Plans in place to provide breakfast, lunch for students
News coverage by national and local media of COVID-19 is keeping Ohioans up-to-date as details unfold. School districts throughout the state have announced plansfor feeding students – many of whom depend on the free and reduced-price lunch program – while schools are closed.

Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, and its sponsored schools care deeply about the students they serve and are looking for ways to provide support during this difficult time.

Your students and their families may be unaware of the availability of meals for students. Individual schools may wish to share information specific to their own communities through the following links: Click on the region

Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Euclid - Info not yet available; March 16 memo says more info to come by the end of the week -- check this website: Euclid, Mansfield, Mt. Healthy, Toledo, Youngstown.

Additional information regarding food service options is also available on ODE's website at: Education.Ohio.gov

CDC posts updated COVID-19 guidance for schools
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted interim guidance for child care programs and K-12 schools based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Currently, the risk of COVID-19 for the general public is low in the U.S.

The CDC will update its guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

Access the guidance and resources online at: Ohio.Gov

Poll: Parents support A-F letter grades for schools
According to a poll commissioned by Ohio Excels, 38 percent of parents rank A-F grades as the best way to characterize school performance. Numerical scale, descriptions and a 1-5 scale were preferred by 30, 24 and 8 percent, respectively.

The poll, conducted by Columbus-based Saperstein Associates, reveals that 91 percent of parents believe letter grades are easy to understand, and 87 percent view them as a good way to characterize overall school and district performance.

Ohio Excels is a nonpartisan coalition of business leaders committed to improving education for every Ohio student.

State Board to consider revised teacher evaluation framework
At its February meeting, the State Board of Education’s Teaching, Leading & Learning Committee unanimously passed an update, dubbed “OTES 2.0,” to the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES), positioning the plan for consideration by the full board in March.

Under current law, the State Board must adopt a revised framework for evaluating educators by May 1. A previous requirement that student academic growth account for half of a teacher’s evaluation has been eliminated and use of student learning objectives and shared attribution are no longer a part of the system.

The Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers support the proposed revised evaluation system.

Industry sector partnership grant launches
Industry sector partnerships help promote collaboration between local businesses, education and training providers and community stakeholders. The Industry Sector Partnership Grant strives to ensure Ohioans are part of the workforce pipeline, meeting the needs of job creators and the local economy.

Grant funding helps support the operations of industry sector partnerships, including program coordinators, new tools and programs, and other expenses associated with launching partnerships. Through the program, the state will invest $5 million in industry sector partnerships over the two-year state budget period.

Learn more online at: Workforce Ohio

Nominations open for Ohio Teacher of the Year
The Ohio Teacher of the Year program annually identifies exceptional teachers and celebrates their effective, inspiring work both inside and outside of the classroom. It also offers educators opportunities for professional growth and gives teachers a voice as leaders and advocates for public education.

School administrators, colleagues, community members, parents and students can nominate candidates. The nomination period for the 2021 Ohio Teacher of the Year is Feb. 14 through April 3.

Access the program overview, nominee requirements and timeline online at: Nominate

#ABConduct tip sheets available
Educators have a visible place in their communities. The choices they make can affect their families, jobs, schools and profession. The Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Education Association and Ohio Federation of Teachers offer a series of tip sheets supported by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators on how to recognize situations that can get educators in trouble.

The series features:

Social media

Extracurricular leader

Dollars and sense

Drugs and alcohol

Top ten professional conduct concerns

Testing and academic integrity

Rapback and applications

Classroom management and etiquette

Broken contracts

Educational leaders

Access the tip sheets online at: ABConduct

OCSWA sponsors annual poster contest
The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) is sponsoring its yearly poster contest for students in grades one through six, offering teachers a way to incorporate weather and art into classroom curriculum.

The contest is designed to combine a student’s originality and artistic talent with his or her ability to share the important message of how people can protect themselves and others from the dangers and hazards that accompany severe weather in Ohio.

April 15 is the deadline for schools to submit first-place posters to its regional National Weather Service office. Access resources and information on the contest online at: Poster Contest