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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2005 > November > 19 > Entry
Covering education in Ohio
One of the nice things about attending a big education conference in Columbus is I get a chance to see some of my education reporting colleagues from around the state.
Ohio is lucky to have a very strong group of reporters covering education at its major papers. I especially enjoyed seeing old friends Doug Oplinger from the Akron Beacon Journal and Jen Mrozowski from the Cincinnati Enquirer, and meeting Jennifer Smith Richards who is a fairly new transplant from Savannah, Ga., now covering education for the Columbus Dispatch. I didn’t actually see Reginald Fields from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who works in that paper’s Columbus bureau, but I know Reggie from his time covering education in Akron with Doug and his tag team partner Dennis Willard.
I thought it would be fun to gather the stories we all wrote here together and you can click through to see how each of us covered the conference differently. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find Doug’s story at the Becon-Journal website, and it doesn’t appear the Toledo Blade covered the event.
Cincinnati Enquirer: Charter Schools told they must do better
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Support qualified at charter school conference
Columbus Dispatch: Charter Schools freedom may slip away Unfortunately, the Dispatch is the only Ohio newspaper site you have to pay to read.
And here’s my story in the Dayton Daily News, headlined Tougher rules for charter schools?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice, Journalism, Journalism
Comments
By Mary
November 22, 2005 7:32 AM | Link to this
Doug, I thought you were an education writer, not a teacher. Actually, my most inspirational teachers were my parents and grandparents. I was generally, bored in school. One of my grandmothers (a former teacher) had me reading, writing, doing arithmetic, and playing the piano before I was allowed to attend school. I skipped to second grade after 2 weeks in first grade and was generally bored and underchallenged the whole time in 2-12. When I got to college with my high grades and good SAT scores, I did not know how to study (never had to and was consequently a “low achiever”). Fifty years later, I observed with my own children that nothing much has changed. My comments were on the system, not an attack on the dedication and abilities of teachers. Three of my sisters are retired teachers.By Doug
November 21, 2005 10:26 PM | Link to this
Mary, I have taught in public education for 26 years in 6 different school districs. I have taught all grade levels K-12. Rural and suburban. (No urban experience). In all those years and all those school buildings, I have met hundreds and hundreds of good people working in the schools. Most of them are better educators than me! All teachers and administrators want what is best for children. Public schools are not perfect but they are the best hope for an educated society. Teachers, both private and public get criticized at every turn but my experience tells me that schools consist of a whole lot of dedicated professionals working hard to helping kids be successful in life. That is my view from the inside for what it is worth. Mary, think of the inspiring teachers who influenced you and multiply that ten fold throughout every school building in America. And some of those insirational teachers moved into administration for a wider impact. I know in a cynical society with a cynical media that schools get the blame, but school buidlingds are really an inspirational place day in and day out. I wish more adults could experience what it is like on the inside of a school!By Mary
November 20, 2005 10:31 AM | Link to this
Doug, Since apparently you report on education issues, consider an alternative theory that schools could be helping society go downhill or even the primary source. As you point out, schools have kids 6-7 hours of their day while parents are at work or whatever. Meanwhile, a lot of the kids’ values are being molded by the school experience since, as you point out, they spend most of their waking hours, and also many after school hours, at school. Now what is that environment like, as established by school administrators, teachers, board members, and other parents. As a parent, I have been extremely upset at some of the societal values nurtured by school programs - for example, anti-intellectualism, pro-materialism,an emphasis on celebrity and popularity, the “self-esteem” movement,and expectations of instant gratification and entitlements. Many “school programs” soak up too much student time and tend to further cut into already stressed “family time”. Schools have over stepped their role as the panacea for societal ills to the detriment of their primary role as quality education for the masses.By Doug
November 19, 2005 7:55 PM | Link to this
It’s simple Mary. Public Schools always get the blame but it is society that is going downhill. Schools have the kids 6 or 7 hours out of a 24 hour day. That is 4 to 1 odds against stemming the tide as America’s values continue to erode. Schools got the blame in 1957 and never got the credit when we landed on the moon in 1969. Schools got the blame in the 1980’s with the “Why Johhny Can’t Read” report. Yet 25 years later there are still plenty of success stories in the public schools. Public schools will always be here and the students who want to do well and get enough support from the community they live in will always be successful in life.By Mary
November 19, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this
I read the articles except for the Columbus Dispatch. None of the articles really told me that much or gave me that much hope for improvements in education. It seems so much energy is devoted to competition in comparing abysmal public education systems to abysmal charter schools . I would like to see reporters go deeper into our culture and assess why our education system seems to be failing and second rate compared to other countries all the way around. Perhaps,shallow conferences beget shallow reporting, but reporters and editors could perhaps start asking some tougher questions on behalf of the public.