Nearly 87,000 apply for Ohio's new universal voucher program, more than triple last year
Cincinnati Enquirer
Nearly 87,000 applications were submitted for Ohio's new universal school voucher program − more than triple the total number enrolled in the previous school year. It's not yet clear what the final bill will be, but a September analysis from the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau found the vouchers had likely already exceeded estimates. Students had to be enrolled in private school as of Saturday to apply for and receive the EdChoice Expansion, the name for Ohio's income-based vouchers. Individuals can still apply for the voucher through June 30.
Law enforcement, schools highlight importance of school bus safety
Toledo Blade
Maumee City School Bus No. 23 has safely transported many students to and from home, but Michael Rodriguez knows it only takes one thing to go wrong with the vehicle for those students to be put at risk. From the brakes, tires, and shocks to the instrument panels controlling the various lights, Mr. Rodriguez, an Ohio State Highway Patrol motor vehicle inspector, took his time Monday going over every inch of the bus. He did so as part of a news conference at the school district’s transportation garage to highlight the importance of the inspections as part of National School Bus Safety Week, which runs through Friday. Mr. Rodriguez performs roughly 900 such inspections each year for public, private, and charter schools throughout northwest Ohio, he said. And while buses might pass the inspection, something can easily go wrong with a bus at any time.
Related coverage: Local Schools Observe Bus Safety Week (PeakofOhio.com)
First lady Jill Biden visits Columbus area for part of Investing in America tour Columbus Dispatch
First Lady Jill Biden visited Columbus Friday, one of the first five "Workforce Hubs" in the nation. The administration's Investing in America Workforce Hub program is an effort to build the nation's workforce by focusing on access to high-quality training, education and services that provide a path to a good career without forcing people to leave their community. Columbus' selection came after Intel picked New Albany for a $20 billion semiconductor project, Honda chose Ohio as a hub for its burgeoning electric vehicle operations and Illuminate USA has committed to investing $220 million in Pataskala for a 1.1 million-square-foot factory making solar panels.
Related coverage: First lady Jill Biden visits Columbus school to talk future workforce (Columbus CBS-10), Why Jill Biden is in Columbus on Friday (Columbus NBC-4), Dr. Jill Biden visits Fort Hayes Career Center in Columbus (Ohio Spectrum News 1), First lady Jill Biden visits Ohio egg farm, speaks to students in Columbus (Toledo ABC-13)
TPS plans to improve one-star rating in early literacy
Toledo ABC-13
The Ohio State Report Card showed that in the Fall Reading Diagnostic, only one-third of Toledo Public Schools third graders were on track to reading at or above grade level. TPS earned a one-star rating for the Early Literacy component, which focuses on reading proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade. According to the Ohio School Report Cards, a one-star rating in this component means the district “needs significant support to meet state standards in early literacy (K-3).” TPS administrators said during the pandemic and online schooling, students missed out on having one-on-one instruction with certified instructors, causing gaps the district is hoping to close.
Sylvania Schools promote career tech programs
Toledo ABC-13
Career tech coaches want Sylvania students to know they offer free programs that could lead to full-time jobs. One of those programs is cosmetology where students learn the ins and outs of the beauty industry from shampoo to style. Alison Meyer is a Sylvania alum and a hairstylist at Kevin Charles Hair Artistry... Northview juniors and seniors can sign up for cosmetology and 13 other programs that Sylvania schools offer.
Wildcat Way reinforces positivity
Youngstown Vindicator
The Struthers City School District has been rewarded for its reinforcement of positive behavior yet again. Monday morning, Struthers announced that it had received Bronze Recognition Awards for the Ohio Department of Education’s Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports Systems. Struthers Elementary School, won the award for the fourth consecutive year, while the middle school and high school were recognized for the third and second consecutive years, respectively.
Batavia's super teacher: Cassie Carter transforms struggling students into grade-level stars
Cincinnati CBS-12
Cassie Carter teaches second grade at Batavia Elementary School, with a special focus on kids who may have fallen behind during the pandemic. "She did so well with them", says Cassie's husband, Goeff, who's a world history teacher at Batavia High School. "that they actually kept those students with her a second year, and now those kids are performing above grade level." Geoff sees firsthand how dedicated she is to her students... "She's always positive." says Batavia Elementary School Principal, Renee Munro. "She has great ideas, and she really focuses on where the kids are and where they need to go. She makes them feel and know that they are loved and appreciated every single day."
Buckeye students learn Snap-ed
Weirton Daily Times
Buckeye West Elementary students learned the value of nutrition during a special program through the Ohio State University Extension Office. Audrey Haught is a program assistant for SNAP-Ed. She visited the school Sept. 18-21, speaking to pupils about nutrition and healthy practices. SNAP-Ed is a free, evidence-based educational program that helps individuals with healthy eating patterns, increased physical activity and shopping tips when on a budget. Additionally, it aims to decrease obesity in children and adults. The program has been in place since the 1990s, Haught said, noting it is offered through the OSU Extension Office with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ohio schools experiment with 'sensory rooms' after pandemic
Athens Messenger
The “STAR room,” or Student Tranquility Amygdala Reset Room, is a place to self-regulate at Euclid Middle School in Euclid and Kinder Elementary School in Miamisburg. The student checks in and the Student Assistance Program (SAP) — which connects students with resources in order to remove obstacles to learning — records where they are. Using a pulsometer, the student checks their heart rate and identifies their own zone of regulation. The student chooses two or three activities to calm themselves. The STAR room, like many sensory rooms, has a little bubble lamp, a beanbag chair and a virtual-reality headset with a calming app.
