Gov. Ted Strickland crossed the state Thursday to promote his $53 billion spending blueprint as anger flared among advocates of education choice over his plan to scrap the state voucher program outside Cleveland.
Strickland surprised many Wednesday when he said in his State of the State speech that he would stop students in other cities at low-performing schools from receiving the vouchers to pay for tuition to attend private and parochial schools.
The new Democratic governor also said his budget will prohibit for-profit companies from running state-funded charter schools, as he seeks to funnel more resources to public education within a cash-strapped state budget. His spending plan increases state spending at just 2.2 percent a year on average, a rate barely lower than the last budget under GOP Gov. Bob Taft and less than any budget in the past 42 years.
``The charter school movement in Ohio has been a dismal failure,'' Strickland said during a Thursday stop in Cleveland. ``What I'm asking for in terms of charter schools is simply that they are held to the same standards of fiscal and educational accountability that we are expecting out of our public schools.''
David Zanotti, president of the conservative policy think tank that fought for years to protect vouchers, said backers are mobilizing parents statewide to fight the plan....
I agree with Gov. Strickland. The charter school program has been a huge failure in Ohio. Money is misused. Teachers are unqualified. Students get a less than satisfactory education. Facilities used by charter schools are less than adequate. The only people who benefit are those who own and manage the charter schools and they are lining their pockets with money taken from the public schools.
I have seen the results of students who've left charter schools to attend public schools. Charter school students are far behind similar aged students in public schools. The charter students are far below grade level in the areas of writing, reading comprehension, basic social studies/history, general mathematics, and especially science.
We cannot let the right wing extremists in Ohio dictate how education money is spent in the state. The charter schools have robbed Ohio of badly needed funding for public schools. If you agree with Gov. Strickland, call/write Jon Husted. Husted has said that he never hears from those who oppose his views: Jon Husted, 77 S. High St-14th floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6111. Telephone: (614) 644-6008 or FAX: (614) 719-3591. Email: district37@ohr.state.oh.us
