Lawmakers aren’t near a school-funding resolution
The Columbus Dispatch
April 1, 2013
Representative Gerald Stebelton doubts a final school-funding plan can be crafted by the time the two-year state budget is approved. He said he thinks that it is unrealistic that the school-funding plan can be fully resolved and provide school districts with answers on how funding will work in the future by the June 30 deadline.

Ohio’s new chief educator is expected to seek change
The Columbus Dispatch
March 31, 2013
Richard Ross, formerly Governor Kasich’s education adviser, is Ohio’s 37^th superintendent, the second in two years. Educators who knew Ross when he was superintendent for Reynoldsburg schools predict that in his new position he will raise the bar for standards, foster collaboration among school districts and inspire districts to become innovative, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Lobbying not part of education panel’s expenses
The Columbus Dispatch
March 31, 2013
Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Columbus Education Commission is expected to make its recommendations late next month, and may recommend changes in state law that governs Columbus schools. Eric Fingerhut, the executive director, first said that some of the commission’s noncity funds could be spent on lobbying, but he now says that won’t happen. A spokesman for the commission explained that any decision to pay for lobbying will be made by Mayor Coleman and City Council President Andrew J. Ginther after the commission’s recommendations have been made.

Catholic schools embrace Common Core
The Cincinnati Enquirer
March 30, 2013
The Enquirer reports that private schools across the U.S. are now jumping on the public education standards bandwagon. Many private schools are restructuring their curricula to meet the Common Core standards, the new set of educational standards and tests for public schools, even though it is not mandated for them.

Preschool project hinging on quality
The Cincinnati Enquirer
April 4, 2013
The Preschool Promise would expand preschool access to 1,000 more children from low- and middle-income families annually in Greater Cincinnati, according to The Enquirer. Local early childhood organizations say the $6 million- to $9 million-a-year plan is realistic, and that there are already enough empty preschool seats to accommodate all 1,000 of those children.

July 5 – July 12, 2012

Ohio

Principals will start seeing the same scrutiny as teachers when new evaluation system goes statewide next fall
The Plain Dealer
July 6, 2012
Ohio will require districts to have an evaluation system for principals in place by the 2013-14 school year. The goal of the evaluation system is to help principals perform better, which will also improve schools. The Plain Dealer reports that the Cleveland school district plans to adjust pay for principals partly based on their evaluations.

Reading guarantee for Ohio 3rd-graders starts with September screenings
The Plain Dealer
July 8, 2012
Beginning this school year, Ohio school districts and charter schools must screen students in grades K-3 by September 30 to evaluate their reading levels. Within 60 days following the screening, the schools must prepare a plan to help students who need it as part of the state’s new third-grade reading guarantee.

CPS to reluctantly sell buildings
The Cincinnati Enquirer
July 9, 2012
Cincinnati Public Schools will sell at least five closed school buildings this summer. State law requires that charter school operators have the first opportunity to buy the buildings. Emmy Partin, director of policy and research for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute tells The Enquirer that the buildings were paid for with public school dollars, so it makes sense to re-purpose them for that use.

Dover schools to launch new Internet teaching initiative
The Times-Reporter
July 9, 2012
In the 2012-13 school year, the Dover City School District will launch a new program that will allow students to access a new wireless network for educational purposes using their own technology. A high school principal for the district tells The Times-Reporter that the goal of the new program is to promote student learning and teach students to use the technology in a responsible way.

Students say school’s too easy
Dayton Daily News
July 11, 2012
The Center for American Progress recently released a study that found millions of students across the U.S. are not challenged enough in the classroom. They analyzed data from the Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress for the study.

Ohio plans tougher high-school tests
The Cincinnati Enquirer
July 8, 2012
Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, Ohio will exchange its statewide graduation test for a series of more rigorous high school exams. An Ohio Department of Education official tells The Enquirer that the new tests will measure student readiness for college or a career.

Westerville phasing out popular magnet schools
The Columbus Dispatch
July 8, 2012
Two magnet schools in Westerville, Longfellow Elementary and Central College Elementary, closed this summer due to budget cuts. Following this school year, the district says it plans on closing its remaining magnet schools and will instead hold magnet classes in schools districtwide.

National

Close to 9,000 Louisiana students apply for private school vouchers
The Times-Picayune
July 11, 2012
Nearly 9,000 students applied for the first time to Louisiana’s new school voucher program. Louisiana’s Superintendent John White also released a list of criteria that participating private schools will have to meet, which covers enrollment, finances and student attrition. He will outline the academic accountability plan in a later document.

