Author
Columbus City Schools survey alleges lack of COVID-19 prep
The Columbus Education Association says 3,400 educators found a “shocking” lack of COVID-19 preparation as students move to a hybrid learning model. In the survey conducted by the CEA, 70% of CCS educators said they don’t think their building has “the appropriate facilities to promote hand-washing for all students,” and 38% said they didn’t believe […]
Following strike, Ohio school districts’ new contract includes COVID-19 specific language
Teachers at one Ohio school returned to lessons this week after days of striking ended in a new contract, complete with specific COVID-19 language. Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools’ teachers union went on strike last week after contract negotiations with the district failed, partly due to an impasse on COVID-19 safety protocols. The one-year contract, obtained from […]
State Senate candidate files defamation suit against opponent
A candidate for the Ohio Senate’s 18th district filed a defamation complaint against her opponent in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas. Betsy Rader, the Democratic candidate in the race, accused challenger Jerry Cirino and the Ohio Republican Senate Campaign Committee of running attack ads on media outlets throughout the county claiming Rader defended bosses at a […]
Ohio AG, county prosecutors oppose ban on no-knock warrants, instead want to enhance standards
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and three county prosecutors acknowledged Thursday that no-knock warrants are very rare in the state, but say the tool shouldn’t be banned, just clarified. Yost and prosecutors from Franklin, Cuyahoga and Hamilton counties held a press conference Thursday announcing a push for changes to the statute regarding no-knock search warrants. […]
State financial report shows declines in unemployment, personal income
Despite decreases in most economic growth categories, including personal income, a monthly financial report said Ohio’s economic recovery was ahead of the national recovery. The September report prepared by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management said the state was at 87% on an index tracking economic recovery, developed by research firm Moody’s Analytics and […]
Ohio Supreme Court candidates talk impartiality, inequity
The roles Ohio Supreme Court justices should avoid are just as important as the roles they do play, according to justices and the judges vying for two spots on the state’s highest court. In a recent forum hosted by the Ohio Debate Commission, Justice Sharon Kennedy, Justice Judith French, and their challengers, Cuyahoga Court of […]
With CARES Act funding drying up, Ohio joins nation in finding new sources of child care support
While child care centers are still in need of support to make it through the pandemic, Ohio was not alone in having to find more money beyond federal dollars amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio’s methods of subsidizing struggling child care facilities were part of a national study done by the non-profit think tank Bipartisan Policy […]
Special education top of mind as pandemic learning continues
Special education teachers face their own challenges in the time of remote learning, even as hybrid models are beginning at K-12 schools throughout Ohio. Like other teachers, the immediacy of the school shutdowns in March left Laura Haines and other special education intervention specialists scrambling to come up with a plan. “We had to go […]
Report: Rate of uninsured children rises significantly
After hitting a historically low rate in 2016, the number of uninsured children has gradually grown to eliminate progress made in the country. Ohio, alone, had a double-digit jump in the three-year study. Nationally, the rate of children not covered by medical insurance was down to 4.7% in 2016, but started to increase again the […]
Profiles: Ohio Supreme Court seats up in contested races
Two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court are up in November’s election. The six-year terms on the state’s highest court are held by two longtime incumbents, and contested by two judicial veterans with experience vying for seats on the court or governmental positions. French v. Brunner Judith French French has been a justice with the […]
Fraternal Order of Police, teachers, former law enforcement against armed teacher policy
An organization representing more than 23,000 police officers, including school resource officers, says allowing teachers to bring guns to school under only a concealed carry permit could do more harm than good. The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio said this in a brief to the Ohio Supreme Court, which is considering a case that […]
Central Ohio school threatens strike over COVID-19 safety
Fears about teachers and school safety have taken one Ohio teacher’s union to the brink of strike. The Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools Education Association said they have filed a “Notice of Intent to Strike and Picket” with the State Employment Relations Board on Oct. 2, with a potential 10-day strike, starting Oct. 13. The GJEA is […]