Senate Democrats propose more money for schools  (Sentinel-Tribune © 5/22/2013)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democrats in the Ohio Senate suggested Wednesday that budget writers take millions of dollars from a proposed income tax cut for higher wage earners and direct it to schools instead, as work intensified on state's spending plan. The idea is among roughly 200 amendments that Democratic senators are offering to Ohio's $61.5 billion …

Litigation mounting in Akron schools  (Akron Beacon Journal © 5/22/2013)

The Akron school board has fired Melissa Cairns, a former math teacher at Buchtel Community Learning Center who had posted photos of her students’ duct-taped mouths on her Facebook page in October. Cairns, 33, had taught in Akron for five years at Garfield, Firestone and then Buchtel CLC. Before that, she had resigned a part-time position at Kent City Schools because …

Districts push costs to parents  (Dayton Daily News © 5/23/2013)

As school districts struggle with decreasing budgets, officials are looking for alternatives to fund extracurricular activities rather than subsidizing them from their general funds. For many districts, especially in light of recent levy defeats, that means increasing the costs for participating in everything from athletics to band to clubs. Annually, districts spend hundreds …

Creationism discussion slated in Springboro  (Dayton Daily News © 5/23/2013)

SPRINGBORO —A proposal to include creationism and other controversial topics in Springboro schools curriculum will be discussed at a school board meeting this evening. Several school board members want to include creationism in classroom instruction. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said today they have sent a letter to the school board asking them to abandon the …

Licking Heights refuses to pay county educational service center  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/23/2013)

NEWARK, Ohio — The Licking Heights school district not only denies owing money to the Licking County Educational Service Center, but has countersued for money the district said it has been overcharged for years. The Educational Service Center sued the district in January, claiming breach of contract. The lawsuit claims Licking Heights submitted …

Grant aims to keep foster kids in same school  (Toledo Blade © 5/23/2013)

By reducing instability at school and home, a new Lucas County initiative aims to improve the academic performance of children in foster care. A two-year, $500,000 grant to the Lucas County Juvenile Court from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families will fund that initiative. The court, Lucas County Children Services, Toledo Public …

Columbus schools won’t give up internal auditor  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/23/2013)

Columbus City Schools will keep their own internal auditing department even though Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s education commission recommended it be replaced by an independent auditor, the school board president said. “Let me make one issue very, very clear, because I’ve heard this on several occasions from the community: The internal-audit division is not going to …

Bullying of gay boy led parents to sue district  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/23/2013)

CINCINNATI — A 17-year-old high-school student who shot himself in a classroom last month continues to make progress in recovery efforts, his family said yesterday. The teen has been transferred to a rehabilitation facility a little more than three weeks after he was hospitalized in critical condition, a statement …

Sam Mullet, 13 Amish followers exempted from compulsory prison school classes  (WBNS © 5/23/2013)

CLEVELAND -- Imprisoned Amish bishop Samuel Mullet and 13 of his Ohio followers are no longer compelled to attend high school equivalency classes, U.S. Bureau of Prisons officials announced Wednesday. A spokeswoman said lawyers for the prisons bureau reviewed the issue this week and decided to exempt Mullet and his followers from a policy requiring the classes for …

Police sweep high school amid bomb threat  (Dayton Daily News © 5/23/2013)

XENIA —Classes have resumed at Xenia High School after authorities did an early morning sweep following the notice of a possible threat. “The teachers are teaching. Students are learning and we are business as usual,” said Mark Manley, Xenia Community School District spokesman. The school was on a two-hour delay this …

APS drops Digital Academy sponsorship  (West Side Leader © 5/23/2013)

DOWNTOWN AKRON — The charter school started by the Akron Public Schools (APS) in 2002 to capture some of the students leaving to study online will no longer be associated with the APS. The APS Board of Education voted unanimously May 20 to terminate its sponsorship of the Akron Digital Academy. APS Superintendent David James said a change in the law prevents a …

Campbell expands free summer meal options  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/22/2013)

ALEXANDRIA — Children will find free breakfast and lunches at five Campbell County Schools locations this summer thanks to federal funding. Breakfast and lunch will be served to anyone age 18 and younger weekdays between July 15 and Aug. 9. Meals will be served at the following locations: • Cline Elementary School, 5586 East Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring …

State representatives honor district for value-added score  (Hilliard Northwest News © 5/22/2013)

State Reps. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) and Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) attended the May 13 meeting of the Hilliard Board of Education to recognize the district for achieving the highest value-added score among all state schools on the Ohio Department of Education's state report card. School board President Andy Teater accepted the House of Representatives resolution on behalf of …

 

Third-grade Ohio reading teacher pool approved  (Canton Repository ©

COLUMBUS — A bill making more teachers temporarily eligible to participate in meeting Ohio’s new third-grade reading guarantee is on its way to Ohio’s governor. The Senate agreed unanimously Wednesday to revised teacher eligibility guidelines and other changes adopted by the House to address an anticipated shortage. The state program requires that students …

Senate Democrats want more money for schools in budget  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/22/2013)

Senate Democrats want to direct another $508 million to Ohio schools over the next two years by eliminating part of a GOP-proposed tax cut for upper income Ohioans. More money for schools and local governments, plus an expansion of Medicaid to cover those up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level are among the priorities for Democrats as the Senate crafts changes over the …

Families of the victims of Chardon School shooting are suing the United Way over access to Chardon  (The Plain Dealer © 5/21/2013)

CHARDON, Ohio -- The families of the three Chardon High School students who were killed in 2012 are suing the United Way of Greater Cleveland and its Geauga County chapter for denying them access to money set aside in a special fund for them. The suit, which was filed Tuesday in Geauga County Probate Court, states that the families of Demetrius Hewlin, Russell King Jr. and Daniel Parmertor have received less …

Reynoldsburg takes over charter e-school  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/22/2013)

The Reynoldsburg school board is taking over the charter e-school that it placed on probation last year. In a 3-1 vote at last night’s meeting, board members removed the governing board for the Virtual Community School of Ohio and replaced it with five new members. School board member Ryan Brzezinski was the lone dissenter. He said he didn’t receive advance notice of last night’s plans and would have …

Little Miami regains its independence  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/22/2013)

HAMILTON TWP. — Today is Independence Day for the financially embattled Little Miami Schools. Once Ohio’s poster child for school district monetary woes, the Warren County school system will be autonomous again after state education officials transfer power back to the local board. Of Ohio’s 613 school districts , Little Miami is among only seven in recent years to fall into state-designated “fiscal emergency.” The return of local independence …

Groveport Madison School Levy Headed For Automatic Recount  (WBNS © 5/21/2013)

GROVEPORT, Ohio - The Groveport Madison School Levy vote is still too close to call and will require an automatic recount. The Franklin County Board of Elections said that after reviewing the ballots, the levy still falls 12 votes short. Preliminary results on Election day indicated the issue lost by 16 votes. The updated totals show 1,627 people voted …

Coleman, Gee pitch Columbus school proposal to legislators  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/22/2013)

State legislators drew attention to academic failures of the Columbus school district and to its ongoing data scandal last night in the first talks over a bill that, if passed, could share district tax money with charter schools. The proposal was given support yesterday by Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee and others …

Northridge out of fiscal caution, but levy needed  (Newark Advocate © 5/22/2013)

NEWARK — The Northridge School District is out of fiscal caution. However, the district will have to renew its 8.86 mill levy by the end of 2014 to remain in the black long term, said Britt Lewis, director of business services and transportation and treasurer for the district. Representatives from the Ohio Department of Education attended Northridge’s board meeting Monday night to congratulate the school board on the district being removed from the fiscal caution …

As prepared as we can be for Tornadoes  (Portsmouth Daily Times © 5/222/2013)

An enormous tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., Monday, killing more than 20 people including at least seven children inside an elementary school in the storm’s path. Schools in Scioto County on Tuesday said they’re as prepared as they can be for severe weather. New Boston Superintendent Mike Staggs said their new Pre-K-through-12 building …

Groveport Madison levy still losing by 12 votes  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/22/2013)

Groveport Madison’s school levy gained four votes but is still behind after elections officials counted provisional ballots and added in an uncounted absentee ballot. According to unofficial results, the levy is losing by 12 votes: 1,627 people, or 49.8 percent, voted in favor of the levy, and 1,639, or 50.2 percent voted against it. The election was held on May 7. The school board …

Columbus school board votes to back report of Coleman’s education panel  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/22/2013)

A resolution supporting the recommendations of the Columbus Education Commission passed a divided Columbus school board last night, after a lengthy debate that centered largely around whether “ support” was too strong a word. Also, the board handed member Gary Baker the task of chairing a citizens’ panel that he will select to come up with a millage amount for a property tax issue, signaling that a levy likely will be on the …

 Brunswick school officials close all buildings in response to norovirus outbreak  (The Plain Dealer © 5/21/2013)

BRUNSWICK Although symptoms of the condition itself last, in general, little more than 24 hours, a norovirus outbreak at the Brunswick City Schools this past week led to the closer of every building in the district by May 21. “There was class at the high school today,” Superintendent Michael Mayell said May 21. “But some kids called off preventatively, some because of having siblings (elsewhere in the district) and …

Maysville students benefit from early college courses  (Zanesville Times-Recorder © 5/22/2013)

Skylar Novaria might achieve his goal of becoming a business manager or CEO sooner than expected because of being a proactive teenager…

Man sought in abduction attempt  (The Toledo Blade © 5/22/2013)

COLUMBUS — Police in central Ohio are looking for a 20-year-old man who they say walked into a high school and tried to abduct his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend. Columbus police said the man walked into Independence High School before classes began Tuesday, grabbed the girl by the throat and “forcibly removed her from the building.” A teacher followed …

 

It’s Now Easier to Get Your Ohio Teaching License (As Long As You’re Not From One of These Five States)  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/20/13) 

It’s now easier for teachers coming from out-of-state to come work in Ohio – as long as they’ve been teaching for the last five years consecutively and are not coming from Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota or Wyoming.  At its meeting this month, the State Board of Education voted on a policy that streamlines the teacher licensure process for most out-of-state teachers …

Added scrutiny of charter schools in city and state is overdue, but finally coming  (Vindicator © 5/21/13) 

State and local education leaders are committing themselves to beefed-up monitoring of Ohio’s ballooning network of charter schools.  That news, albeit long overdue, is welcome for those who value quality public education and rigid accountability to the public who bankrolls these tuition-free public school competitors. We hope that scrutiny is serious and comes with consequences for those that demonstrate failure. After all, failure has been …

Ohio Senate puts brakes on plan to link in-state tuition to voting  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/21/13) 

A House-passed budget provision that would have cost Ohio universities about $370 million a year in tuition payments is likely to be removed by the Senate, but that doesn’t mean the issue of out-of-state students voting in Ohio is dead.  House Republicans last month put an amendment in the budget that would require universities to charge in-state tuition rates for out-of-state students who …

Payment terms set for former schools official   (Marietta Times © 5/21/13) 

A former Marietta Local Schools employee who spent five years quietly pilfering more than $145,000 from the district now has three years to pay back the large sum of money.  The time frame was established Monday in Washington County Common Pleas Court as Barbara Mincks, the district's former assistant treasurer, was sentenced for the crime, a third-degree felony count of theft in office …

Westlake middle school student places in top 15 at National Geographic bee   (The Plain Dealer © 5/20/13) 

WESTLAKE, Ohio - Lee Burneson Middle School seventh-grader Kyle Yu placed in the top 15 at the preliminaries of the National Geographic Bee. The top 10 students advance to the finals which will take place Wednesday in Washington, D.C. He beat out approximately 100 other Ohio fourth- through eighth-graders to represent Ohio at the national contest.  As the state winner, Kyle received $100, the “Complete National …

Federal grant would put police in Lima schools  (The Lima News © 5/21/13) 

LIMA — The Lima Police Department is applying for a federal grant that would allow it to have a full-time police officer working for Lima schools next school year.  Lima City Council approved Monday the department applying for a Community Oriented Policing grant. It would fund 75 percent of an officer position, with the school district being responsible for the rest.  Lima Police has six officers …

Legislature may ditch takeover proposal for Columbus schools  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/21/13) 

As hearings start this week on a Columbus school-district reform bill, an earlier proposal allowing for a state takeover of the state’s largest district is likely to vanish.  The House last month added a provision to the two-year state budget that would allow the state school superintendent and mayor to appoint a five-member “distress commission” to run any district found by the state auditor to have …

Marietta board visits Putnam School (Marietta Times © 5/21/13) 

The Marietta City Schools Board of Education received an update on projects at Putnam Elementary School this year, as the board held its regular meeting there Monday.  The session opened with renditions of "Shake the Papaya" and "One World" from the 26-member Putnam Choir, under the direction of teacher Scott Reeder.  Following the entertainment Putnam Elementary principal Jona Hall spoke about recent improvements including additional parking in back of the facility and a vehicle lane for parents dropping their children off for school …

TPS to become its own primary energy provider  (Toledo Free Press Times © 5/21/13) 

The Toledo Public Schools (TPS) Board of Education is expected to approve a resolution May 28 that will allow the district to become its own primary energy provider. The board is expected to give James Gant, TPS chief business manager, the authority to spend $3 million to purchase 26 transformers and control systems to replace its current provider, FirstEnergy Solutions (Toledo Edison) …

