The deadline for districts to file blended learning declarations for the 2021-22 school year is July 1, 2021. As districts are considering their options to best serve students next year, one important factor is understanding the extent to which students can access learning from home.
One tool districts could use to assist with that effort is the recently…
On Monday, Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced that schools can begin applying for the new…
School districts across the country are increasingly using computer software, mobile apps and other web-based tools to foster and enhance the learning process. The widespread adoption and use of online technologies have the potential to positively transform the educational process, but they also have called attention to possible risks. In particular, the information sharing, web-hosting and…
This week's blog post focuses on three tidbits of educational news involving Ohio’s truancy laws, the new reading tests required for some teaching licenses, and a policy brief on the educational use of technology for young children.
Senate education committee to focus on truancy
Hannah News has reported that Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, announced that the committee’s focus during the lame duck session will be pending legislation to revise the state’s truancy laws. She plans to hold multiple…
This spring, the United States Supreme Court will hear the case of City of Ontario v. Quon, which questions whether the Fourth Amendment protects the privacy of text messages that a government employee sends by electronic device.
In 2001, the city of Ontario, California distributed pagers to a number of the employees in its police department. Jeff Quon, a member of the departments SWAT team, received one of the pagers. The city had no official policy governing…
So-called "jammers" block the signals of telecommunications devices so that they do not function in certain areas. Given the proliferation of cell phones in schools, many educators would love to have an "off" switch they could flip in classrooms or during testing periods. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) takes the position that the use of jammers violates the Communication Act of 1934. Its Web site states:
"The operation of transmitters designed to jam or block wireless…
