Charters' Day in Court

December 7, 2005

On November 29^th, the Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments in State Ex Rel. Ohio Congress of Parents & Teachers v. State Bd. of Education, a case that may ultimately determine the fate of Ohio's charter school program. Issues of school oversight and funding dominated the session. Regarding oversight, the plaintiffs - who yearn to kill all charters - insisted that Ohio's Constitution requires a single system of common schools administered by elected officials. They contend that charter schools are privately owned, privately managed, and not subject to the same academic and regulatory requirements faced by traditional public schools.

Because charter schools do not have publicly elected boards, plaintiffs say they're unconstitutional. If the court concurs with the plantiffs, Ohio's charter schools would undergo drastic changes, perhaps insisting that they be sponsored only by school districts, funded through alternative methods, or obliged to have elected boards of their own.   

Defendants answered with a one-two punch, first dispelling the myth that charter schools are private and then explaining that the Ohio Constitution doesn't require all public schools - district or charter - to have publicly elected boards. Counsel noted that charter schools are legislatively created, do not discriminate, hire state-certified teachers, do not charge tuition, do not require entrance exams, are non-sectarian, and are governed by the same standards as public schools. They are required to administer the state's proficiency and graduation tests, they receive a state report card, and they are subject

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Charters' Day in Court

So, What's A Former Teacher Like You&?

December 7, 2005

When I began my career as a public school teacher some 25 years ago, I had no crystal ball to see how education theory and practice would evolve. Back then, no one talked about charter schools, highly qualified teachers, or value-added assessments. But in retrospect, I recognize that I was witness to choice in action.

In a private school where I worked, parents used their personal resources to shape their children's futures. Now, as a six-year member of a public school board in Bexley district, rated Excellent by the State of Ohio, I have had the privilege of watching teachers, parents and students share in the process of determining what's best for each school and the children in them. Parents choose to move into the district I call home because they value its high-quality learning environment. 

But what about those children who don't have the means to relocate to high-achieving district schools, whose educational needs aren't being met, or who want an education more closely aligned with their family's values and beliefs? Today's challenge is to bring the same sorts of quality choices that Bexley's parents enjoy to these families of lesser means.

Recently, I've been involved with the creation of a new umbrella organization for Educational Choice in Ohio, aptly named School Choice Ohio (SCO).  Headquartered in Columbus, the purpose of SCO is to further the school choice movement in the Buckeye State by educating the media, policymakers, and the

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So, What's A Former Teacher Like You&?

News Round-up

December 7, 2005

• Declining enrollment due to, among other things, the burgeoning of charter school options, the exodus of families to the suburbs, and smaller Catholic families, has conspired to force five Dayton Catholic schools to consolidate into two buildings. The effort will allow the schools to share the costs of staffing, building space, and other services. There may well be a lesson here for some of Dayton's smaller charter schools, and perhaps even for the Dayton Public Schools.

"5 Catholic schools to combine," by Anthony Gottschlich, Dayton Daily News, December 2, 2005

• A study comparing 2005 NAEP ("the nation's report card") results across eleven major cities showed serious weaknesses in the performance of Cleveland district students. Top cities included Austin, TX and Charlotte, N.C.

"Cleveland students near back of the class," by Ellen Jan Kleinerman, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 2, 2005

• The financial struggles of the Columbus Public Schools have been well chronicled of late. District leaders even considered lengthening this year's winter break to save on heating bills. Unfortunately, these economic challenges have not been painful enough for the district to agree to sell unused or underused school buildings to needy charter school operators, some of whom have more students than space.

"District will keep closed schools for temporary classes," by Bill Bush, Columbus Dispatch, December 5, 2005

"Columbus students' break may get longer," by Jennifer Smith Richards, Columbus Dispatch, December 1, 2005

"District puts kibosh on

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News Round-up

Ohio Science Standards Deemed High

December 7, 2005

A distinguished panel of scientists awarded Ohio's K-12 science standards a "B" in a new nationwide review of state academic standards for primary-secondary school science released today. The State of State Science Standards 2005—the first comprehensive study of science academic standards conducted since 2000—appraised the quality of K-12 science standards as states hustle to meet the No Child Left Behind Act's mandate for testing in this critical subject. The overall results are mixed. Fifteen states flunked, and another seven earned "D" grades.  Nine states and D.C. merited a mediocre "C." The states earning "A" marks in the new evaluation include California, Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Indiana, New York, and New Mexico.

Every state received a letter grade based on how well its standards met a set of rigorous criteria, including:

• Do the standards contain clear and fair expectations by grade level for students?
• Are the standards organized in a sensible way, both showing logical progression from grade to grade and easily navigated so teachers, parents, and the public can understand?
• Is there an appropriate amount of science content and, if so, do the standards outline the best approach to share that content?
• Are the expectations outlined specific enough, yet set high aims that will equip students with the science skills they need for college?
• Are the standards appropriately serious, or do they incorporate pseudo-scientific fads or politics?

 "The National Academies, Thomas Friedman, and others have called on Americans to 'get serious' about science, but few state

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Ohio Science Standards Deemed High