Farm welcomes students again  (Marietta Times © 5/21/13) 

For 15 years students from Harmar Elementary School have taken annual field trips to the Stacy Family Farm in Oak Grove where they're not only taught about the farm's main crop-strawberries- but also learn a thing or two about other farm-related subjects like beekeeping and meteorology.  Today the farm plays host to students from several schools in Ohio and West Virginia …

Lots of changes in Warren district  (Marietta Times © 5/21/13) 

VINCENT - The Warren Local school district will look very different next year with a new superintendent, new high school and elementary administrators and the return of high school busing.  During its regular meeting Monday, the Warren board of education voted 4-0, with Vice President Debbie West absent, to restore high school busing for the upcoming school year. The board also accepted the resignations of …

Brookville levy failed by 6 votes  (Dayton Daily News © 5/20/13) 

Brookville Local Schools superintendent Timothy Hopkins said the district’s $5.5 million operating levy failed by six votes — 868 to 862 — after provisional and absentee ballots were counted Monday.  The Montgomery County Board of Elections will certify the results today.  The levy, known as Issue 14 on the ballot, would have cost a homeowner of a $100,000 property an additional $168.44 in property taxes if the levy had …

Fordham: This Ed Reform Thing Could Blow Up in Our Face  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/17/13)  

Ohio schools aren’t ready for major changes the state has mandated, according to the results of a survey of superintendents conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.  And the rapid pace of school reform may mean Ohio policymakers risk the failure of ambitious efforts to improve schools if the pace doesn’t slow, said Fordham’s Terry Ryan.  Fordham supports many of the reforms superintendents are balking …

Charter tax plan raises questions  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1813) 

A proposed state law singles out Columbus City Schools taxpayers to shoulder part of the tax burden for charter schools even though thousands of Franklin County’s charter-school students live in suburban school districts.  But the head of the Columbus Education Commission, which recommended the proposal, said that urban residents won’t be subsidizing suburban students who attend the same charter schools.  A Columbus school board member isn’t sure …

IN OUR SCHOOLS: Glitches follow testing switch  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/19/13)  

Students aren’t the only ones nervous about state testing.  Very public computer glitches plaguing online testing in several states in recent weeks are making educators and state leaders – not to mention the companies issuing the tests – nervous, too, especially because Ohio and 45 other states plan to adopt the Common Core standards and its tests for the 2014-15 school year …

Reading help on the way for Columbus kindergartners (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/19/13) 

Most children who came to kindergarten in Columbus schools without knowing the ABCs, which way to hold a book or other important early-reading skills remained behind when they reached third grade.  Two out of 3 of those children did not pass the third-grade reading test. Children who came to kindergarten mostly prepared didn’t pass, either.  Experts in teaching reading say Columbus …

Solon students win the national Science Olympiad  (The Plain Dealer © 5/19/13) 

SOLON, Ohio — Solon High School and Solon Middle School students finished in first-place in the national Science Olympiad Tournament for the third year in a row this weekend.  It was the sixth consecutive win for the middle school team, and only the third time in 23 years that a high school and middle school from the same city took the championship.   A team of teachers and parents coached the two dozen competitors …

Beachwood High School one of 'America's Best'  (The Plain Dealer © 5/20/13) 

© 5/19/13)  BEACHWOOD -- The high school came in second in Northeast Ohio in the annual Newsweek ranking of America’s Best High Schools, published May 6.   Superintendent Richard Markwardt is hoping an increase in Advanced Placement courses will bump the school up to first in the area within a couple years.   “In the past, I haven’t put much stock in the Newsweek rankings in general, but this year I will,” he told the school board May 13. BHS is ranked eighth in Ohio, and came in at number 199 nationwide. Markwardt said …

Student debt weighs on economy, local students  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/19/13)  

#1 Know your loans: It's important to keep track of the lender, balance, and repayment status for each of your student loans. These details determine your options for loan repayment and forgiveness. If you're not sure, ask your lender or visit www.nslds.ed.gov. You can log in and see the loan amounts, lender(s), and repayment status for all of your federal loans. If some of your …

Merit scholarships could cost neediest college students  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/20/13) 

Many colleges are offering more merit aid to recruit high-achieving students — often, advocates say, to the detriment of low-income students.  “With their relentless pursuit of prestige and revenue, the nation’s public and private four-year colleges are now in danger of shutting down what has long been a pathway to the middle class for low-income and working-class students,” a recent report warns.  Many central Ohio college …

Imprisoned Ohio Amish complain about schooling  (WEWS © 5/20/13)  

CLEVELAND - Some of the Amish sentenced in beard-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio are upset with federal prison education requirements.  The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has required some to study for high school equivalency certificates, one of their defense attorneys said. The Amish claim that violates their First Amendment rights.  Edward Bryan, who represented the leader of the group, told …

Former state education official pleads guilty to possessing child porn  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/18/13)  

A fired state education official has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge James L. Graham accepted the plea yesterday from John T. Childs, who was the chief operating officer of the Ohio Department of Education until November.  Childs, 47, of Planetree Court on the Northwest Side, had been under investigation since last …

Ohio school chief sues board  (Medina Gazette © 5/19/13) 

Medina City Schools Superintendent Randy Stepp has filed a federal lawsuit charging school board members and other district officials with breach of contract, defamation and invasion of privacy. The suit was filed Friday in U.S. District Court, Northern District, in Cleveland. Named as defendants are school board President Karla Robinson and board members Susan Vlcek, Doug Adamczyk and William Grenfell; James Shields, the school district’s general counsel; and district  …

Chardon schools superintendent leaving, shooting delayed plan  (WEWS © 5/19/13)  

CHARDON, Ohio - A northeast Ohio superintendent who guided the district after a school shooting that killed three students is stepping down, one year later than originally planned.  Chardon Schools Superintendent Joseph Bergant will resign effective June 7.  A public reception honoring Bergant was held before last week's monthly board meeting.  Bergant originally submitted his resignation in September 2011 with the intent to leave last year. But the shooting …

Treasurer: Beavercreek schools face money crisis in 2015  (Dayton Daily News © 5/18/13)  

Without any changes, the Beavercreek City School District would start the 2015 fiscal year with $5.2 million in the bank, not enough to open the schools for 2015/16 school year.  “That is not enough to pay the bills,” Treasurer Stephen Maag said Thursday.  Maag presented the district’s 5-year forecast to the school board during Thursday’s board meeting. According to the forecast …

Educators, legislators aren’t on same page on Ohio school reforms  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/17/13)

A survey of more than half of Ohio school superintendents revealed, with few exceptions, a wide gap between themselves and legislators regarding what policies will have the most impact.  Fewer than 10 percent of superintendents say new state-issued A-F report cards for districts and individual schools will boost student learning.  And only 1 in 5 believes Ohio’s new third-grade reading guarantee will improve schools …

Legislature could require Columbus school levy to support charters  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/17/13) 

After a mayoral education commission recommended sharing Columbus schools’ property-tax dollars with charters, two lawmakers introduced a bill yesterday requiring that such a levy go before district voters on the fall ballot.  The bill also would create an independent auditor to investigate district operations, and it would give Columbus’ mayor the power to sponsor charter schools.  State Rep. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, one of two co-sponsors …

Legislator’s plan would provide preschool vouchers for 22,000  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/17/13) 

A Senate Republican leader on education policy wants to create a $100 million voucher program over the next two years to allow thousands of low-income Ohio children to attend preschool.  For every dollar Ohio spends on early childhood education, the return is $10 or more, said Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering. The need to have students enter kindergarten prepared to learn is more vital than ever …

A little drama and a little science: Robots take to stage in New Albany  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/17/13) 

The actors stood and stared at Henry, waiting for him to deliver his line. He froze. It was two days before the opening show. From offstage, a voice called out in his defense.  “We just haven’t done the programming for that yet,” Lauryn Woodyard, 18, yelled to the actors.  Henry is a 2-foot-tall humanoid robot with a football-shaped head and a starring role in the year …

Bedford to cut up to 17 teachers  (Toledo Blade © 5/17/13) 

Bedford Public Schools will send layoff notices to more than a dozen teachers and other educators for the next school year to help close a persistent operating deficit. The Board of Education authorized the potential pink slips during a special meeting Thursday …

Ohio schools vote down competitive balance measure  (CT Post.com © 5/16/13) 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Coaches and administrators in Ohio have complained for years that non-public or parochial schools have an advantage when it comes to drawing students — in particular athletes.  For the third time, Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools have declined to resolve the dispute.  By a narrow margin, they voted down yet another attempt at addressing the divisive issue of competitive balance …

Ohio schools deploy visitor tracking system  (Security Info Watch © 5/16/13) 

A new security system installed this summer in all 14 Hamilton City Schools buildings will allow staff to track where visitors are throughout their entire visit.  The school board Tuesday approved a $42,275 contract with IDentiphoto -- a Cleveland area firm -- to provide its SchoolTrack Complete Visitor Management Solution.  Each of the 14 buildings -- eight elementaries, two middle schools …

West Geauga Schools begin long-range planning  (Sun Star Courier © 5/17/13) 

CHESTER The West Geauga Schools have begun a long-range planning process to generate improvement strategies to help the district achieve its goal of being in the top 5 percent of Ohio School Districts Performance Index rankings within the next five years.   Despite a recent Excellent with Distinction rating on the Ohio Department of Education report card, Superintendent Jeff Palmer, in his first year at the helm …

Avon Lake schools put new student safety plan into motion  (The Morning Journal © 5/17/13)  

AVON LAKE — In light of recent school shootings, students and staff at Avon Lake schools have a new safety plan in place to ward off intruders and bullies.  Developed by Greg Crane and Alan Hill, of Response Options, the new plan, called A.L.I.C.E., offers a more hands-on approach to dealing with crisis situations.  The abbreviation “A.L.I.C.E.” stands for alert …

Weathersfield school finances face change  (Youngstown Vindicator © 5/17/13) 

Weathersfield schools continue to make progress in reducing spending, but it has three years ahead in which school construction and possible staff changes will factor into finances.  Treasurer Laurena Rouan said the changes are because of the district’s plans to go from three schools to two.  Construction is underway on a $25.2 million project partly funded by the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission …

School board reviews financial warning  (Steubenville Herald © 5/16/13) 

STEUBENVILLE - The city school district's top financial officials warned school board members Wednesday night that changes need to be made or they will face serious fiscal issues in 2016.  "Our revenue is not good news. The revenue remains steady but the expenditures and cost of doing business goes up every year. Our $1 million deficit spending is cutting into our reserves," District …

Niles board of education weighs financial future  (WFMJ © 5/17/13) 

NILES, Ohio - Last week Niles voters rejected two different school levies; now the board of education is trying to figure out what to do next.  The board met tonight for the first time since last week's election.  They plan to schedule a special work session to discuss the district's financial situation.  Since the district will close an elementary school after this school year, they will likely …

House revises reading plan for Ohio schools  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/16/13) 

Gov. John Kasich and state legislators last spring created a new reading guarantee designed to identify young students with reading problems, get them help and keep them in the third grade if they do meet certain standards.  But supporters admitted the requirement was passed in haste, and officials have since discovered a significant problem — only 12 percent of Ohio’s 34,000 teachers in grades K-3 qualify …

Ohio K-12 education spending at 1996 levels  (Examiner © 5/15/13) 

How many times have children been held out as the best hope for the future of any single state or nation? Too many times to count is the correct answer. But in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008, an economic calamity that nearly plunged the nation into a second Great Depression but which has since gained enough altitude to see the horizon, the single-minded focus by some …

Cleveland School District Moves Towards Performance Pay  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/15/13) 

Last night the Cleveland school board unanimously agreed to what city and union officials are hailing as a groundbreaking teacher contract for Ohio. Union members will vote later this month.  The contract spells out a new basis for teacher pay hikes. Raises merely for lasting another year in the job are out; so are automatic bumps for an extra degree. Instead, “pay for performance” is in …

State public-safety chief rejects arming teachers  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/16/13) 

Ohio Public Safety Director Tom Charles said he “would not give guns to teachers in school,”possibly blunting any momentum behind proposals to arm teachers.  “We’re making a gun too easily accessible,” Charles told The Dispatch yesterday about arming teachers. He made similar statements in a comprehensive safety presentation on Tuesday to the Ohio Board of Education, a follow-up to a deadly shooting in 2012 at Chardon High …

Report ties quality education to vibrant community  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/16/13) 

For declining neighborhoods to thrive and struggling schools to improve, educators and community leaders need to set their sights on early education, programs offered outside the school day and parent engagement, a new report indicates.  The report by the Kirwan Institute at Ohio State University, the United Way of Central Ohio and Community Research Partners, which was released yesterday, emphasizes the link between high-quality schools …

Solon High School ranks top in Northeast Ohio, third in Ohio according to Newsweek  (The Plain Dealer © 5/16/13) 

SOLON — New Best High School rankings were published recently by Newsweek and the Daily Beast, and reports show Solon High School ranks No. 1 in Northeast Ohio, third in the state, No. 8 in the Midwest and No. 107 in the nation.  Ohio's top five high schools were listed as follows: Walnut Hills, with a national ranking of 53; Indian Hill, which ranked 82 nationally …

