DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Gov. Ted Strickland proposed Wednesday he take control of the state education department and place authority over it with an appointed director, much as he did last year with the board that oversees colleges.

In an education-heavy State of the State address, Strickland promised a K-12 reform plan within a year and pushed to expand a program that links high school students with college courses.

A spokesman said Strickland believes the director can be added without changing the constitution and his proposal would not need a referendum vote.

Strickland called for the Ohio Board of Education — a 19-member board with eight appointed by the governor and 11 elected in districts around the state — to be strictly advisory. It would also strip power from Susan Zelman, superintendent for public instruction, who would report to a new "director of the Ohio Department of Education" to be appointed by Strickland and approved by the state Senate.

"My top priority has always been doing what is best for Ohio's students," Zelman said in a statement. "As the Ohio General Assembly considers the governor's proposal regarding the governance of our education system, I am confident they will do what is best for Ohio's students."

Last March, Strickland shepherded a plan through the legislature leading to the appointment of Eric Fingerhut, a former Democratic legislator, as chancellor to oversee Ohio's colleges.

But this time Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted and Senate President Bill Harris had reservations. Husted and Harris, both Republicans, said giving Strickland control over education is a concern given his past criticisms of charter schools and vouchers.

Husted said he wanted assurances that school choice will be protected. "To me, that is the most important priority," he said.

Susan Haverkos, a state board member from West Chester who represents part of the Miami Valley, said she ran for the board 14 months ago because she was unhappy the state of education in Ohio.

"I understand his frustration," she said of Strickland. "I was frustrated with the system. So I ran and won. That's what we do in this country. I think the system works."

Richard Lewis, executive director of the Ohio School Boards Association, also raised concerns.

"As we address organizational issues, we need to be careful not to erode the role of the state board of education," he said. "A state school board, with elected officials accountable to the public, is one of the fundamentals of our democracy. "

Strickland also unveiled a plan for high school seniors to complete the first year of college during their senior years on a state university system campus. Tuition would be free and they could then start college as sophomores.

Public high school students who meet academic qualifications could enroll this fall.

Under the existing Post Secondary Enrollment Options program, high school students can earn high school credits through dual-enrollment in college courses.

In the past, some schools discouraged the program because high schools and higher education institutions have struggled to work out sharing its costs and scheduling, often preventing students from taking full advantage of the option, Fingerhut said.

About 11,200 public high school and 1,000 non-public school students participated in the PSEO program in fall 2007.