What Administrators Are Really Saying About Kasich’s School Plan

From our mailbag.

The Governor’s office deceptively highlighted the minority of Administrators across the state that are actually pleased with Kasich’s plan to make permanent his historic education cuts. What are school administrators among the 60% of districts receiving no additional state funding actually saying about Kasich’s plan?

• “The statements the governor made are a damn lie.” – Arnol Elam, Superintendent of Franklin City Schools
• “[We were] duped by Kasich. We got told all the right things, but he didn’t follow through. This is not what we were told.” – Bob Caldwell, Superintendent of Wolf Creek Local School District
• “Everyone in the room when he [Kasich] announced his budget was misled.” – Roger Mace, Superintendent of Gallipolis City Schools
• “This is really going to hurt us.” – Becki Peden, Huntington Local Schools Treasurer
• “It just seems like the rich get richer, and the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves.” – Larry Hook, Superintendent of Carlisle Schools
• “What the governor and his staff told us in Columbus just was not true… Five of the seven districts will not receive any more money [in fiscal year 2014].” – John Rubesich, Superintendent of the Ashtabula County Educational Services Center
• “Instead of closing the gap between poor and wealthy districts, it appears to be exacerbated.” – Tom Perkins, Superintendent of Northern Local Schools of Perry County
• Aurora Schools Treasurer Bill Volsin said his district will receive the exact same amount from the state as it did last year. While state government officials say Aurora will receive almost half a million more in 2014, Volsin and Superintendent Russ Bennett claim that isn’t true. – Auora Advocate, 2/13/13

Education News for 02-21-2013

State Education News

• Teachers' credentials for helping students struggling with reading under discussion (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Ohio lawmakers are considering some tweaks to the coming third grade reading guarantee to make sure enough teachers will have the required credentials to work…Read more...

• Kasich aide among 30 seeking schools post (Columbus Dispatch)

Gov. John Kasich’s top education adviser heads the list of 30 candidates for Ohio superintendent of public instruction…Read more...

• Tuition for fulltime kindergarten appears OK, officials say (Newark Advocate)

Granville School officials are proceeding with plans to offer full-time kindergarten classes on a tuition basis next school year, believing that Gov. John Kasich’s proposed new budget will now allow it…Read more...

• Chardon Schools officials receive Governor's Courage Award for dedication after shooting (Willoughby News Herald)

Chardon High School Principal Andy Fetchik said it was humbling to be on stage at the State of the State Address with other recipients of the Governor’s Courage Award…Read more...

Local Education News

• Kent ponders school security (Akron Beacon Journal)

Kent schools Superintendent Joseph Giancola is considering new ways to ensure student safety…Read more...

• Mayor denies he intends to disband school board (Columbus Dispatch)

Mayor Michael B. Coleman insisted yesterday that he is not trying to take over Columbus City Schools, a day after the school board…Read more...

• Butler Tech to issue $3 million in bonds (Hamilton Journal-News)

The Butler Tech Board of Education has authorized Treasurer Ed Pokoro to issue up to $3 million in Bond Anticipation Notes to refinance existing debt and secure funds for future capital improvements…Read more...

• Districts try to recover money lost to charter schools (Hamilton Journal-News)

Area school districts are taking different approaches to recoup the millions of dollars they are losing to charter schools each year…Read more...

• District approves purchase agreement for buses (Hamilton Journal-News)

Fairfield City Schools approved a lease/purchase agreement for its 30 new buses at a special meeting Wednesday morning, according to spokeswoman Gina Gentry-Fletcher…Read more...

• Galion school board tables talk of arming teachers (Mansfield News Journal)

The Galion school board meeting was a mixed bag Wednesday, with board members approving a number of initiatives, but some old topics remained in focus…Read more...

Education News for 02-19-2013

State Education News

• Ohio high school students could earn college credit, brush up on skills (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Ohio officials and Udacity, an online education provider, are in discussions that could lead to allowing high school students to take classes online to catch up in math and science…Read more...

• Charter-school operators want local tax money (Columbus Dispatch)

A group of charter-school operators voiced support for receiving a share of Columbus City Schools’ tax money before Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Education Commission…Read more...

• Kasich education adviser applies for top schools job (Columbus Dispatch)

Gov. John Kasich’s education adviser could become the next superintendent of Ohio public schools…Read more...

• Local schools to get aid for non-English speakers in state budget (Columbus Dispatch)

When the state first offered school districts financial help for students with limited English, in 2006, only 10 districts qualified…Read more...

• Preschool proposal mired in contradiction (Columbus Dispatch)

President Barack Obama’s call for universal pre-kindergarten during his State of the Union address was like many of the proposals he floated during that speech…Read more...

• ‘Activist’ Kasich getting mixed reviews (Dayton Daily News)

Shortly after he was elected governor in November 2010, John Kasich told lobbyists they needed to get on “the bus” now that he was driving it, lest they be run over…Read more...

• Auditor blasts school 'count week' (Findlay Courier)

The way Ohio school districts count their students needs a major update in order to prevent manipulated attendance data, the state's auditor said Monday…Read more...

• School budget proposal stiffs Educational Service Centers (Lima News)

Gov. John Kasich says he wants more collaboration in education, but school officials wonder how that can be true when his proposed budget cuts…Read more...

Local Education News

• Lion of Judah charter school leader indicted, accused of illegally spending $1.2 million in public money (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

The head of Lion of Judah Academy, a troubled Cleveland charter school, has been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury…Read more...