IC Bus Fills Large Order for Largest School District in Ohio  (School Transportation News © 5/15/13) 

IC Bus won a bid to supply 300 CE Series conventional school buses to Columbus City (Ohio) Schools. The school district serving the state capital region is the largest in the state in both terms of total enrollment and students transported.  The new buses are being manufactured out of IC Bus' assembly plant in Tulsa, Okla., and are expected to be delivered in July …

Returning Columbus principals get warning  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/16/13) 

The Columbus school board plans to renew the contracts of dozens of principals and other administrators next week with a caveat: If they are found to have manipulated student data, the board can fire them.  Superintendent Gene Harris said yesterday that the two-year contracts the board will vote to renew on Tuesday will include a “preamble” that notes the ongoing investigations …

Diversity remains challenge for Elyria district  (The Chronicle Telegram © 5/16/13) 

ELYRIA — The layoff of Elyria High School Assistant Principal Sam Dickerson by the school board Wednesday evening eliminates the district’s only black male building administrator and lays bare the lack of diversity in the district’s staff.  Dickerson, who came to Elyria three years ago from Cleveland Schools, has set himself apart as a figure minority students can trust, and his impending dismissal had scores of students …

State panel keeps demanding budget cuts in Liberty schools  (The Vindicator © 5/16/13) 

Seven months ago, the Liberty Local School District received an ominous warning: If the board of education failed to make an additional $1.3 million in budget cuts, the system could face dissolution.  The warning came from Paul Marshall, chairman of the state-mandated financial planning and supervision commission. The district has been in fiscal emergency since July 2011. Board members voiced concern that a further reduction in spending …

TPS likely to seek levy in Nov.  (Toledo Blade © 5/15/13) 

Voters are likely to decide at the Nov. 5 general election if they want Toledo Public Schools to get the tax-renewal millage it needs to have a shot at keeping many of the school district's current operations intact.  The district's board of education hasn't actually put the proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot yet. But signs are pointing in …

North Olmsted has agreement in principle for new superintendent  (West Life © 5/15/13) 

North Olmsted school officials have an agreement in principle with a veteran Ohio school superintendent to take over as head of the district within the next two months.  Michael Zalar, currently superintendent of the Oregon (Ohio) City Schools, is expected to be formally approved by the school board sometime this month. He was one of three finalists for the position, along with Patrick Colucci Sr …

Workers’ Comp Refund Plan Would Return $113M to Ohio Schools, Cities  (Insurance Journal  © 5/15/13) 

Local governments and schools in Ohio could see almost $113 million in rebates from the state insurance fund for injured workers under a proposal from the governor.  Gov. John Kasich’s office released a breakdown of the schools, townships, cities and other public employers who could see a payout from the $1 billion rebate plan Kasich proposed earlier this month.  About 210,000 businesses and …

School librarian grew many readers  (Yellow Springs News © 5/16/13) 

The right book in the hands of the right student can be magic, says retiring school librarian Mary Ann Christopher. Whether reading to first graders, helping high schoolers with research or stocking the latest young adult fiction, Christopher hooked many a student on books in her 16 years as the librarian of Yellow Springs Schools.  “The library should be the heart of the school …

Legislators try to combat school-standards rumors  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/15/2013) 

Tom Gibbs has reluctantly watched conservative commentator Glenn Beck and is up to speed on the criticisms of the new Common Core math and English standards adopted in Ohio and 44 other states.  And while the superintendent of both Warren Local and Fort Frye Local schools has plenty of criticisms of Ohio education policy — he made sure to let lawmakers know about problems with new …

EdisonLearning, K12 Inc. Among National Companies Looking To Open New Online Charter Schools In Ohio  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/15/2013) 

David Vasconez is running radio ads in Ohio for his company’s new online charter school. He’s working on a sponsorship deal with a minor league sports team. And there’s a grassroots student recruitment plan in the works.  But Vasconez and his colleagues at EdisonLearning don’t actually know if the state will approve the new online charter school the company wants to open next year …

Mom Charged in Ohio Classroom Brawl Sues School  (ABC News © 5/15/2013) 

A woman facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly helping her daughter beat up a female classmate is suing the Cincinnati school district and police.  Authorities say 31-year-old Precious Allen held the 15-year-old girl down in a Withrow High School classroom and told her 14-year-old daughter to hit the girl with a combination lock. Police say the victim suffered cuts and bruises …

Ohio Adopts Common Core Standards  (The Guardian Express  © 5/15/2013) 

Teachers all over Ohio are peeking at the new Ohio Common Core Standards (CCS) to be adopted in 2014. While a few teachers stretch and yawn, thinking they have 2 years to implement these standards, most teachers are readying for change. The standards will transform the teaching strategy for Ohio teachers once again, and it could be for the best. The new standards seem to flow …

State school board urged not to arm Ohio teachers  (Akron Beacon Journal © 5/14/2013) 

COLUMBUS: Top state law enforcers urged members of Ohio’s state school board Tuesday not to support arming untrained teachers with guns in response to recent school shootings, including at a Northeast Ohio high school and at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary.  I hope you don’t give guns to teachers in schools,” Public Safety Director Tom Charles told the Ohio State Board of Education during a half-day school-safety briefing …

Bobby's is exclusive Ohio dealer of new school bus  (The News Messenger © 5/14/2013) 

TOLEDO — Lion Bus has developed an innovative school bus and Bobby’s Truck and Bus Repair of Fremont and Toledo will be the exclusive dealership in Ohio for it.  “After touring Lion Bus and seeing what they were building, I knew we had to be a part of the advanced technology and practicality embedded throughout the construction of this exceptional bus,” said Bobby Sears …

Champion Middle School Reading Program Wins $10,000 NBC4 Grant  (WCMH © 5/14/2013) 

The winner in the small school category of the $10,000 NBC4 Make A Difference School Grant was announced Tuesday morning.   It's Champion Middle School for the program Champions Read!   "It was kind of rough getting started, but once they got in the content, they really grew and they were growing more educationally," said Principal Ed Baker.  Three hundred students combined to read more than 14,000 books …

Panels Issues Recommendations For State School Safety  (WCMH © 5/14/2013) 

State education officials are examining what changes have been made after the school shooting in Chardon last year, and what needs to be done to keep students safe.  The State Board of Education wanted to hear from safety professionals Tuesday about how to keep school buildings safe, and what changes need to be made to keep them that way.  A panel comprised of experts from …

Columbus school district’s staffs being interviewed a 2nd time  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/15/2013) 

State investigators started a second round of interviews with dozens of teachers at most of the Columbus school district’s high schools yesterday, about two weeks after police helped them seize boxes of student records from those buildings.  Investigators already interviewed teachers at several schools in March about student attendance and changes administrators made to their students’ grades. State Auditor Dave Yost said in an interview yesterday …

Cleveland school board OKs new teachers contract, will use money from sale of headquarters for downtown school  (The Plain Dealer © 5/14/2013)  

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland school board Tuesday night approved a groundbreaking contract with its teachers, while also picking a new home for district offices.  The board also approved a plan to set aside money from the sale of its old East Sixth Street headquarters for a downtown school.   The new three-year teacher contract, which still needs approval from teachers later this month, gives the district's …

Treasurer’s mistake cuts up to $1.5M off Jonathan Alder’s budget  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/15/2013) 

Officials in the Jonathan Alder school district in Madison County don’t know how much money they have to operate on next school year, but they know it’s not as much as they thought and it isn’t enough.  As a result, Treasurer Janis Thom resigned Monday night, and a special board meeting is planned for May 23 to decide how to cut as much as $1.5 million …

Parent stands in street to block school bus  (Dayton Daily News © 5/15/2013) 

Dayton Public Schools is investigating an incident Tuesday that involved a woman who said she stood in the path of a school bus to report the driver to district authorities.  Police were dispatched to the area of Ridge Avenue and Glenwood Street just after 2:30 p.m. on a call about a disturbance involving a school bus.  Yolanda Brown, who identified herself as a mother who …

Local students raise money, gain understanding of local charities  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/14/2013) 

More than 500 central Ohio students gathered at Veterans Memorial Downtown today to celebrate the more than $40,000 they helped raise for local nonprofits.  The students led Penny Harvest fundraisers in 43 elementary and middle schools in Columbus, Worthington, Dublin and Upper Arlington.  All told, the more than 15,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade donated $41,578.67 to local charities.  After raising the money …

Shelby School Board Bids Farewell To Retiring Employees  (WMFD © 5/15/2013) 

The Shelby school board said goodbye to nine veteran employees Tuesday night.  Eight teachers and one bus driver were honored as they retire.  Superintendent Tim Tarvin calls them a "great group" with an average of more than 20 years experience each.  He says their absence will create a void, but he looks forward to attracting talented young teachers and moving forward.  And as …

Medina Schools to tightly monitor credit card use  (The Medina County Gazette © 5/15/2013) 

Medina Schools Treasurer Jim Hudson wants to change the way credit card receipts turned in by the district’s senior administrators are scrutinized.  “We need to have more levels of review,” Hudson said.  Until new policies are in place, Hudson has curtailed the use of credit cards.  On April 8, Superintendent Randy Stepp returned the two credit cards he had been issued when he was …

Who Wants Ledgemont?  (Geauga County Maple Leaf © 5/15/2013) 

Grand Valley, Chardon, Riverside, Cardinal and Madison. Throw in Berkshire and Geneva.  Those are the nearby school districts Ledgemont Schools Superintendent Julie Ramos has talked to or will about a possible merger.  Voters’ resounding defeat of a 14.7-mill levy on May 7 left administrators little control over the future of the 584-student district.  Ramos told members of the Ledgemont Financial Planning …

Residents get last chance for input on Massillon school building changes  (The Independent © 5/14/2013) 

City school district officials allowed residents one final opportunity to weigh in on the possibility of building one or more elementary schools in the district Tuesday at a community meeting held at Gorrell Elementary School.  The first of the series of roundtable meetings was held April 3 at Franklin Elementary, and the second meeting was held May 2 at Whittier …

Brookfield in fiscal emergency (Warren Tribune Chronicle © 5/15/2013)  

BROOKFIELD - The Brookfield Local School District is in a state of fiscal emergency, according to a report released Tuesday by Auditor of State Dave Yost.  The state first placed the district in fiscal caution in 2005, followed by fiscal watch in 2006. Fiscal emergency means an oversight committee will be set up to fix school finances.  With a deficit for the fiscal year …

Lorain School Board hears high school update, approves busing contract (Lorain Morning Journal © 5/15/2013)  

LORAIN — The new Lorain High School has stayed within budget during its design development phase and few changes have happened since the initial design was unveiled last year.  Architects from ThenDesign Architecture presented a more specific look at the building and answered questions from board members and the public yesterday.  The building will still be three segments with the academic areas largely in the middle portion …

Lorain City Schools reassessing its 'Success for All' reading program (Lorain Morning Journal  © 5/15/2013)  

Lorain City Schools is reevaluating its “Success For All” reading program and could switch to a new system by next year.  The SFA program has been in place since 2007 when it was established by former superintendent Cheryl Atkinson.  The SFA program is essentially a licensed curriculum for reading education.  The decision to review the program is not out of the ordinary, Superintendent Tom Tucker said …

Some Youngstown school principals to be in new posts (Youngstown Vindicator © 5/15/2013)  

Some positions are being reshuffled to align with the new city school building configuration.  The school board Tuesday approved appointments for several administrators for one- or two-year contracts.  The district is changing next school year, closing its three middle schools, moving the alternative school and changing one of the seven elementary buildings into a Discovery program for third- through eighth-graders …

State board hears ways to boost Ohio school safety  (WEWS © 5/14/13) 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Members of the state school board are ready to hear from some of Ohio's top law enforcers and policymakers about ways to improve school safety.  The board is trying to determine how best to update policies and increase advocacy efforts about school safety.  The invited speakers for the Tuesday hearing in Columbus include Attorney General Mike DeWine, Department of Public Safety Director …

Workers' comp plan would return $113M to Ohio schools, cities  (Newark Advocate © 5/14/13) 

COLUMBUS — Ohio communities and schools would share almost $113 million in rebates from the state’s workers compensation fund should a proposal from Gov. John Kasich be approved.  Earlier this month, the governor announced a plan to reimburse Ohio employers $1 billion from the fund thanks to a healthy bottom line.  On Monday, his office released data showing how it would benefit public employers, including $1.5 …

Schools fared "better than normal" in special election, even though many had losses  (Statehouse News Bureau © 5/08/2013)

Voters across the state headed to the polls yesterday to make decisions about all kinds of levies – including almost 140 school issues. StateImpact Ohio’s Ida Lieszkovszky reports that it was a good day for …

AFT President Randi Weingarten’s New and Improved Definition of the Common Core  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/14/13) 

Every time I write about the Common Core, I describe it something like this:  The Common Core is a set of expectations for what students should know and be able to do in math and English at each grade level. It was developed by teachers, math and language experts and others in an effort organized by state school chiefs and governors.  But earlier this month, American Federation of Teachers President Weingarten provided a different explanation, one she says better describes the …

