Latest News

Mansfield, OH (July 10, 2025) — Area educators and educational administrators are invited to the Mid-Ohio Education Service Center's Fall Administrative Conference on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The conference will take place at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center, 890 W. 4th Street in Mansfield.

The featured keynote speakers, Jim Mahoney and Daryl Michel, will speak in the morning, followed by legal and legislative updates in the afternoon. In addition, breakout sessions will be held on topics such as leadership, student services, instructional coaching, gifted education, career and workforce development and Treasurer’s Track hot topics relevant to school Treasurers.

Other special guests include Paul Imhoff of Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and Nicole M. Donovsky of Bricker & Graydon. 

Agenda Topics Include:

• Legislative Update  
• Legal Updates
• Leadership Structures & Supports  
• Gifted Education 
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment 
• College, Career and Workforce Development 

The conference is intended for superintendents, directors, central office administration, building administrators and school treasurers.

Members of client districts can attend for $100, and participants from non-client districts will need to pay $250. Registration closes July 18; after that date, no refunds will be given. Registration includes breakfast, lunch and all learning sessions. 

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

Mansfield, OH (July 8, 2025) – The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is offering required training sessions for those who will evaluate teachers, guidance counselors and/or principals using the OTES 2.0 and OPES 2.0 models and OSCES.

One session will be offered for the Ohio Principal Evaluation System (OPES 2.0) training: August 7-8. One session will also be available for the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES 2.0) training: July 29-31. Lastly, the Ohio School Counselor Evaluation System (OSCES) training will be offered once on August 14. All training will be held at Mid-Ohio ESC and begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m. 

The cost for OPES training will be $125 for client members and $150 for non-client members, OTES will be $150 for clients and $175 for non-clients and OSCES training will cost $100 for client members and $125 for non-client members.

To register for this event, go to https://safe.ode.state.oh.us/portal. Anyone with questions can call Mark E. Burke, Jr. at 419-774-5520 or email burke.mark@moesc.net.

OTES, OPES & OSCES Training Flyer

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

MANSFIELD, OH (July 3, 2025) — Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC) has proudly been awarded a state contract by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) to lead Governor Mike DeWine’s regional literacy initiative—Building Regional Capacity to Support Ohio’s Literacy Coaching Model—across both the West and Central Ohio regions, impacting over 40 counties. 

This award significantly expands MOESC’s leadership role in advancing the state’s literacy efforts, grounded in the Science of Reading and aligned with Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement. As part of this expansion, Carrie Wood, Director of Literacy at MOESC, will lead the Central Region while Nick Jacobs joins the team as the newly appointed Coordinator for the West Region. Together, they will oversee up to 30 literacy coaches and support thousands of educators and students. 

“I am thrilled for Mid-Ohio to continue the legacy in leading this project to champion literacy! To be granted an opportunity to lead in almost half the state in the Governor’s literacy project is an incredible opportunity for Mid-Ohio to extend its reach over a span of 40 counties and ultimately contribute to the impact to improve language and literacy outcomes at this scale,” said Carrie Wood. “This project is to serve as a successful coaching model to replicate across Ohio’s schools. It’s an honor to coordinate the work in this project as the Director of Literacy on behalf of Mid-Ohio’s collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.”

This state-level recognition comes at a time when research confirms the critical role of coaching in literacy success. According to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's June 2024 report, Ohio’s Path to Early Literacy: Science of Reading Progress and Challenges, coaching remains one of the most effective levers for system-wide impact. The report strongly supports continuation of the state’s coaching investment: 

“. . . lawmakers should continue support of the state’s literacy coaching program. This initiative currently deploys eighty-four trained coaches who provide hands-on support for teachers serving in more than 100 low-performing schools. In his recent budget request, Governor DeWine set aside $12 million per year to sustain the program, and lawmakers should approve these funds. Coaches like these were essential to Mississippi and can help Ohio make rapid progress, too.”   

This expansion builds upon Mid-Ohio ESC’s current success in leading a 23-county effort that launched in July 2023. That initiative, led by Wood and by Executive Director Dr. Mark Burke, has already deployed over 20 trained coaches across Northwest Ohio. Now, with the dual-region contract, MOESC is poised to extend its reach and deepen its impact across an even greater swath of the state. 

