Thursday, October 30, 2008

Governor Working on Master Plan for Ohio Education

Governor Ted Strickland's embryonic master plan for the reform of Ohio's educational system, which the Dispatch blog outlines, looks good. Of particular interest to me was this point:
Effective support strategies must be in place to provide all students with an opportunity for academic success, regardless of their personal situation, and to once and for all eliminate the achievement gap.
If that means what I think it means, the governor is intent on taking on the corrupt shell-game that passes for educational funding in this state. Under the Ohio plan, in spite of the intentions of voters when they pass levies, the state effectively steals money designated for the local schools and put it all into state coffers. Several times, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled Ohio's funding formula unconstitutional by the standards of the State Constitution. Yet, decades' worth of governors and General Assemblies, members of both political parties, have failed to reform the system. Until such reform happens, no other changes in public education will make a difference for Ohio.

[For a somewhat more detailed explanation of Ohio's public school funding "formula," see here.]

2 comments:

Spencer Troxell said...

I am a huge plan of Governor Strickland's education plan. As an unconventional student myself, it is good to know that there are people in government looking out for those of us in the margins.

Cindy Swanson said...

Mark, thanks so much for commenting on my blog! I see some familiar names on your sidebar...notably Good Brownie, who graduated from the same college my sons attended.