State auditor to decide today if Brookfield is in a fiscal emergency  (WFMJ © 5/14/13) 

BROOKFIELD TWP, Ohio- The state auditor will decide today whether or not the Brookfield School District is in a fiscal emergency.  We spoke with Brookfield Schools Superintendent Tim Saxton, who said he's expected to hear whether or not the district is in a fiscal emergency around 10:30 a.m.  The district is projected to have a $1,018,000 deficit at the end of this fiscal year June 30 …

No interim chief on the horizon for Columbus schools  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/14/13) 

The Columbus Board of Education has no idea who will take over the $1.3 billion-a-year, 50,000-student district when Superintendent Gene Harris leaves in just over six weeks, the board president said yesterday.  Almost five weeks after the board abruptly canceled its search for a permanent superintendent under heavy pressure from Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, the board has had no discussions on finding an interim leader …

Elementary student arrested for having gun in school  (WXIX © 5/14/13) 

A 7th  grader at Mt. Airy Elementary School in the Cincinnati Public School system was arrested Monday afternoon for having a gun in school.  An empty .22 caliber clip was found on school grounds.  School officials did a search and a student admitted to having a handgun in a bookbag.  Cincinnati Public Schools spokeswoman Janet Walsh says the gun was not loaded and not operable …

Rural Knox County school to close after levy loss  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/14/13) 

BLADENSBURG, Ohio — Retail commerce is defined in this Knox County community by Mrs. B’s Restaurant and Bakery, Davidson’s Grocery and Hardware, and a Marathon service station. Its civic life revolves around its school.  At least for another month or so.  On Wednesday, the day after voters in the East Knox school district rejected a tax increase, the Board of Education voted to close the Bladensburg school …

Schools, city look for millions in BWC rebates  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/14/13)

The city of Columbus could get at least $5.4 million and Columbus City Schools about $1.9 million under Gov. John Kasich’s proposal for nearly $2 billion in givebacks to public and private employers through the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.  In all, schools and local governments would get about $113 million — $42.5 million of that going to schools — through Kasich’s plan to offer rebates equal to …

Hale forges ahead with no backing from union  (Booster © 5/13/13) 

The Central Ohio Association of Catholic Educators will not back Carla Hale in her fight to return to her old job as a teacher at Bishop Watterson High School.  Hale, who was fired in March after an anonymous letter-writer informed Diocese of Columbus officials that she is in a same-sex relationship, made the announcement Monday, May 13, accompanied by attorney Thomas Tootle, outside the downtown …

New website designed to help students pick a career  (Dayton Daily News © 5/13/13) 

Sinclair Community College has a new “Career Coach” website developed to help prospective students learn about academic programs and the careers they lead to, along with how many jobs might be available locally in the coming years.  The website — sinclair.edu/careercoach — is the first of its kind in the region, according to Sinclair. It uniquely pairs data on local job openings with information on degree and certificate programs at …

Mentor's Memorial Middle School sends science olympiad team to nationals  (The Plain Dealer © 5/14/13) 

MENTOR, Ohio -- Last month Memorial Middle School's Science Olympiad team qualified for the national competition, which takes place this Saturday at Wright State University.  "We are very proud of Memorial's Science Olympiad team," said Memorial Middle School Superintendent Matthew Miller. "They are the first of our middle school teams to ever make it this far, which is a huge accomplishment. Our students, Coach …

 

Cleveland school district, Cleveland Teachers Union revamp salary system to reward best teachers (The Plain Dealer © 5/10/2013) 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A tentative contract negotiated by the Cleveland school district and Cleveland Teachers Union throws out "step" raises based on years of experience and advanced degrees and replaces them with a new system in which teachers have to earn "achievement credits" to move up the salary ladder …

Morality clauses attract attention after Watterson firing  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/13/2013) 

A lesbian who once taught at the Catholic high school where gay teacher Carla Hale recently lost her job says she left 15 years ago because she constantly feared she would be found out and fired.  The woman, like Hale, was married to a man when she first took her job at Bishop Watterson High School in Clintonville. During the more than 10 years she taught …

Nine presidents of Ohio public universities paid above national median  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/13/2013)

Most of the public university presidents in Ohio make more money than the national median salary for the job, according to a new survey The Chronicle of Higher Education released last night. The publication sought salaries for the 2011-12 academic year, and 10 of the state’s public-college presidents answered the survey. Nine of them reported earning more than $441,392, the median total compensation of the …

Gee’s $1.9M salary 3rd among U.S. public colleges  (Dayton Daily News © 5/12/2013)

Columbus —Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee was knocked off the top spot on the list of highest paid public university presidents but is well positioned to regain the number one post in the coming year, according to a survey released Sunday by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Gee’s $1.9 million pay package in the 2011-2012 fiscal year was below the $2.9 million paid out to former long-time Penn State University President …

AFT President Randi Weingarten Explains How She Would Teach the Common Core  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/13/2013)

Teachers in schools in Ohio and across the nation are changing how they teach. It’s part of the switch to the Common Core, a new set of national standards for what students should know and be able to do in reading and math. By next school year, all Ohio schools are supposed be teaching the Common Core. But what exactly does a Common Core-style lesson look like? When we talked with American Federation …

Wind Power Cuts Ohio Schools' Electric Bills  (WBNS © 5/12/2013) 

ARCHBOLD, Ohio - Two northwest Ohio school districts say wind power is reducing their electricity bills and adding new learning tools for math and science classes.  The Blade newspaper reports that the Archbold and Pettisville school districts west of Toledo recently celebrated completion and operation of 750-kilowatt wind turbines.  The Pettisville district is trying to meet most of its K-12 school complex energy needs through the turbine, solar panels …

Drug-free club movement takes off in Ohio schools  (Lancaster Eagle Gazette © 5/12/2013) 

HAMILTON — Three-sport athlete Scott Jones, of New Miami, avoids parties where he knows classmates will be doing drugs.  Kiara Haygood, of Fairfield, hangs out with a lot of social groups but turns down invitations to go out with friends when it’s clear they will be smoking marijuana.  And if saying “no” isn’t enough, these D. Russel Lee students at Butler Tech have another tool to help …

Ohio school shooting victim sues teen gunman  (WFMJ © 5/11/2013) 

PAINESVILLE, Ohio (AP) - A victim paralyzed from an Ohio high school shooting that left three teens dead and three wounded has filed a lawsuit against the convicted shooter and the shooter's family.  Nick Walczak (WAL'-chak) sued 18-year-old T.J. Lane on Thursday in Lake County Common Pleas Court. Lane pleaded guilty in March to aggravated murder and other counts in the February 2012 shooting rampage at Chardon …

Charter school for troubled students calling it quits  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/11/2013) 

A Columbus charter school that serves troubled students in grades 6-9 will close at the end of this school year.  The board of Crittenton Community School voted in March to close its doors because of low enrollment. The school, founded in 2002, works with students who have left school, are parents, are court-involved or have mental-health or behavioral challenges. It’s run by Directions for Youth …

School officers take a hit in city budget  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/11/2013)

Cincinnati Public Schools officials were surprised by a proposal to remove police resource officers from schools and to put those officers on city streets to replace laid-off police officers. The removal of school resource officers is unusual, given that since the Sandy Hook school shootings, many districts and police entities are trying to find ways to increase security and armed personnel on …

No lockup for teen in school scare  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/11/2013) 

A magistrate’s decision to put a former Gahanna-Lincoln High School student on probation for five months is a sign of a “changing climate” that takes school violence seriously, his attorney said yesterday.  In March, Spencer Pearson, 17, admitted to a misdemeanor delinquency charge of inducing panic for posting an online video that some classmates considered threatening.  Franklin County Juvenile Court Magistrate Nadine …

Farewell celebration to be held pending closing of Elementary school in Austintown  (WFMJ © 5/13/2013) 

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio- Pending a four-school school consolidation plan that will close Watson Elementary, A farewell celebration is set for Monday in Austintown.  Watson will close after the school year ends as a new school, Austintown Elementary School, opens in September, according to a release.  Officials are asking for past and current faculty, administration and alumni to take part in the celebration, which …

City schools requiring password changes  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/11/2013) 

The Columbus school district soon will require employees to regularly change their passwords to access computerized student data, something workers haven’t had to do before.  The new computer-security rule comes nearly a year after investigations began into data tampering by Columbus City Schools employees. District spokesman Jeff Warner said the district is taking action now because Columbus’ internal auditor, who concluded her investigation …

State takeover closer after levy defeat  (Dayton Daily News © 5/9/2013) 

FAIRBORN — State fiscal watch is imminent for Fairborn City Schools following voter rejection Tuesday of an 11.7-mill emergency levy by a 2-to-1 margin.  The Greene County school system will have to borrow money from the state in the fall, although that amount hasn’t been determined, Treasurer Eric Beavers said.  Fairborn, Centerville and Jefferson Twp. all failed in their quest for new revenue …

Voters OK’d 60 percent of levies for schools  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/9/2013) 

Ohio voters approved 60 percent of 137 local tax requests for schools on Tuesday.  With legislators contemplating more changes to how Ohio funds schools and uncertainty about state aid the new normal for districts, the passage rate was 2 points higher than the 10-year average for primary elections.  But what surprised some was that voters passed more requests than they usually do for …

Cleveland school district and teachers union reach agreement on Cleveland Plan details  (The Plain Dealer © 5/8/2013) 

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District  and Cleveland Teachers Union have reached a tentative agreement on how the two will work together to implement the Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools.   Details were not provided by the district.   The Cleveland Plan, approved by the state legislature last summer, makes teacher performance a prime factor in salary and layoff decisions instead of seniority. It also …

Highland, Firestone high schools make Newsweek list   (West Side Leader © 5/9/2013) 

GREATER AKRON — Two local high schools are nationally ranked by Newsweek as being among the best to prepare students for college.  Highland Local Schools’ Highland High School, in Granger, earned the 987th spot on the magazine’s list of the best high schools in the country, while Akron Public Schools’ Firestone High School, in West Akron, was ranked 1,444th. A total of 77 Ohio high schools …

Liberty schools hopeful about teacher negotiations  (The Vindicator © 5/8/2013) 

State officials are hoping contract negotiations with the Liberty teachers union will save the school district “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”   Paul Marshall, chairman of the school’s state-appointed fiscal oversight commission, said he’s optimistic teachers and district officials will negotiate a fiscally sound contract by next school year.  The previous contract expired in 2009, but the district still is following its wage scales …

Huber schools continue staff reduction plan  (Dayton Daily News © 5/8/2013) 

The Huber Heights school board will continue implementation of more than $6 million in cuts by reducing 34 support staff at tonight’s meeting.  The reduction will save the district $707,000 next year with the elimination of 33 paraprofessional employees and one clerical employee.  They are part of the final tier of $6.4 million in cuts that were approved in January, which also included

Otterbein won’t demand students keep mum on sexual assaults  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/9/2013) 

Otterbein University will stop requiring students involved in sexual-assault cases to sign confidentiality agreements, after student journalists discovered that the school was violating federal law.  After initially denying it, an official at the private liberal-arts school in Westerville told reporters for the student newspaper on Monday that he didn’t realize Otterbein had had victims, as well as others, sign a nondisclosure clause. The requirement is being dropped …

Area teaching teams honored  (The Press News © 5/8/2013) 

Teachers and rookies of the year were honored at the Education Celebration April 29, at R. G. Drage Career Center. The annual event honors the hard work and dedication of Stark County's finest educators.   Award winners and guests dined on a dinner provided by Carrabba's Italian Grill.  Rookies of the year were Shaena Winner, Alliance City; Jenna Wager, Brown Local; Tammy Mishak, Canton City; Stephanie Berardo …

Barricade that caused school lockdown now over  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

A man who barricaded himself inside a Mifflin Township home after an attempted robbery has been arrested.  SWAT officers from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office were at 2665 Perdue Ave. for about four hours, starting at 12:25 p.m., said Sheriff Zach Scott.  Two brothers went to the home to rob it, and the resident was able to call 911 for help, Scott said. When deputies arrived, they arrested one of …

Olentangy high schools turn publications' heads  (Olentangy Valley News © 5/8/2013) 

All three Olentangy high schools are among the best -- and most challenging -- in the state, according to new rankings recently released by two national publications.  Olentangy, Liberty and Orange high schools leapfrogged other schools to claim higher spots on an annual list compiled by U.S. News & World Report.  They also were rated among the state's most challenging in a list by the …

Cloverleaf to take two more shots at money after levy failure  (The Medina Gazette © 5/9/2013) 

Cloverleaf Schools has filed two issues for the August special election ballot — one is another try at new operating funds and the other is a renewal of an existing levy.  Cloverleaf Treasurer Jim Hudson said the additional levy would generate the same revenue as the levy that failed in Tuesday’s primary, even though the millage amount is slightly higher because of slipping property …

Ariel Castro fired as Cleveland school bus driver for leaving bus and going home "to rest"  (The Plain Dealer © 5/7/2013) 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro was fired from his job as a Cleveland school bus driver for leaving his bus unattended for four hours last September while he went home to rest.   Castro was arrested Monday in connection with the kidnapping of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, all three of whom were found in his Seymour Avenue …

May 7 Ohio School Levy Results  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/8/2013) 

Ohio voters approved most school district requests to renew existing tax levies in Tuesday’s special election.  But the majority of requests to impose new taxes appeared headed for failure, according to the unofficial election results available Tuesday evening.  Those results are similar to the pattern in past elections.  There were nearly 140 school tax questions on the ballot Tuesday.  Many of the failed levies have been …

Teacher pins her way to national recognition  (Canton Repository © 5/7/2013) 

Third-grade teacher Amanda Nickerson never expected the surprise or the national recognition she received Tuesday.  In fact, she never expected to be in class when the army of Plain Local school officials with balloons, gifts and cameras arrived in her classroom at Middlebranch Elementary School.  Nickerson initially had a dental appointment to have braces removed but behind-the-scene trickery from her husband delayed …

Security Concerns Raise Questions About Voting At Schools  (WBNS © 5/7/2013)

NEWARK, Ohio - Polls were open at Licking Heights High School on Tuesday, and Superintendent Phil Wagner says security preparations were made far in advance. "We're letting people know in advance there is video surveillance," said Wagner. "Making sure we identify people coming in the building, and making sure doors are locked so we have single points of access." Recent images from Sandy Hook, to the backpack bombs in Boston, have led one national ….

