.JPG)
2008 OSU vs. Michigan
2008 Ebony Fashion Show
Alter vs. Genoa Area
Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > March > 27 > Entry
Strickland education list could spark controversy
Gov. Ted Strickland
Gov. Ted Strickland has assembled a list of potentially controversial ideas for overhauling primary and secondary education and distributed it to hundreds of stakeholders for their consideration.
The ideas include Democrat Strickland’s own proposal to create a director of education under his control as well as proposals from educators, business leaders and others who have been involved in meetings sponsored by the governor’s office.
“Summary of Education Reform Process” sketches out four phases designed to result in a plan to be implemented in March 2009 although it appears many of the ideas would require approval from the Republican-controlled legislature.
Strickland’s spokesman, Keith Dailey, cautioned that the document did not constitute a plan or proposal.
“The collection of ideas merged over the past year,” he said. “This isn’t the governor’s plan. This is a process that is geared toward ongoing discussion and through the conversation the governor believes consensus for reform will emerge.”
Among the ideas on the discussion list are:
—Junking the Ohio Graduation Test in favor of “portfolio” approach that would require students to complete a senior project, a community service project and both the ACT college entrance exam and end-of-course exams when the complete core high school subjects.
—Requiring the state’s education budget to be adopted before the rest of the state operating budget.
—Funding schools using an “evidence-based” model accounting for school size and demographics. A new state commission would review and update the model and a three-fourths vote of the General Assembly would be needed to overturn it.
—Require a 22-mill base property tax across all school districts, replacing uneven property tax burdens of different districts, and taking median income of the districts into account when determining the level of state aid for each.
—Establishing a statewide teacher career ladder with different pay for at five levels — emerging teacher, associate teacher, teacher, lead teacher and master teacher. A statewide teacher peer evaluation and training program also is an option.
—Making each school more independent with more control given to the principal and creating an administrative manager position for all elementary schools.
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Schools and Politics
Comments
By Old Teach
March 30, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
“TRS”, I am sorry you feel that there is a union conspiracy to only fix funding for a pay raise. I for one, have struggled with items like paper, books and materials for my classroom since I started teaching in Ohio. Many will say, “let the parents provide it”, and that would be great if it would happen, but many of the parents I deal with do not even provide clothes or medicine for their children. I just think that it is a crime that we have to beg for money for supplies and materials for the kids. Also, it is only common sense that the children are not going to be able to learn as well when there are 30-35 kids in an elementary classroom. Most of the successful districts I am aware of have much lower student to teacher ratios in their schools. Our district takes the entire student population of a school and divides it by the total number of certified teachers in the building which includes PE, art, music, tutors, counselors, etc. It makes the teacher to student ratio seem much smaller than it actually is.By Laura
March 30, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
I suspect Travis is correct in that the Gov. probably doesn’t plan to make many changes until near the end of his term and then insist he needs another term to “finish” what he started. That seems to be the way many if not all politicians operate. I didn’t believe his campaign promises to fix education any more than I have believed other politician’s promises to fix anything. It would be refreshing to hear a politician admit they have no idea how to fix things- but are willing to listen to everyone and make a serious effort to try. I think I’d be more inclined to vote for them. As far as the OGT, I have concerns that it is all we base a student’s future on. Why not have a combination of both a test and portfolio or an option of one or the other? Not everyone is college material. To say every student needs to take the ACT or advanced levels of math and science is just unreasonable. To be quite honest, how many of us, unless we teach it, have used much of the advanced math or science we took in high school? Probably not many. Students who have no desire or intention of going on to college should not be required to take a college prep curriculum. Whether or not a student is academically prepared for college should be an issue for the college admissions dept.By TRS
March 29, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
