An Ohio House panel has passed a Republican proposal to repeal Common Core learning standards in the state, sending it on to the full House.
Representatives Matt Thompson and Andy Huffman, both Republicans, introduced the measure last summer. Both are members of the Rules and Reference Committee, which was assigned HB 597 after a similar measure had earlier failed to clear the Education Committee.
Democrats picked up two seats on the Ohio Board of Education after Tuesday’s election. The Columbus Dispatch reports Democrat Roslyn Painter-Goffi, a retired teacher from Strongsville, defeated appointed incumbent Bradley Lamb, a Republican from Fairview Park, in a four-way contest for District 5. And in the Cincinnati-area race for outgoing board President Debe Terhar’s seat, Democrat Pat Bruns defeated Republican Zach Haines. Democrats had hoped to make substantial gains on the board, but Republicans retained a large majority. Read more from the Dispatch.
Amy Hansen / StateImpact Ohio
This election featured roughly 165 school tax issues on ballots across the state, a slight decrease from 2013 and 2012.
But the results of this year’s race followed a recent trend: a majority of voters voted down requests for additional tax increases, while supporting a majority of existing renewals.
According to unofficial results early Wednesday morning, about 90 percent of renewals passed, compared to less than a third of new money requests.
Those results closely align with how Damon Asbury, the director for legislative services for the Ohio School Board Association, forecasted the election would turn out when he spoke to StateImpact last week.
“Times are difficult for people,” he said. “We still have a lot of unemployment, we still have a lot of underemployment in the state, money is tight. You have to make a very convincing case for a community to help them understand that yes, in fact, we do need more money.”
Twenty-two candidates vied for seven open spots on Ohio’s state Board of Education.
And according to unofficial results early Wednesday morning, four Democrats and three Republicans will be joining the board.
There is optimism in some quarters that President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative can improve the educational outlook for boys of color. Obama announced the initiative last summer, and more than 60 school districts across the country, all members of the Council of Big City Schools in Washington, signed on. Five Ohio districts – Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo – were among them. The initiative calls on schools to increase the number of minority boys who are succeeding both academically and socially; develop early-intervention strategies; increase graduation rates; reduce absenteeism… the list goes on. No federal dollars were allocated, although $200 million was pledged from philanthropic groups to assist. But some say that ‘s not enough to achieve substantive results. Read more at Education Week:
Several Southern Ohio Head Start programs now have 600 fewer open seats for low-income students. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the federally supported childcare program now requires some providers to re-compete for funding. Local programs are still getting the same amount of money. But now centers are encouraged to invest their funding into increasing the quality of its programming, which may put a dent in the number of students able to enroll, the Enquirer reports.
THOTH 188 / FLICKR
In a handful of gubernatorial races across the country–like Georgia and Oklahoma–education has emerged as a major talking point.
That’s not quite the case here in Ohio, though. Neither current Republican Gov. John Kasich or his Democratic challenger, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, have turned potential education policy ideas into major campaign focal points.
Typically, politicians like to incorporate education policies into their campaigns because of the strong link between a state’s level of educational attainment and its economy, explained Thomas Lasley, current professor and former dean of The University of Dayton’s College of Education.
CollegeDegrees360/FLICKR
A new report gives Ohio high marks in pursuing policies to better prepare public school students for college and the work force.
It comes from the Education Commission of the States, which is made up of educators and officials of each state. It’s the same group that developed the Common Core learning standards.
Titled Blueprint for College Readiness, the report shows Ohio has implemented eight out of ten policies the group sees as essential to helping students get to college or some other career track.
During a 30 minute address yesterday to Ohio State’s University Senate, school president Dr. Michael Drake said the future of the state’s flagship university may depend on tapping into its past. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Drake repeatedly referenced wanting to return the school to its origins of welcoming working class students, while also maintaining a focus on research. Drake told the audience the university’s challenge will be to figure out how to provide a comprehensive education as the cost of higher education rises, the Dispatch reports
College presidents may be feeling the heat. According to a snap poll of more than 600 presidents conducted by Gallup and Inside Higher Ed, nearly 30 percent of those in the top spot at public higher education institutions feel pressure from state governors to operate in ways that may go against their own judgment. Only six percent of private college presidents feel the same way, Inside Higher Ed reports.
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »
