education
Schoolchildren do need protected: from fearful, intolerant, bigoted bills pushed by lawmakers
“We’ve got to protect the children!” You hear the refrain repeatedly from the gems trying to legislate banning and bullying in Ohio schools with bad to worse bills. “Save the innocents,” bray the right wingers angling for a break-out MAGA moment and the religious right on a mission from God. “From what?” you ask, as […]
After ‘anti-gay’ speech at Ohio high school graduation, LGBT students demand apology
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. MARION COUNTY, Ohio — LGBTQ+ students are demanding an apology from […]
Shame on lawmakers who snuck sweetheart charter, voucher deals into substitute teacher bill
Ohio’s schools are crying out for a fix to the substitute teacher shortage in our state. In 2018, about 16,400 people worked as substitute teachers in Ohio; in 2021, that number had plummeted to only about 5,000. And as a result, students, educators, and Ohio families suffered. Schools had to shift to remote instruction, educators […]
House bill would make voters choose safety measures in schools
A bill that may be up for a vote soon in the Ohio House would put the decision of whether or not to have a school resource officer up to the voters in each school district. House Bill 501 seeks to change Ohio law that the sponsors of the bill say doesn’t define “school safety […]
Ohio Governor joins 17 other governors in fighting federal charter school limits
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is standing with nearly two dozen other governors in fighting against a proposed federal rule limiting charter school creation. The new rule would be a change to the U.S. Department of Education Charter School Program, and would require charters to prove that a school district they want to join is “over-enrolled” […]
As teen mental health worsens, schools learn how to help
Story from Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, you can get help by calling the confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK. Teen mental health already was deteriorating before the coronavirus pandemic. In the two years since, the isolation, […]
Ohio may cut college degree requirement for K-12 substitute teachers
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. It was a struggle even before the pandemic hit, but now, […]
States look to community colleges to fill labor gap
By: Caitlin Dewey, Stateline Monique Acosta began the month of March as a pre-K classroom assistant in Arizona, with no credential beside her high school degree. She ended it with a certification in a booming branch of electronics and started applying to entry-level jobs at Boeing. For four hours a day, over 10 days total, […]
When are book bans unconstitutional? A First Amendment scholar explains
The United States has become a nation divided over important issues in K-12 education, including which books students should be able to read in public school. Efforts to ban books from school curricula, remove books from libraries and keep lists of books that some find inappropriate for students are increasing as Americans become more polarized […]
Candidate for Ohio governor pushes summer school to account for COVID learning loss
One gubernatorial candidate is saying the state should push for voluntary summer school to account for losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and his running mate, state Sen. Theresa Fedor, D-Toledo, told reporters on Monday that the state has a “moral obligation” to pay for students to hit the books this […]
‘Backpack bill’ disingenuous play for tax dollars
If there’s one thing Ohio taxpayers hate – other than paying taxes – it’s being ripped off by disingenuous ideologues in the statehouse. You’re not going to like what a pair of legislators are itching to do with your tax money that pays for public schools. They want to divert a ton of it to […]
More than 1,500 books have been banned in public schools, and a U.S. House panel asks why
A U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee panel last week examined why thousands of books, predominantly written by marginalized authors, have been banned from public schools, and the impact of those actions on students and teachers. “Most books being targeted for censorship are books that introduce ideas about diversity or our common humanity, books that […]