June 28 – July 6, 2012

Ohio

Schools air funding beefs during Ohio House hearings
The Columbus Dispatch
June 29, 2012
In a hearing last week before an Ohio House subcommittee, School Choice Ohio gave testimony in support of student-centered funding. SCO’s Jason Warner encouraged those at the hearing to imagine the possibilities that would come from giving parents options about where to spend the funding allocated for their children.  The subcommittee is preparing for an overhaul of Ohio’s school-funding formula.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs Cleveland schools plan into law (video)
The Plain Dealer
July 2, 2012
On Monday, Governor Kasich signed The Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools into law. All four bill sponsors joined Governor Kasich, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland Schools CEO Eric Gordon, Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder, school board Chairperson Denise Link, and Cleveland Teachers Union official Tracy Radich for the signing. Governor Kasich said, “Cleveland is now leading the way in school reform.”

Ohio gets more funds for blind
Springfield News-Sun
July 5, 2012
Ohio saw an increase it its share of federal funding that helps districts pay for materials for vision-impaired students from $429,039 in 2007 to $561,475 in 2011. The Ohio Department of Education tells The News-Sun that it is working to increase awareness and efforts to count eligible students in Ohio. The executive director of the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities stresses that the materials are one step, but there is still more to do.

GED offers different kind of graduation
The Cincinnati Enquirer
July 3, 2012
In this article, The Enquirer shares the stories of four people who took an alternate route to get their General Education Development diploma (GED) after dropping out of school because of boredom, parenthood, or bullying. Across the U.S., approximately 460,000 people will earn their GED this year.

National

Scholarships, distressed school districts are focus of bills
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
July 5, 2012
Pennsylvania recently expanded its Educational Improvement Tax Credit program by increasing its funds from $75 million to $100 million and creating a $50 million Opportunity Scholarship Program. Low-income students who attend the state’s lowest-performing schools in the state will be eligible for the new scholarship program.

May 4 – May 10, 2012

Ohio

Kasich upset education plan altered
The Columbus Dispatch
 5/9/2012
Governor  John Kasich faced opposition from his own party in the Ohio Senate over his plans to reform education in the state.

Class strikes chord for autism awareness
The Findlay Courier
5/7/2012
Students and teachers in Findlay’s Central Middle School presented a special musical, informative performance to help foster greater awareness and understanding of students on the Autism spectrum. It was the culmination of a month of projects and activities to celebrate Autism Awareness month.

Schools still looking for new owner for Central
The Findlay Courier
5/8/2012
Meanwhile, Findlay Central Middle School itself is set to be closed at the end of the school year and the district Superintendent has reached out directly to a charter school operator and a school for students with autism in an attempt to find a buyer for the building.

Mother wants son to have chance to walk with class at Licking Valley graduation
Newark Advocate
5/10/2012
Cory Ryan has come a very long way since he was diagnosed with agenesis of the corpus callosum, cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder, making strides that many thought he would never achieve. He doesn’t quite have all the credits needed to graduate with the rest of his class, but his mother is trying to see that he gets to celebrate with his classmates at their upcoming ceremony.

National

Walnut Hills rated top Ohio high school
Cincinnati Enquirer
5/9/2012
U.S. News & World Report released their 2012 national Best High Schools rankings. Ohio’s top high school was in suburban Cincinnati. Walnut Hills High School ranked 90th best in the nation.

Countdown: Central Ohio high schools at top of the class
Business First Columbus
5/10/12
The next day, Central Ohio high schools found in the same rankings were listed – starting at 120^th best in the nation.

Major groups beg Congress to rewrite NCLB
Washington Post
5/6/2012
A coalition of 10 major organizations of state and local government officials – including the the National Governors Association, The Council of State Governments, The National League of Cities and the National School Boards Association – sent a letter to Congress asking them to reauthorize No Child Left Behind. This opinion piece discusses the pros and cons of such a move and of the legislation itself.

April 26 – May 3, 2012

Ohio

Some charter school supporters urge opposition to Cleveland schools reform legislation
The Plain Dealer
April 29, 2012
Some charter school supporters believe that the Cleveland Plan, which would transform the city’s school system, would limit school choice options. The Plain Dealer reports that supporters of the plan believe it would remove schools that are performing poorly. SCO Executive Director Matt Cox tells The Plain Dealer, “We are supportive of the bill for sure because it creates better schools—better public schools and better charter schools.”