Westlake schools prepare to make cuts in wake of levy defeat  (The Plain Dealer © 5/8/2013) 

WESTLAKE--School officials will face some tough decisions on nearly $1 million in proposed cuts when they meet May 13 following Tuesday’s levy defeat.   Westlake Schools Superintendent Dan Keenan said he will submit the necessary budget adjustments to the board after voters turned down Issue 16 at the polls.   The 5.9-mill operating levy failed by 47 votes with 3,049 ballots cast in favor of the tax and 3,096 …

Black River schools' win highlights satisfying primary Election Day for districts  (The Plain Dealer © 5/7/2013) 

School districts had a nice day Tuesday passing a healthy percentage of money issues that were on the primary ballot. None had a better day though than the Black River schools, which passed its first new money measure since 1997.  According to unofficial vote tallies, Medina County voters passed the Black River operating levy by 137 votes, enough to offset a 90-vote deficit in Ashland …

Recount likely in Groveport school levy’s 16-vote loss  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

Groveport Madison’s school levy failed by 16 votes, a margin so thin that there will be a recount before the result is final.  Without the $5.5 million emergency levy, the school board has said it will end high-school bus service, cut 17 teaching jobs and make families pay the full cost for many athletics.  The levy was one of nine school issues on the primary ballot …

3 Clark school issues fail, 1 approved  (Springfield Sun News © 5/7/2013) 

Voters rejected Tecumseh, Clark-Shawnee and Greenon school issues but approved Springfield’s request in Tuesday’s primary election.  Tecumseh Local Schools lost its ninth straight request for new operating money. The 12.37-mill levy would have raised $3.5 million per year for the district.  The school board already approved placing the same levy on the August …

8 votes separate Shawnee issue  (Springfield Sun News © 5/7/2013) 

Clark-Shawnee’s new operating issue — a 10-year, 7.59-mill levy to raise $2.5 million per year — is likely headed for a recount after being initially rejected by eight votes Tuesday.  State law prohibits local boards of election from counting provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots until 10 days after the election. The time allows provisional voters to provide missing information or absentee voters to correct mistakes made on the …

Bond issue for Delaware schools passes  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

With 100 percent of the ballots counted, voters approved a $50 million bond to pay for building renovations and other improvements for Delaware schools. The bonds will be paid off over 37 years with taxes of about $110 per year on a $100,000 home.  District officials said the bond was necessary because enrollment in the Delaware schools had rapidly increased over the past 20 …

Marysville schools’ 9-mill levy OK’d  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

A 9-mill renewal levy for Marysville schools won with 79 percent of the vote, staving off $6.8 million in cuts, including the loss of 46 jobs.  In Marysville, where the district just went through the deepest cuts in recent memory, the levy was seen as critical.  One school employee and teachers-union official said if voters rejected the 9-mill renewal issue, which combined two existing levies, it would be …

Johnstown schools’ renewal levy OK’d  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

What happened: Sixty-five percent of voters said yes to renewing an 8.5-mill property tax for five years, according to final, unofficial returns from the Licking County Board of Elections. The levy will raise $2.2 million a year for operating the district and cost homeowners $260 a year per $100,000 of home value, about $3 more than they are paying …

Ledgemont School levy fails; District to move toward consolidation, superintendent says  (The News Herald © 5/8/2013) 

Ledgemont voters have again delivered the message that they are not willing to incur more taxes in order to assist its financially strapped school district.  With a vote Tuesday of 891 to 596, the 14.7-mill, five-year emergency levy failed. It would have generated $1.5 million annually and would have cost property owners $450.19 per $100,000 of property valuation, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. …

Orrville City Schools disappointed after levy fails  (The Daily Record © 5/8/2013) 

ORRVILLE - For years Orrville City Schools Superintendent Jon Richie's mantra has been that the district will do more with less.  But on Tuesday night Ritchie said he was going to have to change the saying to "The district will do less with less."  Clearly stunned by the resounding loss of the 7.3 mill levy, which saw 889 voters (40.56 percent) in favor and 1,303 (59.44 percent) …

Clyde-GS defeats levy again  (Advertiser-Tribune  © 5/8/2013) 

CLYDE - Voters rejected a five-year, 5.25-mill additional tax levy for the Clyde-Green Springs Exempted Village School District Tuesday.  This was the fifth attempt for the district to pass a levy, Interim Superintendent Laura Kagy said.  Voters rejected the levy 856-1,376.  The levy was proposed for emergency requirements for the district, including general operating expenses and possible restoration of some cuts by the …

Ada School District voters approve 0.75% income tax  (The Courier © 5/8/2013) 

KENTON -- Voters in the Ada School District approved a 0.75 percent income tax in Tuesday's primary election.  Also in Hardin County, voters in Blanchard Township and Liberty Township approved replacement levies.  Voters in the Ada and Hardin Northern school districts rejected a tax package, totaling 1 mill, to upgrade Lima's Apollo Career Center, although the package passed overall.  All vote totals are unofficial and include absentee …

Columbus district sells old school buildings for $3.2 million  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/8/2013) 

The Columbus Board of Education sold three vacant school buildings last night, including a historical middle school a block from German Village’s Schiller Park that sold for about half what the county auditor says it’s worth.  The district sold the Barrett Middle School building at 345 E. Deshler Ave. for $2.6 million to the Columbus Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing …

Artistic finale  (Marietta Times © 5/8/2013) 

VINCENT - Sylvia and Sandra Young aren't fans of retirement dinners, but the staff and administration at Warren High School and their former students weren't going to let them close the doors on more than 50 years of teaching without saying goodbye.  Tuesday's annual open house for the high school art show doubled as a send-off for the twin sisters who began teaching at Warren in …

Ohio school buys eye control device to help students communicate  (Newark Advocate © 5/8/2013)

LANCASTER — Like most 6-year-olds, Algassimou Bah has a lot to say. However, living with cerebral palsy has made it difficult for Algassimou, known by his teachers at Forest Rose School as “Al,” to communicate his thoughts as effectively as others — until recently. In March, Forest Rose School bought a device called a Tobii CEye Eye Control Module that allows students to communicate without using their voice or hands. The school bought the device with the …

Referee says TPS educator shouldn't be fired  (The Toledo Blade © 5/8/2013) 

A state-appointed referee has ruled that a suspended Toledo Public Schools assistant principal should not be fired, after he rejected most of the district’s allegations as unsubstantiated or untrue.  Sandra Meeks-Speller had been accused by district administrators of using inappropriate physical discipline with students, making threats, and using racially tinged language. She was placed on paid administrative suspension Aug. 8 pending possible …

Urban League might lose Head Start grant  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/7/2013) 

Two nonprofit groups have been offered federal Head Start grants to serve needy preschool children in central Ohio, but not the Columbus Urban League, which had to compete to retain its grant because of past accounting problems.  The league’s president said it’s too soon to know whether the nonprofit group has lost its $7.1 million grant. But others say that, even though nothing is final, it …

May 6-10 Teacher appreciation week: National teacher day May 7 (Video)  (Examiner.com © 5/6/2013) 

The first week in May is known as Teacher Appreciation Week, with Tuesday, May 7, being set aside as National Teacher Day. The focus this week is on educators, a specific group of individuals, men and women, who are often taken for granted. They are grossly underpaid and noticeably under-appreciated. This week we pay tribute to teachers and celebrate their invaluable contribution to our …

28 locals schools make Newsweek's list of 'America's Best High Schools'  (WEWS © 5/6/2013) 

CLEVELAND - Newsweek Magazine has released its list of America’s 2,000 best public high schools. Seventy-seven Ohio high schools made the list – 28 of which are located in northeast Ohio.  The magazine ranks the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Bowling Green, Kentucky as the top public high school for 2013.  The top rated northeast Ohio school is Solon High …

Ohio lags nation in preschool funding, enrollment  (The Newark Advocate © 5/7/2013)

As President Barack Obama promotes the values of early education, a new report shows the number of students attending Ohio’s public preschools has dropped significantly in the past decade. Enrollment in Ohio’s public preschools, which serve the state’s neediest families, decreased by 10,321 students between 2001-2002 and 2011-2012. The schools enrolled 9 percent of …

Despite reluctant GOP surrender, unions vow to fight Right to Work in Ohio  (PR News Channel © 5/6/2013) 

Two bills that could’ve made Ohio a right-to-work state in both the public and private sectors were stalled in the legislature just hours after they were introduced. Now hundreds of thousands of union workers in the state, many of whom have watched Michigan’s struggles, are being urged to view these recent developments as a wakeup call despite the outcome.  “After discussions with other leaders and my …

TPS enticing students to eat   (The Toledo Blade © 5/7/2013) 

Long have school lunchrooms produced scrunched faces, furrowed brows, and stuck-out tongues from children disappointed by the offerings.  The Toledo Public Schools' food-service budget often prompts similar reactions from grownups.  District food services have run deficits for years, draining resources from the Toledo schools' regular operating budget, money that could otherwise be spent in classrooms.  Between fiscal years 2007 and 2011, the district spent …

Medina to wait until November for levy try  (The Medina County Gazette © 5/7/2013) 

MEDINA — The Medina school board began discussions Monday about asking voters to approve a levy in November.  Board President Karla Robinson said she doesn’t anticipate trying for a levy sooner — in an August special election — saying the board needs time to explain to the public exactly what the levy will cost them and how the money will be spent.  “We’ve decided August is just too …

School districts in Northeast Ohio ask for tax hikes on Tuesday  (The Plain Dealer © 5/6/2013) 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than a dozen Northeast Ohio school districts are asking taxpayers for more money in Tuesday's primary election. Many of them say they need the increase because they've gotten less money from the state over the past two years.   The Brooklyn district, for instance, is getting $1.3 million less in business and utility tax reimbursements from the state this year, and local tax revenue also …

Former Lime City School may make way for park  (The Toledo Blade © 5/7/2013) 

The old Lime City School that has been abandoned since 1990 will be demolished and then likely turned into a recreational park by Perrysburg Township.  When the land directly adjacent to the Perrysburg Township offices was up for sale by the Rossford Board of Education, Township Administrator Walter Celley saw the purchase as a good opportunity.  “We bought the property because it is a good investment …

Eastwood board to purchase math series  The Toledo Blade © 5/7/2013) 

The Eastwood Local Schools board of education has approved Go Math as the new math series for kindergarten through fifth grades at a cost of $10,000 per year for three years. The intention is to adopt the series for grades six through eight when it becomes available.  The new math series is needed to comply with more rigorous state standards. Margy Brennan-Krueger, the …

Ohio's education standards debated  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/5/2013) 

New math and English standards known as the Common Core are already in Ohio classrooms, even as opposition mounts from groups that include those affiliated with the tea party.  Kindergartners in Hamilton schools are having book discussions, writing their thoughts about where a sneaky rabbit might have gone at the end of their story.  A third-grade class in Reynoldsburg is trying to explain …

Obama quotes George W. Bush in words to OSU grads  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/6/2013) 

President Barack Obama urged Ohio State University’s graduating class yesterday to participate and persevere in a brand of citizenship that “is a harder, higher road to take” but “leads to a better place.”  Sporting a scarlet tie under his ceremonial garb, Obama spoke to about 8,000 graduates plus a crowd of 57,186 as the sun shone on spring graduation at Ohio Stadium. A total of 10,143 graduates …

Right to Work legislation 'not on list' for Ohio Senate members  (The Daily Record © 5/5/2013) 

COLUMBUS -- A day after news of a GOP-led Right to Work effort surfaced in the Ohio House, the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate seemingly wrote the legislation's obituary, with the leader of that chamber saying related bills don't have support for passage.  "We have an ambitious agenda focused on job creation and economic recovery, and Right to Work legislation is not on that list," Senate President Keith Faber …

Ohio 'right to work' fight likely to resurface in state legislature  (The Plain Dealer © 5/4/2013)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's latest "right to work" effort seems dead on arrival, but don't bet against the issue coming back to life.   The right-to-work debate reached a flash point on Tuesday after House Republicans solicited co-sponsorship for "Workplace Freedom" legislation that would ban compulsory "fair-share" fees paid to unions.  More than a quarter of the House GOP caucus stood behind the move when it …

