Deal reached
to press reform of Cleveland schools
By Thomas
J. Sheeran
Associated Press
Associated Press
CLEVELAND: Gov. John Kasich and top
legislative leaders on Friday endorsed a compromise Cleveland school
improvement bill to help the city’s struggling public schools and
high-performing charter schools co-exist.
The deal outlined at a City Hall
news conference by the governor, Mayor Frank Jackson and a bipartisan group of
lawmakers would create a coordinating panel to sanction new and renewing
charters in the district. The panel, appointed by the mayor, would include
school officials, parents and community groups.
Charter schools would choose from a
list of sponsors cleared by the panel, such as nonprofit groups, and would have
to meet standards based on national guidelines. Some Cleveland charters could
see a share of district property taxes.
http://www.ohio.com/news/education/deal-reached-to-press-reform-of-cleveland-schools-1.309646
http://www.ohio.com/news/education/deal-reached-to-press-reform-of-cleveland-schools-1.309646
University of Dayton helps student interns
Students work as interns
at Statehouse. Program provides housing and $1,000 stipend for 12 students.
By Meagan Pant, Staff Writer 9:01 PM
Monday, May 28, 2012
DAYTON — The
University of Dayton is removing the financial barrier this summer for students
participating in unpaid internships at the Statehouse in Columbus.
UD’s Statehouse
Internship Program provides housing and a $1,000 stipend to 12 students working
eight-week unpaid internships in Columbus. The program helps students, who are
seeking experience in positions, cover their cost of living expenses while they
earn college credit.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/university-of-dayton-helps-student-interns-1382711.html
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/university-of-dayton-helps-student-interns-1382711.html
Cleveland schools plan wins
legislative support as Mayor Frank Jackson agrees to less control over new
charter schools than he sought
Published:
Friday, May 25, 2012, 10:15 PM Updated: Saturday, May 26,
2012, 4:23 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Mayor Frank Jackson scaled back his push to
empower a local panel to approve new charter schools to win approval of his
far-reaching Cleveland schools plan in the state legislature.
Instead the new Transformational Alliance will only be advisory
and will review charter school sponsors, or authorizers, and make a
recommendation to the Ohio Department of Education, which will have final
approval.
That
agreement, reached Thursday night and announced Friday at Cleveland City Hall, removes the
last major objections to the plan that Jackson and school officials have pushed
since February.
Speedy Ohio House passage for
pension bills: editorial
Published:
Monday, May 28, 2012, 7:29 PM
In admirably bipartisan votes, the Ohio Senate has approved
much-needed bills to bolster Ohio's public pension funds. The Ohio House should
swiftly forward the Senate's package to Gov. John Kasich.
Speaker William Batchelder, a Medina Republican, has indicated
the House may await further financial data -- expected arrival: sometime this
summer.
That's a mistake. In an election year, the further delayed any
legislation is, the bleaker its prospects. On top of which, every day these
reform bills languish costs the pension funds, and potentially taxpayers.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/speedy_ohio_house_passage_for.html
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/speedy_ohio_house_passage_for.html
Hard-won legislative accord on
Cleveland school reform should galvanize local officials to push for a levy:
editorial
Published:
Saturday, May 26, 2012, 8:17 PM
Give Cleveland a chance to reform its struggling schools, which
could mean a chance to remake the city. That's all that Cleveland Mayor Frank
Jackson and Cleveland Schools CEO Eric Gordon have been asking for as they seek
legislation in the Ohio
General Assembly that would, among other things, give a review panel oversight
of city charter schools.
Fortunately, despite some last-minute controversy about the
Transformation Alliance, the mayor's proposed vehicle to monitor Cleveland
charters, a deal was finally struck last week that enhances the accountability
of both charter schools and traditional public schools.
By tweaking the Transformation Alliance language, Jackson got
almost everything he wanted. For instance, the panel will recommend, not
authorize, which charter sponsors can start schools in the city, with the final
say going to the Ohio Department of Education. Traditional public schools will
have to be on their toes, as well. The plan aims to overhaul the district's
weakest schools.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/hard-won_legislative_accord_on.html
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/hard-won_legislative_accord_on.html
5/25/2012
10:22:00 PM
The
People’s Defender
State
Representative Terry Johnson (right) receives congratulations for his Legion of
Honor award from Major General Deborah Ashenhurst, the Adjutant General of the
Ohio National Guard. At the far right is Johnson’s wife Jennifer.
Johnson
receives Legion of Merit
State
Representative Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) was awarded the prestigious Legion
of Merit during Thursday's session of the Ohio House of Representatives,
according to Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina).
