Ohio Department of Education
School enrollment numbers grim, state superintendent lays out future plans
The Ohio Department of Education is still watching the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic affect the children of the state. Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Stephanie Siddens had to deliver some grim realities last month to a Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee eager to learn about what the next steps will be for school […]
‘Blended learning’ bill passes committee
A new bill specifying “blended learning” for the 2021-2022 school year has been approved by an Ohio Senate committee. Senate Bill 229 is yet another bill meant to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student success and education, and was favorably passed in Senate Primary & Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday. In the […]
Dueling protests take on race theory, state school board members and legislators join in
The Ohio Board of Education met for its September meeting on Tuesday, but outside the building, protesters on both sides of the heated debate over race in education stood in the rain saying their piece. Board members didn’t just attend the meeting inside, however. Dr. Jenny Kilgore took time before the meeting to stand with […]
Interim state superintendent named yet again
A new interim state superintendent will hold down the fort at the Ohio Department of Education, following the departure of the previous interim superintendent. Dr. Stephanie K. Siddens, currently the senior executive for the state’s Center for Student Supports, will take over in September, after current superintendent Paolo DeMaria officially retires. The Ohio State Board […]
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 […]
Study shows third-grade English achievement dropped amid pandemic
A study done by political science researchers at the Ohio State University showed a significant loss for third-graders in the area of English Language Arts caused by pandemic learning. The study, released by the John Glenn College of Public Affairs used data from the fall administration of the third-grade English Language Arts assessment in an […]
Ohio Board of Education member speaks on participation in ‘Stop the Steal’ event
An Ohio Board of Education member said she merely walked, prayed and waved her American flag on the trip she organized to U.S. Capitol the day it was breached by insurrectionists. As previously reported by the OCJ, elected board member Kirsten Hill organized a bus trip for a “Stop the Steal” event as part of […]
More emergency funding headed to Ohio schools
More funding similar to CARES Act funding Ohio school districts received earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic is headed to the state. The Ohio Department of Education said they expect to receive money from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund II (ESSERII) “soon,” of which 90% of the funds will go to traditional school […]
COVID-19 cases in schools still grow leading up to holiday break
A Butler County school tops the reported student cases in schools as the state’s districts head into their holiday breaks. Some schools have seen significant case increases in the last month, even with breaks for Thanksgiving and various hybrid online and in-person learning models. Lakota Local Schools reported 357 total cases in the most recent […]
Ohio Education Association urges statewide suspension of in-person classes
The state’s largest public schools union is asking that all public schools suspend in-person instruction until mid-January “in light of the alarming explosion in community spread of the coronavirus in recent weeks.” The Ohio Education Association said in a statement that they plan on calling “state leaders and school districts” to discuss a new plan […]
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 […]
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 […]