Transportation costs squeezing school districts  (Akron Beacon Journal © 5/6/2013) 

Mogadore, Cuyahoga Falls, Akron and Barberton schools have more in common than interconnecting county highways. Each community has a school district that buses fewer than one in four students and receives only a small fraction in state money to do so.  In the most pronounced case, the state reimburses less than 25 cents for every dollar Mogadore spends on school transportation, according to finance data …

Funding formula triggers need for levies  (Time Leader © 5/5/2013)

On Tuesday, voters in the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District will decide on the fate of a 2.75 mill tax levy for "an additional tax for the benefit of the St-Clairsville-Richland City School District, St. Clairsville, Ohio for the purpose of current expenses for a continuing period of time, commencing in year 2013, first due in calendar year 2014."  Supporters of the levy have …

Bike to School Challenge' starts Monday morning in several area school districts  (WEWS © 5/6/2013) 

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio - Starting Monday, thousands of area high school and middle school students will take part in the "Bike to School Challenge."  On May, students in Rocky River, Bay Village and Medina school districts are taking part in the program, which last a few weeks.  The program started several years ago. It promotes healthy living and helps the environment. Plus, students save their parents money in …

Gay Catholic-school teacher’s firing raises questions  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/5/2013) 

The firing of a gay Catholic-school teacher by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus raises competing constitutional questions about religious freedoms and civil liberties, legal experts say. Carla Hale, who taught physical education at Bishop Watterson High School, has filed complaints with her local teachers union and the city’s Community Relations Commission, saying that her March firing was discriminatory.  Commissioners could decide within a few months whether the …

Auditor’s focus in records seizure was mostly grade changes  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/4/2013) 

State Auditor Dave Yost seized records of grade and attendance changes for more than 870 students for his data-tampering investigation, according to a Dispatch analysis of court documents.  The auditor’s office released some pages from each of the 34 search warrants that investigators served at 20 Columbus high schools on Thursday. They sought records for individual students identified by their student identification …

iPad thefts from Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school students: Whatever happened to?  (The Plain Dealer © 5/5/2013) 

Today, we answer this question:   Whatever Happened to the theft of iPads from Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school students last fall? The problem has been resolved because students no longer take the iPads home.  Last September, the district issued 1,300 iPads to students at Monticello, Roxboro, and Wiley middle schools. Students were allowed to take them home as a continuing education learning …

Carpentry students construct new facade for park building  (The Toledo Blade © 5/6/2013) 

Northview, Southview, and Ottawa Hills High School students are putting hammers to nails, constructing a wood facade for the Olander Park System’s Jack Callahan Office Building.  Bob Johnson, construction technology teacher at Southview High School, is overseeing the work of 16 junior students as they spend five weeks making construction repairs to the park’s main building, named after one of the parks founding fathers, Jack …

Northeast Ohio group to start educational program with excess crash donations  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/6/2013) 

WARREN, Ohio — A community group launching an educational program is getting more than $10,000 originally collected to help cover funeral costs for six northeastern Ohio teens killed when a speeding sport-utility vehicle crashed into a pond.  At least $61,000 was collected after the March 10 crash in Warren killed the 19-year-old driver and five passengers.  The Greater Warren-Youngstown Urban League is getting what’s left of …

Schools hiring retirees in their old jobs  (Dayton Daily News © 5/3/2013)

Some area school districts are considering hiring newly retired employees into the same positions as the region braces for a wave of retirements prompted by changes to the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio. The controversial practice, also known as “double dipping,” has drawn scrutiny in recent years because the rehired retirees draw both a salary and a pension. The newspaper …

Protesters march on Statehouse against district-takeover proposal  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/3/2013)

Protesters marched to the Statehouse yesterday to oppose a provision in the proposed state budget that would allow mayors to take over school districts with the help of the state school superintendent. More than 100 people met at Front and Broad streets near the Ohio Department of Education offices and listened to speakers who decried the idea, saying it strips them …

Ohio School Prayer Effort Sidetracked By Flaw   (WBNS © 5/3/2013)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A technical flaw in a petition is delaying efforts to try to give Ohio students the right to pray in school. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected the petition Thursday because of the flaw. That will delay efforts to put a proposed constitutional amendment before voters statewide. The Columbus Dispatch reports that the petitions were rejected because they did not include the language of the …

State seizes records at 20 city high schools in data probe  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/3/2013)

State Auditor Dave Yost sent his investigators and uniformed Columbus police officers to 20 Columbus high schools yesterday to seize records for his investigation of school-data rigging. Throughout the 10-month investigation, Yost and his team have said that the district hasn’t been entirely cooperative. Starting yesterday morning, his investigators spent hours driving from school to school, hauling out …

Search warrants executed in Columbus schools probe  (Herald Star © 5/3/2013)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities looking into alleged fraud swept across the Columbus City School District on Thursday, seizing records from several high schools and perplexing district officials who said they have been cooperating with the state auditor's investigation. State and federal authorities are investigating Ohio's largest school …

Batchelder seeks limits on school carryover spending  (The Medina-Gazette © 5/3/2013)

Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder is calling for new limits on the way the state’s 55 county educational service centers spend “carryover funds” on behalf of schools districts. Batchelder, R-Medina, proposed the changes in response to the continuing controversy over Medina Schools Superintendent Randy Stepp’s use of the carryover fund to pay for more than a quarter-million dollars of his education and …

Judge sides with ‘Dispatch’ in open-meetings school case  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/3/2013)

Ruling in a lawsuit filed by The Dispatch, a judge has upheld a magistrate’s order prohibiting the Columbus Board of Education from meeting privately with its attorney to discuss the student-data scandal. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Julie Lynch issued the ruling yesterday, rejecting the school board’s effort to overturn a preliminary injunction granted in favor of The Dispatch. The school board had argued …

University of Toledo says low ratings of its professors is just ‘nonsense’  (The Toledo Blade © 5/3/2013)

Even with the relationship between University of Toledo President Lloyd Jacobs and faculty seemingly frayed over proposed academic budget cuts, workload increases for faculty, and a recent less-than-stellar review of him by the Faculty Senate, the school’s longtime leader came to the defense of his professors Thursday. Dr. Jacobs blasted the Washington-based Center …

Newman Elementary honored by state  (Mansfield News Journal © 5/3/2013)

MANSFIELD — When Newman Elementary School celebrated its “effective” rating on the state report card last fall, Principal Lori Pierce promised even higher accomplishments would follow. She delivered on that promise this week. On Monday the Ohio Department of Education picked Newman as a High Progress School of Honor, based on its 2011-12 performance. In a letter to Pierce, Superintendent of Public …

Union can’t pay for Hawaii trip for pension-board members  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/3/2013)

After agreeing this week to give up state reimbursement for a planned trip to Hawaii, two School Employee Retirement System board members were thwarted yesterday in another attempt to go on somebody else’s dime. The state’s top ethics watchdog nixed a plan by the group sponsoring the Hawaii conference in which the two women would attend as union representatives, not board members, and get their expenses paid through …

Group rallies for school funding  (Dayton Daily News © 5/2/2013) 

More than 100 people rallied outside the Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy in Dayton Thursday, demanding Gov. John Kasich and state lawmakers fully fund public education and the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. School districts and charter schools throughout Ohio began taking steps this school year to prepare for the mandate that students who do not demonstrate proficiency on the third-grade reading …

Scott staffer honored as Ohio School Nurse of Year  (Toledo Free Press © 5/2/2013)

In less than an hour during one recent morning at Scott High School, Maureen Knowles — or Nurse Knowles as she’s called — checked a softball player’s injured wrist, treated a student with seasonal allergies, arranged for a student’s parent to sign him out of school to see a doctor and sent several students back to class to obtain the required passes from their teachers. “Can you wiggle all your …

 

Teachers Unions Say They’re Ready to Fight “Right to Work” Bills  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/2/2013) 

Republican lawmakers introduced several bills in the Ohio House yesterday that, if passed, would mean employees in unionized workplaces can no longer be required to pay union dues as a condition of employment.  That includes teachers unions.  “The people have already spoken during the Senate Bill 5 campaign so it’s unfortunate that we have to go through this battle again,” says Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa …

Police seize Columbus school records  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/2/2013) 

Police officers showed up at Columbus high schools this morning to seize records the state auditor is seeking in his investigation of the district’s handling of data.  At about 10:15 a.m., a uniformed police officer left Whetstone High School in Clintonville with boxes of records. He was accompanied by another man in plain clothes. They hauled out four boxes in all and then left. They both declined to  …

Ohio Right to Work bill called dead on arrival  (The Vindicator © 5/2/2013) 

A day after news of a GOP-led Right to Work effort surfaced in the Ohio House, the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate seemingly wrote the legislation’s obituary, with the leader of that chamber saying related bills don’t have support.  “We have an ambitious agenda focused on job creation and economic recovery, and Right to Work legislation is not on that list,” Senate President Keith Faber said in a …

GOP leader: Ohio right-to-work bills lack support  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 5/1/2013) 

COLUMBUS — Two bills intended to strip Ohio unions of the ability to compel membership or to automatically collect fees from members to cover bargaining costs appeared dead on arrival at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday after a key legislative leader announced a lack of support for the measures among majority …

Unions Prepare For New Fight As Republicans Push Right To Work Bills  (WBNS  © 5/1/2013) 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - With the chant of "O-H-I-O, Right to Work has got to go," organized labor rallied outside the statehouse Wednesday, protesting Republican efforts to make Ohio the 25th Right to Work state.  Ohio AFL-CIO president Tim Burga says voters already decided the labor issue two years ago.  "What we're seeing is more Senate Bill 5 type legislation, which is simply …

STEM learning creating employees for future  (West Side Leader © 5/2/2013) 

AKRON — Leaders in business and education are working together to create a 21st-century generation of employees for the region with help from the Ohio STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Learning Network (OSLN).  According to OSLN Director Alison White, the Battelle Memorial Institute (a global research and development organization committed to science and technology for the greater good), the Ohio Business Roundtable, the …

Ohio Teachers Union Worried About Common Core Tests  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/1/2013) 

From the East Coast to the Midwest and beyond a backlash is developing to the Common Core – a new set of national education standards that schools in many states are already in the process of implementing.  Opposition began with Tea Party groups.  But now teachers unions in Ohio say they have their own concerns, mostly about the tests that will accompany the new …

School shooting, gun rights and bullying subjects of Cleveland Municipal Court mock trial  (The Plain Dealer © 5/1/2013) 

Talk about a "Law and Order" episode ripped from the headlines.  The 17th annual Cleveland Municipal Court mock trial competition hits three complicated and controversial issues: school shootings, gun rights and bullying.   High school students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District will have to debate these issues as part of a fictional case Friday in a courtroom at the Justice Center. …

Local leaders pledge support of ‘game changer’ in area education  (Cincinnati Herald © 5/2/2013) 

Non-Profit, faith community, education, government and business leaders visited a local preschool classroom and pledged to create The Cincinnati Preschool Promise and ensure a quality preschool opportunity for every child in our community. At the April 23 event, a large cross section of Cincinnati leaders pledged to responsibly finance high quality preschool for Cincinnati children.  Preschoolers working at Riverview East Academy where The Cincinnati …

Watterson parent worries for gay students  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/2/2013) 

A parent is asking a Columbus Catholic high school that recently fired a lesbian teacher to become a “safe harbor” for gay students who might feel afraid, alone or ashamed.  Michele Gardner Brown, who sits on the school board at Bishop Watterson High School, said she knows both former and current students who are gay and offered her proposal at a Tuesday board meeting.  She said …

Videos back in as evidence in voyeurism case against former Wellington drama teacher  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013) 

A Franklin County judge who suppressed key evidence in a voyeurism case against a former Wellington School teacher ruled yesterday that the evidence can be used by prosecutors.  Common Pleas Judge Tim Horton’s ruling comes six months after the Ohio Supreme Court overruled his reason for throwing out the evidence — secretly recorded videotapes of girls undressing — in the case against Lawrence …

Troy resident finalist for school supt. Job  (Troy Daily News © 5/1/2013) 

The Cedar Cliff Board of Education has narrowed it search for a new superintendent down to two candidates and anticipates making a decision within the next week.  Village residents and staff members met with the finalists Monday night, according to Cedar Cliff School Board President Matt Sheridan, and were encouraged to leave comments sheets on each candidates.  The finalists are Chad David Mason of …

Avon Lake school officials answer levy questions  (The Plain Dealer © 5/2/2013) 

AVON LAKE The school district has a lot riding on Issue 10, a $6.5 million per year emergency levy, which will be on the May 7 primary election ballot. A previous levy failed last November and school officials have spent the past six months cutting the budget and trying to educate not only the district’s 3,817 students, but also taxpayers who have questioned the need for …

Teachers' Union Donates To Levy Fund  (Monroe County Beacon © 5/1/2013) 

The Switzerland of Ohio Education Association  (SEOA) recently gave the Switzerland of Ohio Levy Committee a check of over $600 in contributions to promote school levies. Steven Casto, president of SOEA, is pictured (left) handing the check to Clint Abbott of the levy committee. “The Switzerland of Ohio Education Association realizes the importance of this levy to our community, our school district, and most …

