education
Legislators pushing for education funding before end of general assembly
Members on both sides of the Ohio legislature are trying to get changes to school funding formulas and testing metrics to stick before the end of the current General Assembly. House representatives are moving forward with legislation they say will finally address concerns about the state’s K-12 funding formula, the topic of a decades-old decision […]
Broadband education grants awarded across the state
School districts across Ohio have more money to spend on technology improvements after $50 million in broadband connectivity grants were awarded by the state. The grant money comes from federal CARES Act distribution and is an attempt to help school districts as many of them are starting either completely or partially virtual. School districts and […]
Parents, teachers give mixed reviews to school reopen
The governor’s lack of a statewide school reopening response, along with internet connectivity were among the topics on which parents and school personnel gave feedback in a questionnaire sent out by Democratic lawmakers. Of the 440 responses collected through an online survey sent to House Democratic Caucus districts, nearly 74% said virtual learning was the […]
Food stamp benefits available to eligible Ohio schoolchildren attending classes remotely
Thousands of Ohio children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school will soon receive money to buy food through the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced last week. This funding was made possible by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a release said, […]
Education associations say teacher evaluations illogical in COVID-19 school year
Education officials say teachers need to be given a break from annual evaluations that could punish them for a year of COVID-19 uncertainty. Current and former superintendents, along with representatives from teacher’s associations across the state said Wednesday that significant uncertainty still remains as schools go back to various learning modes, and the idea of […]
Reopening elementary schools carries less COVID-19 risk than high schools – but safety isn’t guaranteed
While only a fraction of the country’s 50 million public school kids headed back to school in-person this month, many have already found themselves back at home. Within two weeks of opening, multiple states reported school-based COVID-19 outbreaks, and thousands of students and school staff have been quarantined following possible exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus […]
ODE releases tiered, reduced minimum standards for 2020-2021 school year
The Ohio Department of Education is reducing minimum standards of early learning for the next school year, they announced on Monday. The new Early Learning and Development standards were split up into degrees of feasibility during the 2020-2021 school year. The department also said the reductions are only in place for the current school year. […]
Ohio Supreme Court: School district firearms policy can go on, pending appeal
The Ohio Supreme Court has said a school district can go ahead with a firearm policy for personnel while the state’s highest court decides on their case. The Ohio Supreme Court granted Madison Local School District’s request to allow the implementation of a policy allowing trained personnel including teachers to be armed on the Butler […]
Without taking proper precautions, reopening schools carries some big risks
It’s one of the most tired tropes in TV and movies. An expert, usually a scientist or doctor, desperately tries to get the authorities to take an impending disaster seriously. They are ignored until it is too late and heroic action is needed to save the day. As hackneyed as that plot device is, it’s […]
School funding bill to get new look under new speaker
A school funding bill originally sponsored by new Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp is getting a fresh look and hopefully time in front of legislative committees before year’s end, according the legislator now heading up the bill. The other original sponsor of the proposed legislation, state Rep. John Patterson, said a substitute bill is in […]
History Thursday: What should replace Confederate statues?
Ever since the University of South Carolina put up a statue of Richard T. Greener – who in 1873 became the school’s first Black professor – one of my favorite things to do has been to eat lunch on a bench nearby to watch how people interact with it. Greener – who taught for four […]
Survey shows teacher concerns as school districts struggle with pandemic
Ohio teachers have made themselves clear: They worry greatly about the spread of COVID-19 in their schools. They acknowledge the challenges of remote learning are plentiful. They understand the potential social and emotional impact to young students being stuck at home rather than at school with their classmates. However, their health fears of the virus […]