As the initiative scales, MOESC is continuing to recruit experienced educators to serve as regional coaches. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply through the agency’s online portal: 

Apply here 

The following are minimum qualifications for the Literacy Coach: 

•  A master’s degree in education, with either reading or literacy endorsements on state license. 
• At least (5) years of successful classroom teaching that includes reading/literacy instruction in grades K-12. 
• Completion of a professional development program or course in evidence-based language and literacy instruction. 
• Experience providing and coaching structured literacy instruction 

For further information, contact: 

Carrie Wood, Director of Literacy 

wood.carrie@moesc.net 

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

 

Mansfield, OH (June 25, 2025) – This summer, educators from districts in Crawford County, Morrow County and Richland County had the opportunity to participate in the third annual Teacher Boot Camps. Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center's Business Advisory Council and Workforce Development partners in each county organized these programs to show teachers what goes on behind the scenes in businesses and manufacturing in each county through tours of local facilities and guest speakers who provided lunch and learn sessions. Participants gained first-hand experience with the rewarding careers available in manufacturing and healthcare and the skills students need to obtain and retain these local positions. 

Educators who applied for this professional development opportunity and were selected to participate in the Boot Camp received the following benefits: 

• Three graduate credits from Ashland University with no out-of-pocket cost for the teacher (funded through the Lt. Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and Integrated Systems Technologies). 
• Resources to guide classroom instruction based on information learned throughout the program.
• Instruction and guidance from top-level professionals at participating businesses, Mid-Ohio ESC and local Workforce Development and community partners.

In addition, IST in Richland County sponsored a free 3D printer for a Morrow County Boot Camp Teacher participant who designed a lesson plan that best exemplified the use of 3D printing in a manufacturing setting. IST also covered the remaining costs ($125 per teacher) of the fees for teachers in Richland, Crawford and Morrow counties who completed the program to earn graduate credits from Ashland University. Mid-Ohio would like to thank IST for its generosity. 

During the week-long program, educators had the opportunity to explore the workforce development needs and opportunities in their respective communities so that those educators could use the experiences to strengthen classroom career readiness connections that are embedded in core subject area instruction. All educators were required to create a lesson plan to use with students during the 2025-26 school year and present this plan to businesses and administrators on the final day of the Boot Camp. In Richland and Morrow Counties, teachers had the unique opportunity to learn about current labor market information through a workshop series provided by Team NEO called Connections to Careers. Through this series, teachers were able to dive deeper into the careers offered by the region’s “in-demand” industries so that they can accurately advise students about future careers.

Amy Wood, Mid-Ohio ESC’s Director of Grants and Special Projects, stated, “Teachers are inherently our daily career readiness advisors. Mid-Ohio's Teacher Boot Camps were a meaningful way for teachers to enhance their understanding of the current landscape of local in demand career opportunities and then use that knowledge to better integrate career-connected learning into their classrooms this fall.” Due to the program's success, Wood expects Teacher Boot Camps to be offered again in Summer 2026. She added, “Next year’s Teacher Boot Camps will continue to build on the strong foundation we’ve established in advanced manufacturing. In addition, we hope to offer teacher tours in other high-demand industries, giving educators a broader view of regional opportunities they can connect back to their classrooms.”

MOESC would like to thank the following businesses, organizations and individuals for helping make this event a success: Crawford Partnership, Morrow County Development Office, Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, Richland Chamber Foundation, North Central Ohio Industrial Museum, Midwest Aircraft, PR Machine/Slick Automation, Gorman Rupp, Michael Byrne Manufacturing, MK Metal Products, Inc., Carter Machine, Covert Manufacturing, IB-Tech, Timken, Diamond Wipes, Elliott Machine Works, Ohio Health, Karl Zimmer, Lubrication Specialities Inc., Lincoln Center Manufacturing, Baillie Lumber, Cardington Yutaka Technologies, Dollar Tree Distribution Center, Dar Pro Solutions, OSU-Mansfield and Dr. Eric M. Anderman, Marion Technical College, North Central State College Crawford Success Center and OSU-Marion. 