GOP legislators spell out three right-to-work options  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013)

House Republicans have given themselves three options to make Ohio the 25th right–to-work state, including placing a proposed constitutional amendment before voters this fall. One Ohio labor leader called the bills “extreme” and seemed to draw a comparison with Nazi Germany when he was asked how the legislation could be extreme if half the states already had such laws and he said “all of Germany went extreme in 1933 ... that doesn’t …

Ohio GOP weighs 'Right to Work' legislation  (The Record Courier © 5/1/2013) 

COLUMBUS -- Republican lawmakers in the Ohio House plan to introduce legislation that would ban mandatory union membership and dues payments, over strenuous objections from Statehouse Democrats and labor groups.  State Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) confirmed Tuesday that she would offer one of two Right to Work bills, with hers focused on workers in the private sector. Rep. Ron Maag, a Republican from southwestern Ohio, will carry separate …

Indictments Filed for Corruption and Theft at Cleveland Charter School – Updated  (StateImpact Ohio © 4/30/2013) 

A state audit last week found a total of $1,850,489 to be recovered from former employees and school board members of the Cleveland Academy of Scholarship, Technology and Leadership Enterprise, a charter high school in Cleveland.  Today Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty announced that ten people and thirteen companies are being indicted as a result of the audit’s findings.  Charges include corruption, theft …

Charges allege $1.8M theft at Ohio charter school  (Sentinel-Tribune © 5/1/2013) 

CLEVELAND (AP) — The leaders of a Cleveland charter school are among 10 people accused in a $1.8 million theft from the school.  An indictment filed in Cleveland on Tuesday says the charter school made payments to shell companies owned or affiliated with five school officials or board members.  The Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office says the chief executive of the Cleveland Academy of Scholarship Technology and …

Pension-board members relent, won’t seek state money for Hawaii trip  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013) 

Two School Employee Retirement System board members withdrew their requests yesterday for reimbursement to attend a conference in Hawaii, ending the threat of the legislature cutting off payments for all travel by the pension fund.  “We achieved what we wanted to achieve,” said Rep. Ross McGregor, a Springfield Republican who led the drive to eliminate travel funding. “Ideally, the (SERS) board would have come to this conclusion …

Right to Work Proposed for Ohio  (1490 WBEX © 5/1/2013) 

The push to make Ohio a right to work state moves to the statehouse. Two bills will be introduced that would keep workers from being forced to join a union to work at a unionized workplace.  One of the bills would be targeted at private sector workers with the other dealing with public employees. Chris Littleton with Ohioans for Workplace Freedom thinks it's the right move …

Ohio House Ed Committee Chair Says He’ll Fight for the Common Core “Kicking and Screaming”  (StateImpact Ohio © 5/1/2013) 

The chair of the Ohio House Education Committee says he’ll fight “kicking and screaming” any effort to repeal the Common Core, a new set of expectations for what students should know and be able to do in math and English at each grade level.  Rep. Gerald Steblelton tells Gongwer News Service he is a strong supporter of the Common Core:  When asked if it is possible …

Colleges may lose $370 million if voting students get tuition cut  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013) 

Ohio State University would lose about $115 million a year, and the total loss for state public four-year institutions could top $370 million under a House GOP budget provision that would provide in-state tuition rates to any student given college documentation so he could vote in Ohio.  But some Ohio Senate Republicans are ready to flush the proposal.  Bruce E. Johnson, president of the Inter …

15 Valley schools among 90 in Ohio honored for achievements  (Vindicator © 5/1/2013) 

Fifteen Mahoning Valley schools were recognized through Ohio’s new Schools of Honor program.   The Ohio Department of Education recognized 90 schools that have sustained high academic achievement and made substantial progress while serving a significant number of economically disadvantaged students.   The department is presenting 92 awards: 38 High Performing Schools of Honor and 54 High Progress Schools of Honor. Two schools, Citizens Academy of Cleveland …

Maumee schools mull plan for safer sidewalks   (The Toledo Blade © 5/1/2013) 

Boosting the numbers of Maumee schoolchildren who walk or bike to school instead of riding school buses or in family cars is the goal of a planning meeting scheduled 6 p.m. Thursday.  Once the plan is completed, Maumee will be eligible for state-administered federal funds to pay for better sidewalks, signs, and crosswalks, and similar safety improvements.  A draft of the city’s Safe Routes to Schools …

Teen used gun from home in Cincinnati-area suicide try  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013) 

CINCINNATI — The Roman Catholic archbishop of Cincinnati expressed sadness and offered prayers yesterday for a wounded student, his family and those in the school community in the aftermath of a classroom suicide attempt.  The student remained hospitalized in critical condition as classes resumed at La Salle High School, an all-male Catholic school west of Cincinnati. Police said the 17-year-old student used a .45-caliber …

Medina interim super: ‘Happy to be here,’ takes pay cut  (The Medina County Gazette © 5/1/2013) 

At his first board meeting as interim superintendent of Medina Schools, David Knight asked for a pay cut.  The school board had drafted a contract with an hourly rate of $37.50. At a special board meeting Tuesday, however, Knight said that was too much and asked that the rate be $30 an hour — a 20 percent reduction.   “When I think about the value that …

 ‘Steadfast in the teaching of the church’: Bishop defends gay teacher’s firing  (The Columbus Dispatch © 5/1/2013) 

A responsibility to uphold the integrity of the faith bound officials to fire a gay Catholic-school teacher who listed her partner’s name in an obituary, Columbus Bishop Frederick Campbell said yesterday.  Also yesterday, the teacher — Carla Hale — filed a complaint with the city calling her dismissal from the Clintonville school a flagrant violation of Columbus’ anti-discrimination ordinance.  Hale, who taught physical education at …

State may halt slide in preschool as report faults funding decline  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

A decade ago, 1 in 10 Ohio 4-year-olds was enrolled in the state’s public preschool program.  Today, it’s 1 in 50.  Like much of the nation, Ohio has slashed enrollment and funding in public preschool for children in low-income families, according to a report released yesterday.  State aid for preschool dropped by more than a half-billion dollars in the 2011-12 school year, the largest one-year drop …

Online Charter Schools Could Split in Two, Avoiding State Cap on New Schools  (StateImpact Ohio © 4/29/2013) 

This fall Ohio will lift a moratorium on the creation of new online schools, allowing up to five new online schools to open.  But a provision inserted into the House version of the state budget earlier this month could expand online education in Ohio even further.  Under the provision, Ohio’s existing online schools could each split into two schools and avoid the cap on the creation …

Teachers return to Strongsville classrooms after 8-week strike  (The Plain Dealer © 4/30/2013) 

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Teachers returned to classrooms this morning to exuberant hugs and smiles from their students after an eight-week strike ended Sunday.  The teachers wasted no time getting back to teaching, which was interrupted March 4 when a strike began over benefits, raises and other issues.  There was a brief meeting in the Strongsville High School auditorium, before classes resumed at …

FBI and Secret Service investigate threat at Cuyahoga Falls High School  (Akron Beacon Journal © 4/29/2013) 

Cuyahoga Falls High School was once again the target of a bomb threat on Monday. School officials in a Facebook message to parents and students said Monday’s threat appears to have come from the same “source” as one received in March. As a precaution, the district closed the high school on Monday. School officials say a search of the high school campus found no evidence of an “explosive device” or indications  …

Bidding aloha to travel confronts state pension systems  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

Frustrated by the School Employees Retirement System’s insistence on two board members traveling to Hawaii, a state panel voted yesterday that no retirement system employee may be reimbursed for travel.  The House is scheduled to vote on the measure today and the Senate on Wednesday. If both agree with yesterday’s rare action by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, travel …

Cincinnati-area high-school student attempts suicide in class  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

CINCINNATI — An honors student at an all-male Catholic high school tried to commit suicide in his first-period classroom yesterday, police said, critically wounding himself with a gunshot that sent other students scrambling for cover.  La Salle High School, west of Cincinnati, was locked down until after police arrived and determined that there was no threat to other students or employees. A University of Cincinnati …

Westerville student takes fourth place in national poetry competition  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

When Taribo Osuobeni was 11 or 12, he came home from a reading event at the library in tears.  Osuobeni stammered, and his efforts to read in front of others left him deeply frustrated.  “I thought, ‘God, why did you give me a voice if I can’t put out what I have to say?’??” he said.  Today, it’s safe to say, Osuobeni has found his voice …

Suspect search prompts lockdowns at 6 Ohio schools  (Mansfield News Journal © 4/30/2013)   

The search for suspects after an armed robbery has led to temporary lockdowns at four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school in Columbus as a safety precaution.  Police tell local media there was a brief chase Monday before multiple suspects abandoned their vehicle and ran away in a neighborhood several miles north of downtown Columbus. The ensuing search led to lockdowns of public schools …

Man ejected after faulting bishop over Watterson teacher’s firing  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

Roman Catholic Bishop Frederick Campbell called for “civility and calm” yesterday, a day after a man was escorted from a dinner where he confronted Campbell about issues surrounding the firing of a gay teacher at a Diocese of Columbus school.  John Petrucci said he was at the Sunday dinner at St. Andrew Parish in Upper Arlington when he accused Campbell of failing to take responsibility for the …

Interim superintendent to receive hourly rate  (The Medina County Gazette © 4/30/2013) 

The Medina school board will meet tonight to finalize an interim superintendent’s contract for David Knight. Exactly how much Knight will earn is unclear.  The contract, which runs through June 30, calls for paying Knight an hourly rate of $37.50 rather than a salary because he only will work part time for the Medina district, board President Karla Robinson said.   “We’re just …

Colleges compared on new website for students and parents: Higher Education  (The Plain Dealer © 4/29/2013) 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A new website with an apt name, collegerealitycheck.com, will help parents and students examine all factors they need to consider when choosing a college.   Produced by the Chronicle of Higher Education with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, users can find out how individual colleges measure up on net price, graduation rates, debt, default rates, and graduate earnings. Users can …

Library helps to make kindergarten’s first day less scary  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

The colorful alphabet tops the blackboard, just as in real kindergarten. Pint-size tables and chairs fit the “students” perfectly. And helpers with kind, patient voices oversee it all.  Everything from the puzzle pieces to the colorful rugs in one busy corner of the Karl Road branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library yesterday had an authentic classroom feel.  The Kindergarten Readiness Zone is the first of its kind …

Groveport Madison to ax some busing, 17 teaching jobs if levy fails  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/30/2013) 

High-school busing and 17 teaching jobs could be eliminated if voters reject a $5.5 million emergency levy for Groveport Madison schools next Tuesday.  Also, more than a dozen varsity and junior varsity athletic teams could be converted to club programs. Participants’ families would have to pay most of the bill, including transportation and coaches’ pay.  The district would cover costs for seven varsity …

Ohio Charter Schools Could Enroll Out-Of-State Students  (StateImpact Ohio © 4/29/2013) 

Ohio charter schools could enroll out-of-state students — and charge them tuition — under a provision inserted into the House version of the state budget earlier this month, giving the publicly funded schools another source of revenue.  Traditional public schools can already allow students from other states to enroll. Out-of-state tuition rates are set by state law.  It’s unclear who lobbied for the charter-school budget amendment and …

Eight-week Strongsville teachers strike is over; school board unanimously approves new contract  (The Plain Dealer © 4/28/2013) 

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- The five-member Strongsville school board met at 9 this morning and unanimously approved an agreement to end the eight-week strike by teachers.  News of the board's decision came just three minutes after the meeting began.  School Board President David Frazee said after the vote that students and replacement teachers will be given a chance to say goodbye, though classes are cancelled for …

Authorities say student shoots self inside Ohio high school classroom, no one else injured  (The Washington Post © 4/29/2013)

CINCINNATI — A student at an all-male parochial high school pulled out a gun in front of other students in his first-period classroom Monday morning and shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt, police said. The youth was taken to a hospital, and there appeared to be no threat to other students at La Salle High School, a private Catholic school west of Cincinnati that was immediately put on lockdown as a precaution, police said. Students were later …

Race-based admissions ruling may come today  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/29/2013)

WASHINGTON — Thirty-five years after the U.S. Supreme Court set the terms for boosting college admissions of African-Americans and other minorities, the court might be about to issue a ruling that could restrict universities’ use of race in deciding who is awarded places.  The case before the justices was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white suburban Houston student who asserted she was wrongly rejected by the University of Texas …

Ohio Girl, 8, Gets Kidney Donation From Teacher  (TIME © 4/29/2013)

(CLEVELAND) — An Ohio girl is recovering after getting a critical kidney transplant — with the organ donated by her former kindergarten teacher. Nicole Miller, an 8-year-old first-grader at Mansfield Christian School, got the kidney last week from Wendy Killian, who was her kindergarten teacher last year. “See you soon, sweet girl,” Killian told Nicole just before they both taken into the pre-operation area last week, The …

Student suspected of hitting Dayton teacher  (Dayton Daily News © 4/28/2013) 

