Education
Woman disqualified in cross country for wearing hijab asks for religious expression legislation
Noor Abukaram was 16 when she became fearful of the consequences of her hijab at her cross country meets. After running a personal best in a hijab designed by Nike meant to be used during sports, Sylvania resident Abukaram found out she had been disqualified because of what was considered a uniform violation. Her mother […]
Student religious liberty bill passes Senate, heads back to House with COVID-19 amendments
Update 6/11/20 The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 164 with all the amendments added in the Senate. A bill originally introduced to expand student religious expression in schools was unanimously passed Wednesday by the Ohio Senate with numerous COVID-19-related amendments impacting schools next fall. The bill was considered twice this week in the Senate […]
Hundreds support Ohio Senate public health crisis declaration on racism
A state Senate committee heard hours of testimony Tuesday supporting the declaration of racism as a public health crisis. Cosponsors Sen. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland; and Sen. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, said declaring the public health crisis is a necessary first step in turning back the laws and policies that have pushed down people of color for […]
Minority Strike Force Town Halls: Infant mortality, underlying conditions at heart of disparity issues
Medical professionals and minority advocacy groups came together last week to give their input on recommendations from the state’s coronavirus Minority Strike Force. In three days of town hall meetings, strike force subcommittee members were advised on how to address multiple aspects of the minority community’s daily life that can contribute to health disparities. The […]
Legislators ask for increased public school funding in next appropriations bill
The members of the Democratic caucus of the Ohio Legislature are calling on their U.S. Congress counterparts to bring more funding to the state’s public school systems. In a letter sent this week to the Ohio Congressional Delegation, the state legislators asked that U.S. representatives and senators push for education funding in the next appropriations […]
Bill would keep non-school officials from closing schools
A new Ohio Senate bill to be introduced next week would prevent anyone outside of school administration from closing schools. State Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said Senate Bill 320 will “allow the people who know their students and parents best to make decisions that are best for their local school districts.” Parents giving students home […]
DeWine wants to help minorities and the poor, but he hasn’t always acted
As he deals with the twin challenges of civil unrest and a global pandemic, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke passionately Tuesday about the need to address racial, economic and health disparities in Ohio. But while he listed a number of initiatives aimed at alleviating endemic problems in the black neighborhoods of Ohio cities and along […]
Licensed preschools, child care allowed to reopen
The Ohio Department of Education has allowed the reopening of licensed preschools and child care programs with enhanced health guidelines to avoid coronavirus spread. The Ohio Department of Health amended an order that originally closed all K-12 schools, including preschools and child care centers. In amending the original order, signed by Health Director Dr. Amy […]
Conservative student groups decry ‘free speech zones,’ university policies
An overflowing group of speakers from religious advocacy groups and conservative-leaning student groups came to support a bill to remove “free speech zones” on college campuses and policies some say don’t allow First Amendment rights. This was the second hearing for Senate Bill 40, dubbed the “Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act,” a Republican-sponsored […]
Ohio’s open for business, but its testing strategy is not
At some point, Ohioans will want frequent access to coronavirus tests and get quick results. That way, they can safely see loved ones who have for months been locked away in nursing homes, for example. But that point appears to be a long way off. By the end of Memorial Day weekend, Ohio’s economy almost […]
Community learning centers will help school districts cope with COVID-19 disruption
Earlier this month, Gov. Mike DeWine announced $355 million in budget cuts for K-12 education for the last two months of this fiscal year. While these cuts are mitigated by federal funds under the CARES Act, the majority of Ohio school districts will lose funding overall. The public education community is bracing ourselves for even […]
Ex-OSU prez Gordon Gee wants to ‘dance with the pandemic’ in college athletics
Former Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, who is now president of West Virginia University, wants to “dance with the pandemic rather than be fearful of it,” when it comes to college athletics, CBS News is reporting. The comments came as the NCAA Council was slated to vote Wednesday whether to allow on-campus, voluntary […]