To learn more about the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center’s Business Advisory Council, please visit their webpage at: https://www.moesc.net/grants-and-special-projects/bac

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

Mansfield, OH (June 19, 2025) – Bus drivers play a critical role in the safe transportation of students to and from home and school. Because of this, the State of Ohio must meet mandates. Ohio school bus drivers must have at least four hours of annual in-service training. To fulfill this requirement, all local area bus drivers are invited to the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center on August 8, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to learn about relevant topics for school transportation. 

Presentations will be given by: Trooper Jeremy Albert from the Ohio State Patrol and Jim Sullivan, Ohio School Bus Pre-Service Instructor (North Region), to lead the in-service this year. They will discuss defensive driving and pupil management.

To register for this in-service, go to www.moesc.net/register. There is no cost for bus drivers of Mid-Ohio ESC client districts; however, non-clients must pay a $60 fee per person. Anyone with questions can call Mid-Ohio ESC at (419) 774-5520 or email events@moesc.net.

Bus Driver In-Service Flyer

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

Mansfield, OH (June 17, 2025) – Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center staff have been working hard planning the student events calendar for the 2025-2026 school year with the Academic Challenge, Artapolooza art festival and local and area spelling bees all returning. Amber Clay-Mowry, Director of Leadership & Learning, said, "Mid-Ohio is proud to host opportunities that enrich students’ learning experiences through events like the Spelling Bee, Academic Challenge and Artapolooza. These events provide platforms for students to showcase their unique talents and develop essential skills that enhance their learning journey.”

Students from 4th through 12th grade look forward to the Academic Challenge every year. Students compete as teams to answer questions about various topics, including literature, fine arts, geography, history, math and science. The dates for the Academic Challenge are as follows:

High School League                                                                                       

Fall Dates: October 20,

October 27, November 3

Winter Dates: February 9, 

February 23, March 2

Location: Virtual (districts host)

High School Tournaments

Dates: November 20 OR 21,

March 12 OR 13 (day)

Location: Mid-Ohio ESC

Client/Partner with Gifted Unit: Free

Client/Member/Partner: $150

Non-client: Half Series $250, Full Series $500

7th-8th grade (Middle School)

Dates: January 21, March 19 (evenings) and May 13 (day)

Location: Mid-Ohio ESC

Client/Partner with Gifted Unit: Free

Client/Members: $50

Non-client: $200

6th grade (Elementary)

Dates: January 22, March 18 (evenings) and May 12 (day)

Location: Mid-Ohio ESC

Client/Partner with Gifted Unit: Free

Client/Members: $50

Non-client: $200

5th grade (Elementary)

Dates: January 14 and March 12 (evenings)

Location: Mid-Ohio ESC

Client/Partner with Gifted Unit: Free

Client/Members: $30

Non-client: $150

4th grade (Elementary)

Dates: January 15 and March 11 (evenings)

Location: Mid-Ohio ESC

Client/Members: $30

Non-client: $100

For more information on the Academic Challenge, contact Rebecca Kidney at Kidney.Rebecca@moesc.net.

The Artapolooza art festival showcases all types of visual art projects: paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media and digital arts from area students. The festival will take place at Mid-Ohio ESC from April 15-22, 2026. There is no cost for Client/Partner with Gifted Unit. Client/Member/Partner districts will need to pay $30 per district while Non-client participants pay a fee of $150 per district. For more information on Artapolooza, contact Jenny Pennell at Pennell.Jennifer@moesc.net.

Spelling bees will be part of Mid-Ohio ESC’s mid-winter student activities, and Mid-Ohio will be hosting (virtual) two local bees and one area bee. The Crawford and Morrow County Combined Bee will take place on January 15, 2026, at 10 a.m.. The Richland County Bee will be on January 22, 2026, at 10 a.m.. There is no cost for Client/Partner with Gifted Unit for either spelling bee, but Client/Member/Partner districts will have a $30 fee per district and Non-client districts will have a fee of $150. To wrap up bee season, the Tri-County Final will take place February 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM at Mid-Ohio ESC. For more information on Mid-Ohio’s spelling bees, contact Colleen Haynes at Haynes.Colleen@moesc.net.

Student Events Flyer

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.