Jill Miller Zimon: Did She Just Ask The Question Ohio's Journalists Ignored?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- JMZ at Writes Like She Talks is wondering if the news media was fed a suspicious research study by a group that has a lot at stake in Ohio's charter schools.

"From the Plain Dealer (and from the Columbus Dispatch blog for when the PD piece archives out), we learn that a study finds Ohio proficiencies to be too easy. Now, what’s really interesting is that it’s the Thomas B. Fordham Institute that’s finding this conclusion. They’re big on charters (one of their statements in their mission statement says, “We advance the reform of American education by:…sponsoring charter schools in Ohio and building their academic excellence:…”. What I don’t get is…if the proficiencies are so easy, why are so many students in Ohio’s charters doing poorly on the tests? "

A good question, Jill. Turns out that researchers at Miami University looked into that question two years ago. They checked scores in 609 Ohio school districts and 131 charters. They said the charters were indeed faring poorly when compared to the public schools.

"It is generally concluded that a large majority of community school buildings are performing at a level that is unequivocally below the level of performance of the traditional public school buildings."

Ohio Education Association Files Suit Over Charter Schools: Dayton Lost $189 Million

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Ohio's largest teachers' union filed suit against the state board of education in Franklin County Common Pleas Court contending lax oversight of charter schools has devastated public eduction in Ohio.

The Ohio Education Association's announcement of its legal action is HERE. It closely follows Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's moves to revamp and restore traditional public school systems and end the Republican-dominated Ohio General Assembly's school choice reforms.

According to OEA, the school choice movement has created havoc by siphoning money away from classrooms. It said state officials have been less than attentive to how millions in public funds were spent by charter school operators, and they asked few questions about results charter schools were delivering. In other words, were kids learning, or were privateers profiting?

"The lawsuit cited devastating consequences for the Dayton Public Schools due to the loss of state and local funding and the lack of state oversight for the state's community schools (charter schools) program. Since 2000, Dayton Public Schools have lost $189 million in state funding to local charter schools.

"The plaintiffs allege that the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Education have not properly monitored the performance of charter schools. Nor have they required charter schools to comply with the terms of their contracts and state law."