We're Back

Dear readers,

Happy 2024-25 school year! 

It was a major summer of transition here at EdInk HQ. The biggest news is that I'm a full-fledged (and full-time) journalist again. I was hired as the Food & Drink editor for Columbus Monthly in July. That means my job now combines two things I love: eating and writing. I feel so very lucky.

My new position doesn't change the fact that I'm still trying to sort through all the CCS school-system related news. My publishing cadence may be a bit less frequent this year (still working on that!) but with the encouragement of both of my kids, EdInk will continue to parse through relevant local education stories.

And so, here's what I've been reading to start the school year.

🏫 More memo fallout

• Monday night, the school board voted for the second time to censure member Brandon Simmons. Last spring, Simmons admitted he was the author of a controversial draft strategy document that was written in response to public opposition of the district's school closure plan. The resolution passed by the school board Monday also limits Simmons' access to district buildings and requests that he resign, the Dispatch reports.
• Meanwhile, WOSU has obtained recordings of phone calls of Simmons discussing the memo with two other board members, Tina Pierce and Jennifer Adair, prior to its public release. The story of these conversations is here.

🚸 Busing

• CCS hasn’t had the best reputation when it comes to transportation in recent years. Due to an ongoing shortage of drivers, the school board voted this year to stop providing transportation to charter and parochial school students deemed “impractical” for transportation. These families were given little notice, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is now suing the district, alleging a violation of state law. Read more on the story from the Dispatch.
• The district is not alone in busing problems, however. Across the country, bus service is being scaled back, resulting in transportation challenges for kids, workday disruptions for parents, and in some cases, mile-long school pick up lines (Slate).  
• Busing - and the need to share vehicles across districts - is also a contributing factor to early (7:30 a.m!) middle and high school start times. That's too early, given what we know about adolescent brain science, says Atlas Obscura.

🥇School report cards

• It may be the beginning of school year’s first quarter, but some important grades are rolling in: the annual school report cards issued by the state. CCS received two out of five stars, indicating the district “needs support to meet state standards.” Graduation rates and early literacy are particular pain points, each earning a single star at the district level. There are some bright spots in the larger overview, which breaks rankings out by individual schools. You can review those here. 

📵 Parent contact

• As the school year starts with new state limits on cellphone use in school, the question of finding the right balance of technology - during and after the school day - remains. A rural-Ohio raised psychologist suggests in the New York Times that less structured time, including screen time, would be good for kids and parents alike. And yet, EdWeek reports, parents are pushing back against phone restrictions, fearing they would not be able to reach their children during a crisis.

How is your school year starting off? Have the bus and/or the pick up line been kind? We’d love to hear from you. 

Finally, a special welcome to my summertime subscribers. I hope you enjoyed your first newsletter! If you like it, please consider forwarding to a friend, becoming a paid subscriber, or making a one-time donation.

Be well!

Linda