The
Legion of Merit is awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces or a
friendly foreign nation who has distinguished himself or herself by
exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services
and achievements.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Agreement reached on Frank Jackson's school
plan
Details revealed at City Hall briefing.
Ken
Robinson, Newsradio WTAM 1100
(Cleveland) - Cleveland's struggling public schools and high-performing charter schools, created as an alternative, have found a way to co-exist under a compromise agreement on required state legislation.
State
legislators and city leaders met outside Mayor Frank Jackson's office to praise
the deal.
Governor
John Kasich called it a great achievement, and credited Jackson for bringing
all sides together for the good of Cleveland's children.
Kasich
promises that the legislature will pass the deal on June 12th.
Cleveland
Mayor, State Leaders Unveil Additional Details on Cleveland Schools Agreement
Hannah
Report 5/25/12
State leaders including Gov. John Kasich and Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and companion bills' sponsors Sens. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) and Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Reps. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) and Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) joined Mayor Frank Jackson at a news conference in Cleveland late Friday afternoon to announce further details of the latest agreement on transforming Cleveland schools that had been negotiated Thursday.
Also attending were Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board Chairperson Denise Link and Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke.
Jackson had hoped his plan to transform the Cleveland schools, introduced as HB525 and SB335, would have passed before legislators left for the Memorial Day holiday but charter schools reportedly lobbied heavily to weaken the authority of the Transformation Alliance, thus slowing the bills' progress and necessitating Thursday's negotiations. (See The Hannah Report, 5/24/12.)
State leaders including Gov. John Kasich and Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and companion bills' sponsors Sens. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) and Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Reps. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) and Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) joined Mayor Frank Jackson at a news conference in Cleveland late Friday afternoon to announce further details of the latest agreement on transforming Cleveland schools that had been negotiated Thursday.
Also attending were Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board Chairperson Denise Link and Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke.
Jackson had hoped his plan to transform the Cleveland schools, introduced as HB525 and SB335, would have passed before legislators left for the Memorial Day holiday but charter schools reportedly lobbied heavily to weaken the authority of the Transformation Alliance, thus slowing the bills' progress and necessitating Thursday's negotiations. (See The Hannah Report, 5/24/12.)
Hannah
Report 5/25/12
Week
in Review for Friday, May 25, 2012
EDUCATION
The Buckeye State earns some top marks in Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools" for 2012, placing two Big 8 members with 20 other Ohio school districts in the top 500. Ohio had a total of 34 high schools in the magazine's annual top 1,000, and high-wealth suburbs were not always among the leaders.
House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) confirmed late Thursday that he and Senate leaders had reached a deal on Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's school overhaul plan in HB525; details were to be discussed at a Friday press conference. Batchelder said he expects that bill and the general education MBR legislation, SB316, to be taken up when the General Assembly returns to wrap up business in mid-June. The House informally passed SB316 at its Thursday session.
http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189534
The Buckeye State earns some top marks in Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools" for 2012, placing two Big 8 members with 20 other Ohio school districts in the top 500. Ohio had a total of 34 high schools in the magazine's annual top 1,000, and high-wealth suburbs were not always among the leaders.
House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) confirmed late Thursday that he and Senate leaders had reached a deal on Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's school overhaul plan in HB525; details were to be discussed at a Friday press conference. Batchelder said he expects that bill and the general education MBR legislation, SB316, to be taken up when the General Assembly returns to wrap up business in mid-June. The House informally passed SB316 at its Thursday session.
http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189534
Gongwer 5/25/12
This week's fast and furious lawmaking was
supposed to be the last before the election year summer recess kicked off, but
legislators still face a little heavy lifting during a final stretch of
sessions now planned for mid-June.
In fact, a couple of committees plan to meet
next week following Memorial Day to keep working on issues that are expected to
move through the General Assembly next month.
One of the biggest tasks facing legislators is
final action on Gov. John Kasich's education budget
update (SB 316
), which is the subject of ongoing disagreements
between the two Republican-led chambers and the administration over the
third-grade reading guarantee, school district report cards and other issues.
The bill cleared committee this week but a House
floor vote planned for Thursday was delayed to allow more time for negotiations
that could avert a conference committee.
Gongwer 5/25/12
Legislative and local leaders gathered in
Cleveland Friday to announce an agreement on portions of the Cleveland
educational overhaul plan that had been stalling Statehouse action to implement
the proposal.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, who authored the
plan, jointly announced the agreement with Gov. John Kasich, House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) and
the bipartisan group of bill sponsors.
The bill to implement the Cleveland Plan (HB 525
) has had seven hearings in the House marked
mainly by a large show of support from local officials, parents and students,
but the momentum petered out this week as the House Education Committee waited
for a deal on changes.