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson pitches school reform plan to lawmakers; concerns over charter school provisions linger
The Plain Dealer
May 1, 2012
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson met with state lawmakers to formally pitch his plan that would overhaul Cleveland’s education system. Mayor Jackson explained to the Senate Education Committee that the Transformation Alliance panel is not anti-charter, but it is meant to hold schools accountable. Some charter schools advocates have concerns that the plan could block future charter schools from opening unless they meet academic criteria that would be developed by the panel.

State may alter plan for grading schools
The Columbus Dispatch
April 27, 2012
Columbus School Superintendent Gene Harris and others shared their concerns with legislators about the plan for a new school grading system. Superintendent Harris believes that there is not enough credit given for students’ progress. She explained that the majority of the grade will be focused on standardized tests when they should also factor in student improvement. The Dispatch reports that several school officials asked for more time to prepare for the changes. The proposed grading system would help give parents a better understanding of how their child’s school is performing.

Ohio wins $21M more in turnaround aid
The Cincinnati Enquirer
May 2, 2012
The state of Ohio will receive $21 million from the U.S. Department of Education to aid underachieving schools. The School Improvement Grants will continue funding turnaround efforts at Ohio public schools and charter schools.

Catholic school enrollment increases locally
Middletown Journal
May 1, 2012
In Butler and Warren counties, Catholic schools are experiencing an increase in enrollment. Local school leaders believe the increase is due to the reputation of the schools and an increase in marketing.  The superintendent of the schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati tells the Middletown Journal that their goal is to “make sure our schools thrive into the future by being affordable and available to any family.”

National

Momentum for school choice
Chicago Tribune
April 28, 2012
A bill that would have offered Chicago students tuition support for private schools nearly passed a couple of years ago, and state Sen. Matt Murphy tells the Tribune that he hopes to have the chance to raise the issue again. This article also includes a quote from Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard that supports the idea that public dollars should follow students to the school of their choice.

April 19 – April 26, 2012

Ohio

Special-needs students seeking new vouchers
The Columbus Dispatch
April 23, 2012
The Dispatch reports that in Franklin County, students from 11 of the county’s 16 school districts applied for the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program. In all, 1,544 Ohio students applied for a special needs scholarship. School Choice Ohio Executive Director Matt Cox tells The Dispatch that the first application period was very successful, and he expects the number of applicants to grow a lot in the future. A parent from Marburn Academy who applied for the scholarship for his son says that attending Marburn has “been a life-changer” for his child.

Parity needed in Cleveland Plan for those using school vouchers: Richard Clark
The Plain Dealer
April 21, 2012
This is a guest column from Richard Clark, president of Saint Martin de Porres High School and School Choice Ohio board member. He applauds Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and CEO Eric Gordon’s plan to improve the city’s education system. Clark calls for Jackson, Governor Kasich and legislative leaders to strengthen the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program (CSTP) as part of the Cleveland Plan by eliminating the program’s co-pay requirement. The CSTP is the only school voucher program in the state that requires a co-payment.

At-Risk students hard to grade
The Columbus Dispatch
April 25, 2012
This article looks at how dropout-recovery schools fit into the proposal for a new school rating system. The Dispatch reports that there are nearly 16,000 students who attend the state’s 87 dropout-recovery schools. Advocates say that these charter schools should not be held to the same standards as traditional schools. The new school rating system is part of the education initiatives in Governor Kasich’s mid-biennium budget review.

Cleveland schools legislation to move forward at the Ohio Statehouse
The Plain Dealer
April 23, 2012
A bill that could overhaul the Cleveland education system was reintroduced in the Statehouse with bipartisan sponsorship and the support of both the Cleveland Teachers Union and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. Senator Peggy Lehner and Senator Nina Turner are the sponsors of the Senate bill. Sen. Turner tells The Plain Dealer “I think we have a moral obligation to do this because we can’t leave another generation behind.”

Fairfield schools to allow open enrollment
Cincinnati Enquirer
April 20, 2012
Fairfield City Schools will allow open enrollment for the first time in the district’s history. The district believes allowing open enrollment could help offset the funding that is lost when Fairfield students open enroll to other districts. Applications for open enrollment will be available from the district in early July. The Enquirer reports that approximately 78 percent of the state’s school districts have open enrollment policies.

CPS busing costs go up, up, ouch!
Cincinnati Enquirer
April 19, 2012
The Cincinnati Public Schools’ transportation costs have escalated. The district expects to spend approximately $29.5 million this year to transport students to and from school. This article looks at how school choice impacts the transportation costs. The district’s transportation services are still above state minimums, and a CPS spokesperson says the district is very reluctant to reduce services.

