October 14, 2014
Ohio Lawmakers React to Poverty and Performance Data for Schools
Common sense should tell you that students living in poverty will not have the same advantages as those who are economically well off, and that those differences in circumstances will show up as differences in academic performance. That’s exactly what the latest round of state report-card data shows for Ohio schools, according to a Columbus Dispatch article — and it’s a trend that’s been building for years. But what’s different this year is a new trend in which more lawmakers are beginning to acknowledge that the disparity between economics and educational performance are closely aligned and calling for solutions to close the gap. Both Republican and Democrat leaders quoted in the article agree that “the data make an ‘extremely strong case’ for more early childhood education.” How will the rhetoric play out? Only time will tell…