Each time pay and time off is mentioned a barrage of retorts come back. Granted - teaching can be challenging; but, then aren’t all professional jobs? The private sector certainly has its ups and downs, the challenges of the marketplace, the fickle customer, etc. People in the private sector also work long and hard hours as well. Their final measurement is often well out of their control - the proverbial “bottom line” - and doing whatever it takes, providing its moral, ethical and legal to achieve that result. No results often means no job. All positions require a certain skill set, has a varying degree of challenge and yes even “BS”. It also carry with it certain benefits and advantages. I respect the teaching profession; but, it seems at times some seek to elevate the challenges of education beyond every other hard working person. It leaves the impression that the underlying reason for “fixing” school funding is so the teachers unions have more room to make demands and possibly strike for salary and benefit increases and not to enhance the education of our kids. I’m not certain that this is the reality but it certainly can leave such an impression.By Rick
March 29, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
I oppose making the State Board of Education a puppet organization. I think the mix of elected and appointed officials is just right. I also oppose doing away with the OGT; the fact is that the test is needed so ascertain that a graduated has learned enough to receive a diploma. The Governor’s “portfolio” approach is but another name for social promotion and graduation.By Travis
March 29, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
A larger concern is the lack of focus in all of the comments here. Back on topic… Strickland has been Governor for sixteen months. He has no plans to do anything about public education until he has been in office for more than 28 months. In the meantime, frivolous debates take place, and Strickland won’t take any ownership of anything. Strickland=Ohio’s version of slick Willy.By Alwazaprincess
March 28, 2008 8:26 PM | Link to this
Tom you are mistaken about teacher salary step increases. True, Dayton Public teachers DO get step increases, but this stops after year 15. So that means….for the next 15 years (Steps 15 to 30) teachers DON’T receive a step increase UNLESS a new contract is negotiated with a raise for all. Dayton teachers most likely won’t get a raise this year or any year in the near future. so think about this again when we are paying more money for gas, more money for food and certainly more money for the supplies we buy for our students. Oh yes, let’s not forget about the money spent to work on those master’s degree to be able to renew our $200.00 (up from $60.00) license. Some districts reimburse teachers for the classes they have to take but DPS isn’t one of them. The pay in Dayton is modestly good at the beginning of the scale but horrible at the top when the steps stop. As someone else has said, nobody goes into teaching to become wealthy, but we WOULD like to pay bills and keep up with the cost of living.By Laura
March 28, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Tom and “s”: What “few” years are you talking about?? In DPS, between the years of 15-20 you get nothing but the cost of living which has been 1.5% lately, if anything. After 20 years you get a “bonus” each year that works out to about $60. per month. Even with the whopping $250 tax deduction, it doesn’t quite cover what I spend in the classroom. “s” just who do you think will volunteer to do the work of the administrators or anyone else? I can’t get a volunteer for anything in my classroom. Oh, wait, I did get one parent to go on a field trip lately but I wish she hadn’t. She brought her 2 year old with her and let the child run wild and talked on her cell phone when the students were supposed to be quiet. As to not worrying about the OGT, they sure as heck can’t pass it if they don’t learn to read, write and do far more math than arithmetic. I have to agree with Mike in Ohio that Mr. Strickland needs to clean house. I would also say that members of the Supreme Court need to explain why they made a ruling with no backbone. There was no “incentive” or punishment if the school funding problem wasn’t fixed. Kind of like telling a kid to do something but not backing it up with either a reward or punishment. Of course, it isn’t going to get done. Old Teach is correct. Come spend a day in my classroom and then tell me how overpaid I am. I have never had a visitor come into my classroom that didn’t say there wasn’t enough money available to pay them to do what I do.By ak
March 28, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this
There are some interesting ideas in Strickland’s proposal… What I’m most concerned about is the consistent misuse of “your” and “you’re” among the posts. Further evidence that we need to overhaul Ohio’s education system?By Travis
March 28, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this
It’s hard to believe that Strickland has taken so long to do anything about public education. The Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers puts up with Strickland dragging his feet? Stickland seems to be no better than Taft or Voinovich. In the meantime, Ohio’s students suffer under the Strickland regime.By Buford
March 28, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
I watched and listened to the Governor of Indiana give his State of the State speech some month or so ago. In that speech, the Governor said he was going to get the public school funding off the backs of property owners and go to an income tax basis. Funny that one Governor should “get it” and we have another here that does not.By TRS
March 28, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
