Education

The University of Akron announced it will cut 80 of its degrees in an effort to shift focus to more popular programs. The person heading up the transition is Interim President John Green.

The university will phase out about 19 percent of its degrees and tracks, leading some to question what will happen to current professors and faculty. But Green said those faculty will be repurposed to other University of Akron programs.

The University of Akron’s decision to cut 80 degree programs is being met with disappointment from faculty – not just because of which programs will be terminated, but also due to new investments into a program for online gamers.

Ohio State University President Michael Drake hopes the school learns how to prevent future abuse from the investigation into former team doctor Dr. Richard Strauss, who is accused of molesting students.  Federal officials opened their own inquiry into the school’s handling of the scandal.

The gears of the university’s investigation have been turning since April, and now officials at the U.S. Department of Education are launching a Title IX probe of their own.

What was the state’s largest online charter school has lost another round in court. It’s another blow to ECOT founder Bill Lager, who’s on the hook to pay back $60 million to the state.

A new bill signed into law by Gov. John Kasich is changing the way teachers are evaluated in Ohio.

A union representing some teachers says The Public School Deregulation Act is a move in the right direction.

White Hat Management, the once-prolific Ohio charter school operator and early advocate for school choice in the state, is leaving the charter school business.

The company has been steadily losing contracts over the past few years in the competitive market.

Chad Aldis with the pro-charter research group Thomas B. Fordham Institute said the company’s exit is symbolic of the state’s charter school industry.

The Ohio Supreme Court has likely dealt the final blow to what was the state’s largest online charter school, ruling the state could base funding for the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow on student participation, not enrollment.

The ruling means the Ohio Department of Education can continue clawing back what started as $80 million from ECOT. The state says that’s money ECOT received for students who weren’t participating in class.

Kent State University is helping the Northeast Ohio Medical University bring online programs to its graduate students.

The two universities have signed an agreement to share digital services, including design, video hosting and course management.

NEOMED spokesman Roderick Ingram said the online option expands the reach of the school.

Tomorrow’s special election includes several school levies around the state – including three in Northeast Ohio.

The University of Akron’s law school put on a training for attorneys Wednesday who may be interested in pro bono work navigating the complex web of deportation hearings.

Organizers of the training said attorneys want to learn more about immigration law given the large-scale raids that have happened in Northeast Ohio this year.

Former Cavs star and Akron native LeBron James is used to standing ovations for his work on the basketball court, but hundreds gathered in Akron to applaud him for his work off the court in opening the I Promise School.

Today is the first day of school for about 240 Akron students who are attending what’s being called an experimental school. And it’s being backed by one of the most famous people in the world.

Kent State University and the bargaining unit representing its food service, maintenance and skilled-trades workers are moving forward on a new labor contract. 

The school’s trustees, and the rank and file of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local 153 voted to accept a fact-finder’s report on negotiations. A contract based on that will now be signed.

A new report shows low-income Ohio children are not getting enough early intervention to be successful in school and life.

Groundwork Ohio’s Shannon Jones said the comprehensive report looked at 26 different metrics from birth to college, and it showed one bottom line.

“The children who start behind in this state are the children who stay behind in this state,” she said.

Ohio Board of Education members will wait until the fall to consider a resolution that proposes some drastic changes to the state report cards for schools and school districts. A delay on the resolution doesn’t mean the end of discussions about potential modifications.

The resolution before board members Tuesday recommended scrapping the A to F grading scale on the current state report cards, among a number of other changes.

The board voted to delay consideration of the resolution until November.

Cleveland school officials say a marketing and incentive program has made a drastic difference in its attendance rates. The district has now presented the program to members of the Ohio Board of Education.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District started its “Get 2 School, You Can Make It” campaign in 2015 with the goal of changing the city’s culture around school attendance.

Federal law requires students with disabilities to spend as much time as possible in general education classrooms, but a study from Ohio State University has found that’s not happening in Ohio, or the rest of the country.

The 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires students with disabilities be placed in general education classrooms with their nondisabled peers “to the maximum extent appropriate” to encourage social learning.

Philanthropic groups in Cleveland say LeBron James’ departure from the Cavs may have an impact on the success of the team, but his commitment to giving back to the community has rubbed off on his former organization. That includes support for local education initiatives.

LeBron James announced last week that he’ll take his NBA career out west, joining the L.A. Lakers in the 2018-2019 season, but in Northeast Ohio, James’ philanthropic endeavors will continue.

The Ohio Attorney General has filed an argument in court claiming ECOT’s agreements with its management and software service companies constitute a pattern of corrupt activity. And the claim backs up complaints Democratic lawmakers have lodged for years.

The Ohio House and Senate sent two bills to the governor that attempt to clean up the state’s online charter school system. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle believe this is an important step toward more transparency and accountability.

The measures are in response to the closing of ECOT, which was the state’s largest online charter school.

Ohio’s top law enforcement official is offering two things to school districts statewide to enhance plans to defend their buildings against active shooters.

Schools are already required to provide floor plans as part of their annual safety reports. 

Attorney General Mike DeWine is offering to loan districts one of six drones to to take realistic pictures of their school buildings. He says those pictures will then be loaded into a safety database used by first responders.

If a pilot program at Wright State University were expanded to all of Ohio’s public colleges and universities, it could save students some $300 million a year. That’s according to the head of Wright State’s Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency, professor Dan Krane.