A student at Longfellow Academy — part of the Dayton Public Schools — will be ordered to court after allegedly punching a 71-year-old teacher on Friday.  Police responded to the school at 245 Salem Ave. to meet with a student on Friday afternoon. According to a Dayton police report, school personnel said she assaulted a teacher after causing a disturbance in the classroom. The …

Pro-union group rallies against charter schools  (Akron Beacon Journal © 4/29/2013) 

About 100 parents and other concerned citizens gathered in Akron on Sunday to learn from a labor-backed advocacy group how the proposed state budget could impact local public schools.  Stand Up For Ohio shared testimonials about school funding, charter schools and the “schools-to-prison” pipeline during the rally at Buchtel Community Center.   The event was the first of an eight-city Access to Opportunity Tour launched by Stand Up For …

Teachers strike in northeastern Ohio is over   (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/29/2013) 

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Teachers and a suburban Cleveland school board have approved a contract, ending an eight-week strike by teachers.  The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reported that the Strongsville City Schools board yesterday approved the contract unanimously that teachers ratified on Saturday.  The strike in northeastern Ohio was primarily over salary and working conditions in the district of about 6,200 students …

Growing corps anti-Common Core  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 4/29/2013) 

New Common Core reading and math standards are heading to a classroom near you. And trailing along is a growing chorus of critics and skeptics.  These opponents are hosting public forums, organizing phone trees and emailing elected officials. They’re texting and tweeting and signing Internet petitions.  And they’re having some impact:  In the past two weeks, Ohio’s House removed $10 million in funds earmarked for …

Common Core standards for Ohio schools questioned by some  (The Plain Dealer © 4/26/2013) 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's push toward the multistate educational standards known as the Common Core has drawn pushback from some Ohioans and, in turn, a number of state legislators.   The strength of opposition in Ohio to the new standards, which the state school board adopted in 2010 and which are to be in all classrooms by the 2014-15 school year, is …

CPS teachers retiring in droves  (Cincinnati Enquirer © 4/28/2013) 

About 150 teachers are expected to retire this year from Cincinnati Public Schools, the third year in a row the region’s largest district has seen more than 100 workers retire from its teaching force.  The good news: The district won’t have to lay teachers off as it works to close a $54 million budget hole.  The bad news: The district is fast losing its …

Cost is key as high-school seniors face deadline in choosing a college  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/29/2013) 

With college costs and student-loan debt rising and the job market still uncertain, more graduating high-school seniors are bargain-shopping for colleges — and proud of it.  “More than ever before, it’s coming down to dollars and cents,” said Amy Cox, a counselor at Reynoldsburg High School’s Livingston campus.  For many, that means weighing whether a degree from a particular school is worth the price. And with Wednesday’s deadline for …

Bedford board looks to add levy  (The Blade © 4/28/2013) 

The Board of Education plans to put a renewal of the district’s sinking-fund levy on the ballot next year at a yet-to-be decided date.  The five-year, 0.5-mill levy pays for permanent improvements, such as building repairs and upgrades, but cannot be used for operational expenses. It generates about $527,000 annually and expires at the end of this year.  Waiting until next year means the district could not …

Panel gives Coleman proposals for local schools  The Columbus Dispatch © 4/27/2013) 

Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s 25-member Columbus Education Commission unanimously delivered to him yesterday recommendations that could bring sweeping changes to public schools in Columbus.  “I had every expectation that we would all set aside any individual agendas for the common good of bettering the educational outcome for our students,” said U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley, a co-chairman of the panel. “Who can’t buy …

Student projects make connection with Ohio history  (The Blade © 4/29/2013) 

Glued-down Army soldiers, Popsicle sticks as houses, and small cylinders painted as cannons are some of the pieces second graders at Fort Meigs Elementary have used to craft makeshift models of the nearby Fort Meigs battlefield.  The school, almost exactly 1 mile from the reconstructed battlefield, partnered with Fort Meigs to create a learning experience for the students. In the fall, the student body and staff at Fort …

Education Commission Approves Proposal In Unanimous Vote   (WOSU © 4/26/2013)

In a unanimous vote, the Columbus Education Commission approved the proposal it said could put Columbus City Schools on the track for success. The bulk of the final meeting was fine tuning the proposals and its language. The proposals vary from giving school governance to auditing. One of the major recommendations is the formation of a public-private panel which would oversee the Innovation Fund. It’s suggested that fund raise up to $50 million a year through 2025 in public and private money for school improvements, which …

Mayfield School District reflects on 2012-2013 through annual Report of Excellence  (The Plain Dealer © 4/29/2013)

Each year, Mayfield City School District publishes a Report of Excellence, and this year's findings include a plethora of items regarding the district's growth and achievements.  Most notably, the district was among 10 school districts in Cuyahoga County to earn the "Excellent with Distinction" rating from the Ohio Department of Education. This was the fourth year in a row that the district earned this rating …

Kenston schools add new safety measures  (The Plain Dealer © 4/29/2013) 

Finishing touches are being put on added safety measures at all Kenston school buildings.   As part of the $50,000 Safe and Drug Free Schools state grant the district received last year, Kenston’s Safety and Security Committee, under the leadership of high school Associate Principal Tom Gabram, chose a variety of ways to improve security and address safety issues.   Maybe the most prominent is the …

Cuyahoga Falls High School closed due to bomb threat  (Akron Beacon Journal © 4/29/2013) 

Cuyahoga Falls High School is closed Monday due to a bomb threat similar to one received at the school earlier this year, according to Beacon Journal news partner WEWS.  The Cleveland television station reports that Falls police secured the building after nothing was found inside.  Superintendent Dr. Todd Nichols told WEWS the bomb threat was similar to one received in March, when authorities also found …

Valley View seeks 6.97-mill levy  (Dayton Daily News © 4/29/2013) 

The Valley View Local School District has on the May 7 ballot an additional 6.97-mill continuing levy for current expenses. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $213 per year and generate $1.5 million annually.  The district implemented $1.7 million in cuts for this school year. Another $1.5 million reduction will occur in the 2013-14 school year after voters defeated an emergency levy in …

Coventry voters asked to pay for schools that state underfunds  (Akron Beacon Journal © 4/27/2013) 

It’s a sign of contention in a community split again by a school levy.  In orange spray-painted letters, two 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood read:  “VOTE NO / SCHOOL LEVY / MAY 7TH.”  About 21,000 motorists pass the sign on Manchester Road each day. There’s an occasional honk of approval. Sometimes, a disgruntled parent or levy supporter will pull over to question the sign owner about his …

 

Ex-legislator Carey named state’s higher-ed chancellor  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/25/2013) 

Gov. John Kasich named a former state representative to lead Ohio’s higher-education system yesterday, saying his “job-creation mindset” will further the governor’s plans for the state’s economy.  John Carey, a Republican from Wellston, was appointed chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees higher education. Carey will succeed Jim Petro, who retired on Feb. 1. Carey is expected to focus on Kasich’s goal …

Ohio school district report cards to switch to letter grade system  (Twinsburg Bulletin © 4/25/2013)

Twinsburg -- Students won't be the only ones receiving letter grades, as the Ohio Department of Education plans to change the school report card system from labels to letters beginning in the fall. The A through F designations will be phased in over the next two years, and the first state report card with an overall grade will be issued in 2015. Districts will be issued letter grades on specific criteria, as opposed to the current labels of "excellent" or "continuous improvement," beginning in …

IN OUR SCHOOLS: Delays predicted in Common Core success  (Cincinnati Equirer © 4/22/2013)

There’s good news and bad news about the rise of the Common Core, that new system of math and English standards people hope will reshape and restore American education. The good news: the Common Core’s tougher tests and higher standards in most grades will likely push teachers and students to stretch further academically than they would have under current academic standards. Ultimately more kids may make it to college or a career …

More Students Leave Strongsville Schools; Only a Handful Opt Out of Tests  (Strongsville Patch © 4/25/2013)

A total of 62 students have now left the Strongsville Schools since a teachers strike started March 4. Assistant Superintendent Cameron Ryba said Wednesday that 62 pupils had withdrawn from the public schools, but were not moving out of the district, indicating they would be attending a private school. Meanwhile, while a controversy raged this week about whether the teachers' union was encouraging parents to exempt their children from taking Ohio Achievement Assessment tests, the upshot was inconsequential. Ryba said nine parents submitted letters exempting their students from taking …

Strongsville group says 61 teachers want to cross the picket lines  (The Plain Dealer © 4/24/2013) 

The group, which is behind the strikefacts.com, will also release what it calls is "disturbing" documents that reveal "misinformation" by the Strongsville Education Association and its parent organization, the National Education Association.  SEA President Tracy Linscott said she had not heard of the press conference or any teachers wanting to cross.  "I'm interested in what they have to say," Linscott said. …

Fired teacher tells gay kids to take heart   (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/25/2013) 

A gay teacher seeking reinstatement to a Roman Catholic high school in Columbus said she hopes the support she has received from around the world will encourage young people who question their sexuality.  Physical-education teacher Carla Hale referred to such youths, especially Catholic youths, during a news conference yesterday, when she addressed her efforts to get back to work at Bishop Watterson High School in …

Columbus school board OK with some of mayor’s proposals  (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/25/2013) 

Columbus school board members seemed ready yesterday to accept at least some of the draft provisions proposed by a mayoral education commission on Tuesday.  Board President Carol Perkins said she wants more clarity concerning what powers a proposed independent auditor would have to help set property-tax levy millage and how charter schools would be held accountable if they received district taxes. But she said there was nothing …

WL-S Board of Education approves levy for August ballot  (Logan County Weekly Currents  © 4/25/2013) 

WEST LIBERTY – The West Liberty-Salem Local Schools’ board on April 16 unanimously approved the second of two resolutions to place a building levy on the August ballot.  The levy is a 3.62-mill, $7,550,000, 27-year tax with a 0.25 percent, 23-year income tax to fund the district’s share of a more than $30 million Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) building improvement project. …

Dublin Jerome teacher has fatal heart attack at school   (The Columbus Dispatch © 4/25/2013) 

He was counting down the days until he would retire from teaching and focus on his other great passions — folk music and family. Just 38 more days, he told friends last week.  But yesterday morning, Chris Bolles collapsed as he climbed stairs at Dublin Jerome High School. He was in cardiac arrest when rescue crews arrived at the school at 8300 Hyland-Croy Rd. and was …

SOLSD Seeking Input On Special Education Funding   (Monroe County Beacon  © 4/25/2013) 

The Switzerland of Ohio Local School District is seeking community input regarding the use of federal dollars for Title I, IIA and IDEA-B funds for the school year 2013-14. It will be holding a community outreach meeting on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Monroe Central High School to discuss continued educational goals and development, district alignment to new state requirements and …

Revere district considering scholarship policy  (West Side Leader © 4/25/2013) 

The Revere Local Schools Board of Education is considering a new policy that would affect the administration of district-managed scholarship funds.  The board conducted a first reading of the policy at the April 16 meeting. If approved and implemented, applicants’ identities would not be disclosed to selection committee members.  District Treasurer David Forrest said board members had expressed interest in establishing such a policy, “so candidates would …

Ohio teen arrested after alleged threat  (Dayton Daily News © 4/25/2013) 

Authorities say a 15-year-old western Ohio girl is in a juvenile detention facility after saying she wished she "could blow up the school."  The teen attends Tecumseh High School in New Carlisle, near Dayton. The Clark County Sheriff's Office said she is charged with two counts of delinquency by reason of inducing panic. She's also charged with delinquency by reason of being an unruly juvenile. …

Democrat challenging Kasich says Ohio seeing no ‘economic miracle’  (Columbus Dispatch © 4/25/2013) 

Not so long ago, a fierce election was waged in Ohio, with Democrats insisting that the incumbent had the economy going in the right direction and Republicans declaring the opposite.  Almost six months after President Barack Obama carried Ohio with a message of an improving economy, likely 2014 Democratic gubernatorial challenger Ed FitzGerald formally launched his campaign yesterday by stating that the state is headed in the wrong …

Money outlook bright for Ohio schools  (Herald-Dispatch © 4/24/2013) 

IRONTON -- Not quite halfway through the funding process, most Lawrence County schools and the county Education Service Center are a lot better off than they were a month ago.  When Gov. John R. Kasich's budget proposal came out, no county school district was set to get an increase while the service center faced massive cuts.  State Rep. Ryan Smith, R-Gallipolis, a member of the House  …

Hilliard administrator leaving district  (Columbus Dispatch © 4/24/2013) 

Steve Estepp, a superintendent finalist for Hilliard schools, has been named the new schools chief for Mariemont schools in Cincinnati.  Estepp, executive director of K-12 curriculum and instruction in Hilliard, was one of three finalists to replace Dale McVey who is retiring at the end of the school year. The school board ultimately hired John Marschhausen, the superintendent of Loveland schools near …

Columbus Education Commission Proposes Giving Mayor Greater Say in Running Columbus Schools  (StateImpact Ohio © 4/25/2013) 

A commission appointed by Columbus’ mayor is recommending a slate of changes that would give the mayor and other city officials a greater say in the Columbus school district’s operations, but stop short of a mayoral takeover  WOSU’s Mandie Trimble reports that the proposed changes include:  Creating a panel–separate from the district’s school board–to spend $50 million in public and private funds on improving the …