Updated academic plan approved for Youngstown schools
Youngstown Vindicator
April 20, 2012
A plan to help get Youngstown City Schools out of academic distress was approved by State Superintendent Stan Heffner. The plan consists of seven strategies, including increasing student choice options. Heffner called the plan a “solid approach to improving student achievement.” School Board President Lock P. Beachum Sr. noted that the costs associated with the plan have not been determined.

Reading test would hold back 12% of third-graders
The Columbus Dispatch
April 26, 2012
The Dispatch reports that last year, less than one percent (800 students) of Ohio third-graders were held back. If the third-grade reading guarantee proposed by Gov. Kasich were in place, that number would be closer to 12 percent, or 15,000 students. If the proposal is approved by legislators, the initiative would begin next school year.

National

Second voucher plan clears Legislature, heads to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s desk
The Times-Picayune
April 24, 2012
A second school voucher proposal was approved by both legislative chambers in Louisiana on Tuesday. It will now go to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal for approval. The program will allow corporations and individuals to receive rebates when they make contributions to private organizations that give private school tuition scholarships.

April 12 – April 19, 2012

Ohio

School-voucher programs prove popular
The Columbus Dispatch
April 17, 2012
The application numbers are in for the EdChoice Scholarship Program and the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program. The Dispatch reports that 17,438 EdChoice applications were filed for the next school year. There were 640 new applications and 2,508 renewal applications submitted by Columbus students for the scholarship. In addition, 1,544 Ohio students applied for a special needs scholarship.

Fewer Lima families seeking vouchers
The Lima News
April 17, 2012
According to the Ohio Department of Education, 245 Lima students applied for an EdChoice scholarship, and of those, 31 are new applicants. The total number of Lima applicants is less than last year’s number of applicants. Lima City School District Assistant Superintendent Jill Ackerman credits the district’s recent restructuring that provides more options within the district, including two K-8 magnet programs. The number of available EdChoice Scholarships increased last year. SCO Executive Director Matt Cox tells The Lima News that it is clear Ohio’s elected leaders realize that parents deserve the opportunity to send their children to a school that best fits their education needs.

CPS to lose fewer students to private schools
The Cincinnati Enquirer
April 17, 2012
In Cincinnati, 899 students applied for an EdChoice Scholarship for the 2012-13 school year. Last year, 1,078 Cincinnati students applied. A spokeswoman for Cincinnati Public schools tells the Enquirer that it is a sign that the district has improved. She highlights the district’s progress, especially in their lowest performing elementary schools, which she says plays a factor in keeping more students within the district.

Parents hear pitch for open enrollment
The Columbus Dispatch
April 13, 2012
Reynoldsburg schools are considering an open-enrollment policy, which they say will bring in additional revenue and possibly delay a future levy. The district held a forum for parents to ask questions. The Dispatch reports that more than 60 parents and community members attended the meeting. The forum featured stories from officials in other suburban districts across the state with open-enrollment policies.

State to target achievement gaps among students
The Columbus Dispatch
April 15, 2012
The state of Ohio will soon be looking at how quickly both the passing rates on state exams and graduation rates become equal among different student groups within schools. State officials say the point of grading schools on this information is because all students should receive an education of equal quality, regardless of race, ethnicity, income or special needs. By 2017, the state’s goal is to cut the gap in passing rates in half.

Schools, teachers seek delay in changes to state report cards
The Columbus Dispatch
April 18, 2012
Teachers unions and education groups asked legislators for a delay in the state’s new school grading system. Rob Nichols, spokesman for Governor Kasich, tells the Dispatch that the administration is not seeking a delay, and they want the new grading system to go into effect this year. The proposal for the new grading system was included in the mid-biennium budget proposal and was included in the state’s plan as an alternative to No Child Left Behind.

Cleveland Teachers Union and Mayor Frank Jackson reach deal on mayor’s school plan
The Plain Dealer
April 12, 2012
The Cleveland Teachers Union and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson reached a compromise on the plan to overhaul the city’s education system. The Plain Dealer reports that the compromise will result in major changes to contract rules with regards to teacher assignments, seniority, pay, evaluation, layoff and recall. These changes will give the district more flexibility as it works to overhaul schools. Mayor Jackson said “tradition and politics became secondary to quality education.”

 
National

Gov. Bobby Jindal signs into law measure to revamp education in Louisiana
The Times-Picayune
April 18, 2012
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed an extensive package into law that creates a school voucher program for low income students, new paths to open charter schools, and the connection of teacher tenure and compensation to student performance. Approximately 380,000 students will be eligible for the state’s voucher program.