Part of the reason for the state income tax reduction is that Ohio is #5 in the nation in state and local taxes - pretty high. I tend to agree with Tom on the income tax solution provided social security income is excluded. I also believe the property taxes should be lowered. Somehow Ohio must get a handle on taxes so we fall within the range of our surrounding states (around 20-30th). Only then will the business community renew its interest and bring jobs to OhioBy teacher
March 28, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
Bill, your right that pay is just so great over 9 months which is why a lot of teachers work over the summer. Now in your job are you responsible for providing your own supplies. Do you need to buy your own copier paper, ink and paper for your printer, pencils, pens, crayons, glue, constuction paper, food for manipulatives, and anything else you need for you and 30 other people. Only 250.00 a year can be claimed on taxes. Not get much of a raise over the past few years when everything has gone up in price including gas, vectren, dpl, water, trash, etc.By Sarah
March 28, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
For bill I suggest that he learn that it’s more of a 10 month school year and lots of people think they know how to teach just like many think they know how to run government. But they don’t have lifetime employment and don’t have a great retirement plan. Look at many other professions. If you think teaching is so easy, they’ll welcome you into the classroom. Check the website for DPS and other schools in the area for their application methods. U$D$ will welcome your dollars for taking the required classwork. Good luck. Many “knowledgeable” professions have decided to try it through the years and to “show those teachers” how it’s done. They failed because it takes a special person to be a good teacher. That doesn’t mean hugging the kid and coaching them in sports. It means giving help and expecting learning. Again report back after your first year. Or maybe if you have some college you can sub in a public school. If you want to see the results of not having professional certified teachers, check into the charter schools and some privates around the area.By Oldprof
March 28, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
I see the bleeding-head right-wingers are bleating about higher taxes. Here’s a secret way to fix school funding that they ought to support: eliminate ALL property tax breaks. Never again allow corporations or connected individuals to pay a lower tax rate than you or I. Everybody pulls his/her weight. Then we could reduce property tax rates in general and we’d still have a surplus of funds to support intervention programs.By Tom
March 28, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this
Hey Old Teach, thnx for your work in in inner city school. You and your colleagues are heros. However, your salary schedule with built-in step increases for seniority that are usually 3.9% or more are no secret. If you did not receive a raise last year it is only because you are in one of the few years on your salary schedule where there is no step increase for either seniority or education. The truth is that when the public hears teachers received a 2% raise they actually received the 2% plus their step increase, normally a total of about 6%. That’s the reason local property taxes cannot keep up with education costs. And now your union is advocating the public increase payments into your retirement account by 2.5%, up to 16.5% of your wages, and this is because the OEA-controlled STRS board has made terrible spending decisions that have hurt your once excellent retirement system. Don’t confuse my questioning your salary benefits with my sincere and deep respect for all the great things you and your colleagues do. I’ll fight for public education right along side you.By Rich
March 28, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
OF COURSE I read the list — I said “Fix school funding FIRST”. It beggars common sense to think the long laundry list this is likely to be can be pushed easily through a Republican legislature by a Democratic governor. My contention is that school funding reform ALONE needs to be done FIRST. THEN you tackle these other issues. (As I pointed out, Ted Strickland ran on a platform of fixing school funding. Period. Anything else ought to come second.) My personal funding fix would mirror the Michigan reform of the mid-1990s. It replaced an over-reliance on local property taxes with a mix of statewide income and sales taxes. Their approach was this: the legislature proposed two plans. Plan “A” was put on the ballot for voter approval, with the clear warning that either they approved Plan “A”, or Plan “B” (which was already formulated) would automatically go into effect. Either way, the existing unconstitutional system would be replaced. Too bad our own General Assembly has never really addressed the Supreme Court’s repeated rulings that Ohio’s system has an unconstitutional over-reliance on local property taxes. In any event, I maintain that real, meaningful, stable and long-lasting reforms in education cannot take root without real, meaningful, stable and long-lasting reforms in school funding. That must come FIRST, just as in the Biblical parable of building your home on shifting sands versus solid rock (an analogy that Gov. Strickland, an ordained Methodist minister has to understand). It’s pretty clear to anyone — you don’t have to be religious to recognize the basic truth that’s involved.By Skeptic
