Elliot's Education Updates

02/24/2026

Do you want to know what teachers love about their jobs? Here's an interview with one of the eight winners of the 2026 Excellence in Education Awards for Greater Cincinnati and Northern KY.

02/22/2026

Outstanding educators need to be cherished because they help the next generation succeed.

So that's what the Cincinnatus Association and five local colleges did. We honored six teachers, one principal and a school volunteer. I chair the awards committee for Cincinnatus.

02/06/2026

The team of McLaughlin and Grossman wrapped up its video interviews today of the eight winners of the Greater Cincinnati Excellence in Education Awards. Elliot did the interviewing; Kevin handled the camera and editing. Our studio location: WCET, Cincinnati public TV.

If there's any question whether our kids have outstanding teachers, these videos dispel that notion. These are smart, creative professionals who are dedicated and passionate about education.

The world premiere of the videos will be Feb. 19 at the awards dinner at Mount St. Joseph University.

02/03/2026

Eight educators will be honored this month in the Greater Cincinnati Excellence in Education Awards. Five universities and the Cincinnatus Association will present the awards to:
• Berayah Johnson, English Teacher, Woodward Career Technical HS, Cincinnati
• Kevin Williams, Principal, Silverton Elementary School, Cincinnati
• Mark Hogan, Volunteer, Kilgour Elementary School, Cincinnati
• Jessica Poe, Special Education Teacher, Ignite Institute, Erlanger, KY
• Latrice Hunter-Miles, Student Success Teacher, Princeton HS Innovation Center
• Karen Cruse Suder, Science Teacher, Summit Country Day School
• Jill Osleson, Intervention Specialist, Amity Elementary, Deer Park City Schools
• Bridget Kaiser-Munday, Social Studies Teacher, St. Henry District HS, KY

I'm proud to be chairing the awards committee for The Cincinnatus Association. I've interviewed the winners for videos to be shown at the awards dinner. They continue to impress me with their dedication to providing the best education for our region’s children.

We'll present the awards at a dinner on Feb. 19 at Mount St. Joseph University. More information and tickets are available here: https://cincinnatusassoc.org/education-awards/

10/20/2025

Do you know an outstanding educator? You can help to honor them by nominating them for a prestigious award in the Excellence in Education Awards for Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

I'm again chairing the awards program for The Cincinnatus Association because dedicated educators are so important.

These awards honor teachers, administrators and volunteers in public and private schools. They're presented by five local colleges as well as Cincinnatus.

Check out our website to read the nomination information. And please share this information with people you know:
https://greatercincyed.org/

Nomination deadline is Nov. 15, 2025.

09/10/2025

A reason to be concerned.

High school seniors had the worst reading scores since 1992 on a national test, a loss probably related to increases in screen time and the pandemic. Their math scores fell as well.

08/26/2025

A new survey shows that a majority of Ohioans want local property taxes abolished. But there's no consensus about how to replace that lost funding or even IF to replace that funding.

Fallon Research, based in Columbus, conducted the survey in anticipation of a proposed statewide ballot issue asking voters whether they want to eliminate property taxes.

If the issue gets on the ballot and passes, Ohio would undergo a radical transformation in how school districts, municipalities, counties, libraries and more are funded.

Some results:
1. Sixty-one percent of Ohioans favor eliminating property taxes with 21% against and 18% unsure.
2. Asked what should be done if property taxes are eliminated, 21% would want income taxes expanded, 34% would want more sales taxes and 18% would want spending cuts.

"Although it may not ultimately be successful at the ballot, it
signals that something transformative may be
warranted to placate the high degree of frustration voters
seem to have with property taxes," Fallon Research explained.

(Source: I wrote this post based on information I received from Fallon Research. I'm on the firm's mailing list because of my consulting work for school districts.)

06/25/2025

This is a huge win for Ohio's public schools. Let's hope the appeals are just as successful. Public money should not be going to private schools.

A Franklin County judge ruled Ohio's EdChoice education voucher system unconstitutional. The state is expected to appeal.

02/17/2025

The Cincinnatus Association and five universities celebrated outstanding preK-12 educators at their annual Excellence in Education Awards dinner.

As a Cincinnatus member, I felt privileged to not only chair the Cincinnatus awards committee but also interview the eight winners. What impressed me most about the winners is their commitment to continually improve their teaching skills and methods – to accelerate their students’ growth. Their level of professionalism is extraordinary.

Here is the first of the video interviews. I worked with videographer Kevin McLaughlin.

01/22/2025

Do you know a high school junior or senior who provides outstanding community service?

For the 60th year, the American Jewish Committee is sponsoring the Simon Lazarus Jr. Human Relations Awards for upperclassman of any faith in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Students will be expected to write an essay about their volunteer service and social impact. They also will be asked to provide references. The schools can nominate students or the students can nominate themselves.

I’m on the awards committee, which means I’ll be helping to evaluate the applications. So inquiries should go directly to the American Jewish Committee to provide a barrier between the applicants and the judges. The judges won’t know the students’ names nor their schools until the winners are announced.

Nominations for the 60th Annual Simon Lazarus Jr. Human Relations Awards are now open. Applications are now being accepted for high school Juniors and Seniors who have demonstrated a passion for community service. THE NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION PROCESS HAVE BEEN REVISED THIS YEAR. In a...

01/06/2025

Shauna Murphy, the new superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, will be the keynote speaker at the Excellence in Education Awards dinner on Feb. 11, 2025, at Northern Kentucky University.

It will be one of her first major speeches since being appointed in November 2024. She oversees 35,000 students at 66 schools. She previously served as CPS interim superintendent and assistant superintendent.

Tickets are on sale for only $25: https://nku.eventsair.com/coe/awardsnight/Site/Register
Deadline to order is Jan. 28.

Eight Greater Cincinnati educators and school volunteers will be honored in the annual program organized by the Cincinnatus Association and five universities. I’m coordinating this for Cincinnatus, which is a founder of the awards partnership.