Panel Makes Recommendations For Ohio Charter School Reform

WYSO | By Karen Kasler (Ohio Public Radio)

Published December 16, 2015 at 7:55 AM EST

Superintendent Richard Ross and others at Tuesday's school board meeting.

A three-member panel appointed by the outgoing state school superintendent has come up with 22 ideas on how to reform Ohio’s troubled charter schools and improve public perception of the schools.

The panel recommended charter schools be evaluated on similar criteria as public schools, and that grades for online and dropout recovery charter schools be included in reviews. The state’s charter school chief resigned this summer after coming under fire for not including failing grades for some schools in evaluations.

Superintendent Richard Ross says putting these recommendations for evaluations into action is a top priority.

“This will be done soon,” Ross says. “The process for the new evaluations will be done before I leave.”

Associate Superintendent Lonny Rivera was unanimously chosen Tuesday as interim superintendent on Ross’s departure December 31. Rivera was the only person who applied for the job.