currently 217 EdChoice designated public schools across Ohio, which have received a rating of “academic watch” or “academic emergency” for two of the past three years or are ranked in the bottom 10 percent of schools in the state based on performance-index scores.
• Scholarships are worth $4,250 in grades K-8 and $5,000 per year for high school students

Steps to apply for an EdChoice Scholarship:

Step 1: Parents can determine if their child is eligible for a scholarship by checking the eligible public schools list available here.
Step 2: Once parents confirm their child’s eligibility, they can check the participating private schools list (available here) and begin calling and visiting private schools to find the right fit for their child.
Step 3: Parents enroll their child in the participating private school of their choice.
Step 4: The chosen private school will then apply for the EdChoice Scholarship on behalf of the parents.

Cleveland Scholarship & Tutoring Program

• K-12 students who live in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District are eligible to apply
• This is the first year in the program’s history that current high school students are eligible to apply
• Preference is given to low-income families
• Scholarships are worth $3,825 for K-8 students and $4,500 for students in grades 9-12

Steps to apply for a Cleveland school voucher:

Step 1: Parents who live in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District can check the participating private schools list available online here and begin calling and visiting private schools to find the right fit for their child.
Step 2: Parents enroll their child in the participating private school of their choice.
Step 3: The chosen private school will then apply for the scholarship on behalf of the parents.

The deadline to apply for the EdChoice Scholarship Program is April 13, 2012, and the deadline to apply for the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program is May 31, 2012.

School Choice Ohio spent National School Choice Week hosting several events in areas all over the state – from Columbus to Akron, from Canton to Youngstown – talking about some of the great school options available to Ohio families and the importance of the state’s scholarship programs.

The week was lively! From school fairs to press conferences, from advocacy days to community events, here is a rundown of the highlights:

• We kicked off the week in Akron on Sunday with a School Choice Fair that highlighted more than 50 public, private, charter, virtual, dropout recovery, Waldorf, faith-based, and arts-based schools in the Akron area. Many local families had the opportunity to learn about the diverse array of options available in their community. Check out this article from the Akron Beacon Journal about the event.

• SCO held a press conference on Monday to discuss the legislative wins for Ohio families in 2011 and to announce our legislative goals for 2012. A parent who plans to use Ohio’s new special needs scholarship program shared her story and talked about how the scholarship will change her son’s life. We also took this opportunity to release SCO’s 2011 Annual Report and debut a new video that shows the growth and success of Ohio’s school voucher programs.

• Private school principals attended a roundtable discussion about school choice advocacy with nationally known parent advocate Virginia Walden Ford. Columbus supporters also gathered for an evening event with Virginia to hear about her experience as a school choice advocate in DC and learn from her successes.

• Tuesday was our Day at the Capitol. We co-sponsored a luncheon with Forum for Educational Options that celebrated the variety of Ohio’s educational options. Following the luncheon, School Choice Ohio partnered with our friends at BAEO for an advocacy day. Parents met with Ohio legislators to discuss the need for more school choice opportunities in Ohio. On Tuesday evening, Akron parents gathered for an event at Emmanuel Christian Academy with Virginia Walden Ford to discuss the importance of school choice advocacy.

• Thursday, we hit the road and headed to Northeast Ohio. We invited local media outlets to Heritage Christian School in Canton and Youngstown Christian School in Youngstown to learn more about the impact of school choice in their communities. Local media outlets attended both events where we discussed the state’s scholarship programs and highlighted success stories from local families. Read the article from the Canton Repository here and the article from the Youngstown Vindicator here.

We couldn’t be happier with our events last week, and we are especially grateful to Virginia Walden Ford for traveling all the way up from Arkansas to celebrate with us.  We are also thankful that Gov. John Kasich recognized School Choice Week in Ohio with a resolution.

This is just the beginning of an exciting year. Your support is so important, and we are thankful for your involvement. If you would like to join our efforts in new ways, whether as an ambassador, donor, supporter, or volunteer, we welcome your partnership.

Thank you for celebrating School Choice Week with us, and stay tuned for more exciting news throughout the year.