March 28, 2008 1:49 AM | Link to this
I applaud these proposals as an overdue step in the right direction. We’ll see how far they get in the statehouse. If history is any indication, conservatives don’t seem to have any real solution but the status quo. Something needs to change.By School Supporter (Classic)
March 28, 2008 12:48 AM | Link to this
Teachers, are you leaning toward Strickland’s personalized education for every student, or this: Education Week, Gilbert T. Sewall, February 29, 1984, “School improvement [requires] that parents and professionals affirm new kinds of common rights. Of whatever race, background, or ability, all children should have the right to attend schools that impose meaningful (and color-blind) standards designed to push them toward their maximum potential. These standards must prevail over more specific—often self-declared—rights of aggrieved groups and antisocial individuals. In most districts, happily, this means only that schools must be less tolerant of careless, lazy, selfish children (who are often said to be “acting out” obscure psychological problems). … Everywhere, reform depends on educators who have the nerve and legal right to set high goals for all students, including the disadvantaged. The question of the 1980’s is whether or not educational leaders will decide to take up this challenge.”By nicole
March 27, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
Most schools already require students to do some sort of community service by the time they graduate and all schools in the state of Ohio require high school students to do something called a “Career Passport”, which is just a portfolio of work and research based on a profession the student would like to persue after high school. I am currently student-teaching and I am not sure what needs to be done. I know that most of what is going on is not working, although a few districts have found some ways to make the current state of affairs work in their favor. I do think that the OGT is ridiculous. Students take this test during their sophomore year of high school. They are not even half-way through high school when they take the test that tells them if they can graduate! Do you know why they have to take it sophomore year? Because students have to be given enough chances to pass it since they need to pass it to graduate. The system will never make everyone happy, but it is definitely not working the way it is right now!By A Teacher
March 27, 2008 11:28 PM | Link to this
I find it interesting that teacher salaries are always mentioned when trying to fix an educational system. Our salaries are dramatically lower than other careers of similar educational background. “S” wants to get parents to volunteer—good luck when parents are out trying to make a living to feed their children! We don’t live in the 50’s anymore where everyone has a stay at home mom, a two income household is more mandatory now than ever before. These changes that are proposed aren’t going to fix the overall problem and a socialist system isn’t going to make all schools equal. We will end up having our families move to states that have better control over their student performance and can prove that performance level. I honor him and everyone else who seems to think that they can fix this system, the main problem is people who have no experience in education are trying to fix the system. This is similar to a teacher trying to change hospital administrations and medical policies…it just doesn’t work that way. Keep working at it and eventually we will get it right. Until then—teachers will keep trying to reach their students and make improvements with the resources and standards given.By Karon
March 27, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this
GOVERNOR STRICKLAND GETS A APLUS FOR SUPPORTING HIGH SPEED PASSENGER TRAINS, AND STREETCARS FOR OHIO CITIES!By bill
March 27, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this
Maybe the governor should start by breaking the teacher’s unions. Instead he’s talking about raises. The fact is Ohio has too little money, plenty of people who want to teach (pay is great for the 9 month year), and teachers get great benefits. If the teacher’s don’t like lifetime employment and a great retirement plan, we’ll replace them.By dave
March 27, 2008 9:28 PM | Link to this
Strickland is way off base asking the better school districts to lump the good teachers into a socialist, capped, handcuffed, system just like liberals do. Redistributed property taxes is also garbage. Why do you think people move out of crappy districts and are willing to pay higher property taxes? Get rid of the standardized tests for a COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT? Sounds like a left-winged solution. Everbody raise hell or it’s only going to get worse.By Tim in Dayton
March 27, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this
I find it interesting that Governor Strickland can engage stakeholders in a dialogue about his education proposals, but doesn’t consult anyone before he decides to close a state hospital.By Dave
March 27, 2008 9:14 PM | Link to this
