The staff at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) recently released guidelines to help schools meet the needs of students with disabilities when remote learning is the norm. The report, Special Education and Distance Learning describes best practices that could pay large dividends for students with special needs. On April 27, 2020, U.S. Secretary of…
Greater Ohio Virtual School (GOVS) is an online community (charter) school serving primarily students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so. Located in Warren County, GOVS serves students from across the state with the majority of students coming from southwestern Ohio. On Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020, the Greater Ohio…
During the widespread stay at home orders, many families got an up-close and personal look at expectations for their children’s learning. In an article in Forbes, Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, observes that the COVID-19 crisis may have added clarity to the debate about school choice. The most…
Even before the COVID-19 sent schools into wholesale remote learning, understanding how to utilize online resources to accomplish your school’s goals, was a high priority. Although shutdown orders related to the pandemic are easing, how schools instruct students and market their school are likely changed forever. Recently School Choice Ohio hosted a webinar designed to…
The sudden shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic raised challenges for some students. Still other students appear to do better online. An article in the NY Times suggests that going back to the classroom might not be the best option for some students. But one unexpected silver lining of the shutdown has…
Not sure where to start when talking to districts about equitable services? Unsure what consultation should take place? SCO has identified resources that can help. Under federal law, private schools are entitled to ‘equitable services’ from the school districts in which they are located for certain types of federal aid. Equitable services apply to important…
As students return to school in China we have to wonder if this is a little glimpse into what we might see here in the United States.
In Ohio, school is out for the summer. But what will school look like next year? The superintendent of Dallas (TX) Independent School District is talking about how the district will likely need multiple plans for the upcoming school year. Hinojosa’s second plan involves continuing with the current state of learning, which is all through…
If your child struggles in school you learn quickly that the situation often won’t improve until/unless mom or dad steps in and advocates for a solution. Many parents have started their advocacy journey by supporting their own children only to find that they want to help other families as well. Debbie Meyer is one…
Several school districts and education organizations pushed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to request waivers for major provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In a report sent to Congress this week, Secretary DeVos did request minor easing of some administrative deadlines but refrained from gutting provisions that some complained were impossible…
Did you know that in many parts of Ohio, students can attend a school district other than the district where they live? This option is tuition-free and referred to as open enrollment. Last year, more than 90,000 students participated in open enrollment. Districts can decline to participate in open enrollment. Typically, about 100 districts, primarily…
Why do parents seek private school options? If you review the results of any parent survey you’ll likely find that parents list safety as their top reason why they chose to leave their local school district. Whether it’s threats of physical violence in school, overzealous discipline, or widespread bullying, parents often look for school settings where…
