Education

Legislative analysts say Ohio could replace all the property tax money that's going to school districts through a hike in the state sales tax.

But to raise the more than $9.9 billion that's needed, policymakers would need to more than double the sales tax rate - from 5.5 cents on the dollar to 13.2 cents.  That's in part because the higher the tax goes the less consumers like to spend.

The Ohio Legislative Service Commission provided the estimate Wednesday to an Ohio House subcommittee that's studying school funding ideas.

The events of the "Arab Spring" took the world by surprise. Yet, the roots of those rebellions run deep and nowhere more so than in Syria, where the fighting continues to be fierce and deadly. This month, Fred H. Lawson traces the history of one leading force in the ongoing Syrian uprising: the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. The Brothers led a violent campaign to overthrow the Syrian regime in the 1970s, but more recently have advanced a platform that calls for liberal reform and constitutional government.

The Ohio Department of Education is dropping a federally funded tutoring program hit with allegations of fraud and wrongdoing.

The state had overseen the "supplemental educational services" program for students at low-performing schools. The state auditor began investigating after allegations of fraudulent billing and tutoring in unsafe conditions.

Now, districts will decide which tutors to hire and what services are needed, but the state will stop evaluating tutoring groups.

Ohio is one of eight states that no longer have to meet all the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, but with a caveat.

More than a decade ago the No Child Left Behind Act ushered in a new era of education reform, including the requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014.  Many states have fought for repeal, calling the law unrealistic.  It remains in place but the Obama Administration has given states a way around some of the requirements, allowing states to apply for waivers.