Strickland is way off base asking the better school districts to lump the good teachers into a socialist, capped, handcuffed, system just like liberals do. Redistributed property taxes is also garbage. Why do you think people move out of crappy districts and are willing to pay higher property taxes? Get rid of the standardized tests for a COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT? Sounds like a left-winged solution. Everbody raise hell or it’s only going to get worse.By old teach
March 27, 2008 9:09 PM | Link to this
“S” Where do you get your information that teachers get an annual raise? I did not get a raise this year, will probably not get one next year, AND I only got a 1.5% raise last year. I would also challenge you to spend a couple of hours in an inner city elementary classroom and see if the teachers “earn a fair wage”.By Tom
March 27, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
The school funding fix is easy. This is the 3rd year of a 4.1% decrease in the state income tax that will be a total of 21% over four years. Re-directing one year of that decrease would fix the school funding problem. Let each school district keep 1 percent that is paid from the residents of that district and use the remaining 3.2% to address equity issues in poor districts. Freeze property taxes for five years to evaluate this system. Most tax payers don’t even know about this tax cut because they are oblivious to payroll taxes! Income taxes will give most school districts annual inflationary increases which they don’t receive today. The most controversial thing that needs to happen is for the state to limit increases in teachers’ salaries and benefits to near the annual cost of inflation, eliminating all those step increases the public never sees. School funding can only be fixed with a state-wide tax, either an income tax or a sales tax.By painfultruth
March 27, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this
The school funding proposal is simple socialism. “We have to SHARE”. All this does is justify stealing from wealthier communities and throwing money down the drain in numerous failing school systems. Oh, spare the poor little dears so they don’t have to take standardized tests either, as if they fail their feelings will be hurt. You peabrains voted for a Democrat, and got just what you deserved…By Mike In Ohio
March 27, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
Ohio’s current educational system is ABYSMAL at best. Our rankings are not acceptable, and yet past administrations were more concerned about teaching “abstinence only sex ed” and appeasing the “Jesus Freaks” than they were on making ALL of Ohio’s students proficient in our ultra competitive global economy. The current system only works well for upper middle class students and for the self-congratulating careerists who run the system. Ever notice that the children of teachers and school administrators all seem to sail through graduate school without any problems ??? As it stands, Ohio’s education system is about catering to the priveleged few, more or less prepping them to leave Ohio for the coasts and the sunbelt. Strickland’s reforms are more than welcome, and I think he should go a step further by cleaning house - he needs to oust any / all of the “appointees” made by Voinovich, Hollister, and Taft. I say this especially if such appointees are proving to be little more than GOP operatives. I’m sure the INEPT GOP supporters will kick and scream at any reforms made by Strickland… But it’s clearly evident that the same crowd has spent the last two decades sucking the life out of Ohio at the expense of everyone else. I say it’s time for them to pay up !!!By TRS
March 27, 2008 8:21 PM | Link to this
OK Rich - lets assume your Gov Strickland - how do you propose school funding should be fixed?By Bob
March 27, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this
It would seem to me that 3 of the 6 items on this list address fixing school funding, Rich, or did you not actually read them?By s
March 27, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
I agree with junking the Ohio Graduation Test and if the student is furthering there education then ACT is necessary. No on property tax. The county/state technically are illegally taking property tax from homeowners & not body is doing anything about it. It is time that we property owners stand up for foolish spending in the schools and with the state. All homeowners need to look into taking a stand with the government & tell them that they can’t have are money from are property. Teachers get annual raise but the everyday person doens’t necessarily get a yearly raise. The schools have to many administrative personnel on staff. They need to go back to just letting parents volunteer. Alot of work can be done on computers by the administration. Why do we need to flush money down the drain. Schools need to be run like a business and we need to be teaching children to read, write & arithmetic not worried at the Ohio Graduation Test. Make teachers & administrative staff earn a fare wage.By Rich
March 27, 2008 7:34 PM | Link to this
The collective response to this should be “No, fix school funding FIRST. You specifically promised to do that; you did NOT campaign on a platform of ‘reforming K-12 education in Ohio’. This ambitious proposal — which won’t even be launched until March 2009! — needs to be based on a firm foundation of a stable, fair, and at long last, CONSTITUTIONAL school funding system. We’ve waited long enough, now into the administration of a THIRD governor since the 1st DeRolph decision; FIX SCHOOL FUNDING NOW!”