education
New guidance for schools on COVID-19 won’t include mask mandate
The Ohio Department of Health said new COVID-19 guidance for schools as they plan for a new school year will include safety recommendations, but no mandate for mask-wearing, even for the unvaccinated. In a press call on Monday, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the ODH, said guidelines would be released on the state’s […]
Education reforms in state budget could narrow achievement gap
Last Monday, members of the Ohio House and Senate finally reconciled their respective versions of the state budget, passing it with bipartisan support in both chambers. While a $1.6 billion tax cut and funding for broadband and brownfield development will make headlines, the most historic provision of this budget is likely its change to the […]
State Board of Ed members support banning racial focus in Ohio schools
Present and former members of the Ohio State Board of Education are opposed to the use of a racial lens when teaching education in the state. Dr. Jenny Shafer Kilgore, Kirsten Hill and Lisa Woods all spoke during multiple hours of testimony at a recent hearing in support of a bill that would eliminate the […]
State report card changes passed through Ohio Senate
Changes to Ohio’s state report cards could come through a joint effort to eliminate graduation requirements and change the state ranking system. The state Senate approved House Bill 82, the aim of which was originally to make national standardized college admission tests an opt-out system for parents or guardians. As the bill heads back to […]
Controversial race education bills enter Ohio House committee
Two bills seeking to ban “divisive” language about the role of racism in American history entered a House committee on Tuesday, along with plenty of debate over the measures. House Bill 322 and House Bill 327 were both presented by sponsors in the Ohio House’s State and Local Government Committee, despite Democrats’ efforts to have […]
Ohio to use Rescue Plan education dollars for crisis preparation, combatting student drop-off
The Ohio Department of Education has submitted their plans for federal education funding, which shows a drop in enrollment throughout the state and stakeholder demands for better preparations for “future learning disruptions.” The U.S. Office of Elementary & Secondary Education awarded states funding as part of the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency […]
Teachers come under pressure as politicians, parents battle over ‘critical race theory’
WASHINGTON — Teachers from Tennessee to Iowa to Ohio are swept up in a wave of outrage led by GOP politicians nationwide over how schools teach kids about race in U.S. history. Conservatives have pilloried much instruction about systemic racism as “critical race theory,” even when that academic term has never been mentioned. A half […]
K-12 funding boost headed to districts, ACT/SAT opt-out bill headed to the House
The Ohio legislature approved COVID-19 pandemic-related measures to bring more federal monies to K-12 schools, and the House will review another bill to reduce testing requirements for students. The Ohio Senate unanimously passed House Bill 170 on Wednesday, with the House promptly agreeing to the Senate’s version of the bill the same day. “Parents, teachers […]
HB 290: A backpack full of empty promises
By Kathleen Knight Abowitz and Joel Malin, Miami University The Ohio House is presently considering HB 290, with the euphemistic title, “The Backpack Bill,” sponsored by Riordan McClain and Marilyn John with the appeal that it’s “time to fund students, not schools.” HB 290 would allow families “to choose the option for all computed funding […]
Ohio Supreme Court: Community schools owed grant funding
A group of community charter schools weren’t given funding due to them by the state of Ohio, according to an Ohio Supreme Court ruling. Horizon Science Academy, which has a system of 17 schools in Ohio along with other schools across the country, sued the state after the Ohio Department of Education determined the community […]
Legislators confident in school funding overhaul staying in state budget
Two state legislators, including the chair of the Senate Primary & Secondary Education Committee, say a newly proposed funding formula is still alive in Ohio’s biennial budget. State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, assured a recent Central Ohio virtual town hall including local educational representatives that despite the fact that the majority of the funding formula […]
Bipartisan bill looks to make state Board of Ed entirely elected
Two Ohio state representatives want to reduce the size of the state Board of Education, and eliminate governor-appointed spots. The Board of Education currently has 19 members, 11 of which are elected. In a bill introduced Friday by state Reps. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond and Joe Miller, D-Amherst, all would be elected. The board, which […]