• Judge holds up closing of ScholArts academy (Columbus Dispatch)

A Columbus charter school that closed on Tuesday reopened yesterday because of a ruling by a Franklin County judge.Common Pleas Judge Guy Reece ordered a delay in enforcing the state school board’s decision…Read more...

• Educator investigated after slap at Kasich plan (Columbus Dispatch)

A Dayton-area school superintendent who is facing criminal charges stemming from his opposition to Gov. John Kasich’s school-funding plan…Read more...

• Hilliard schools explore new ways to learn (Columbus Dispatch)

Starting next year, Hilliard high-school students can serve as CEOs for a startup coffee shop and take college classes via videoconferencing…Read more...

• Attendance down again at school following threats (Dayton Daily News)

Tipp City schools officials Friday found a threatening message in a restroom for the third straight day…Read more...

• School districts may remove levies from ballot (Dayton Daily News)

Kettering City Schools may not be the only local district to pull its levy from the May ballot, as school officials closely examine Gov. John Kasich’s proposed school funding plan…Read more...

• Council agrees to benefits of sharing services with school district (Middletown Journal)

City Council will consider legislation, likely at its meeting later this month, about sharing services with the Monroe Local School District…Read more...

• Schools plan to explain to voters what Kasich plan means to them (Springfield News-Sun)

Districts hoping to persuade voters to support levies and bond issues this spring will have to explain the impact of Gov. John Kasich’s recently unveiled education funding plan…Read more...

• Strongsville teachers approve strike authorization vote (Sun Newspapers)

In another sign contract negotiations between the school board and teachers union are breaking down, the Strongsville Education Association passed a strike authorization vote…Read more...

• Prosecutor confirms plea offer on table in T.J. Lane case (Willoughby News Herald)

While Thomas Lane III’s attorney says plea bargain negotiations are under way for his client in connection with shootings at Chardon High School, Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz…Read more...

Editorial

• Quality counts (Akron Beacon Journal)

Back in March 2009, President Obama tagged early childhood education “as the first pillar of our education reform agenda.” He noted at the time that “some children are enrolled in excellent programs. Some children are enrolled in mediocre programs…Read more...

• Schools plan takes a different tack (Columbus Dispatch)

Grumbling at some of the results of Gov. John Kasich’s proposed education-funding plan reflects a fact of life for school districts: Each considers itself underfunded…Read more...

Education News for 02-14-2013

State Education News

• CPS responds on 'data scrubbing' (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Mary Ronan on Wednesday downplayed the possibility that the district could lose up to $40 million in state funding…Read more...

• Kasich education advisers defend school-funding formula (Columbus Dispatch)

Gov. John Kasich’s top education advisers told legislators yesterday that they did not attempt to calculate the adequate cost of educating a child…Read more...

• Budget proposal would fund creative education ideas (Columbus Dispatch)

Richard Ross didn’t mince words yesterday about the proposed $300 million “Straight-A” fund for schools, calling it the “single most-important element for change” in Gov. John Kasich’s school-funding formula…Read more...

Local Education News

• Reynoldsburg, schools to share services of manager (Columbus Dispatch)

Reynoldsburg and the city school district will share the services of a human-resources manager…Read more...

• District to buy 30 new buses for $2.6 million (Hamilton Journal-News)

Fairfield City Schools will spend more than $2 million during the next 10 years to purchase 30 new buses to replenish its aging fleet…Read more...

• East Holmes makes changes in staff, drops German (New Philadelphia Times)

The East Holmes Board of Education has voted to realign academic and administrative staff for the 2013-2014 school year to deal with record enrollment at Hiland High and new graduation…Read more...

• New internal assessments elicit cautious optimism for Toledo Public Schools (Toledo Blade)

As Toledo Public Schools found itself mired in public turmoil in recent months, with a search for a new superintendent, a state investigation that criticized attendance reporting practices, and the defeat of another levy…Read more...

• Elyria City School District to cut 59.5 positions (WEWS)

By a unanimous vote the Elyria City School Board approved $3 million in cuts…Read more...

• Superintendent oversees three districts (WKYC)

There is a push in Ohio for schools to share more resources and even people…Read more...

• Costly lawsuits over school busing problems (WOIO)

For eight years now 19 Action News have brought you stories of busing woes in the Nordonia Hills schools…Read more...

Education News for 02-07-2013

State Education News

• Rich, growing school districts do well under governor’s funding proposal (Akron Beacon Journal)

Gov. John Kasich’s office rolled out spreadsheets Wednesday showing how much money school districts will receive under his new funding formula…Read more...

• Plan means no funding growth for most schools (Chillicothe Gazette)

Gov. John Kasich’s school funding plan dramatically changes the state funding formula for districts, but most Ohio schools would see no new money under the proposal…Read more...

• Kasich details educational funding (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Most Southwest Ohio school districts were breathing sighs of relief Wednesday after Gov. John Kasich’s office released detailed funding amounts for each district…Read more...

• Susan Zelman hired by the Ohio Department of Education to work on school funding (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Susan Zelman, who was state superintendent for 10 years, has returned to the Ohio Department of Education to work with schools on funding issues…Read more...

• Most schools to get no additional funds in Kasich plan (Columbus Dispatch)

Sixty percent of Ohio school districts — including all those in Perry County, where the state’s long-running school-funding lawsuit originated — would get no additional state money in the next two years under Gov. John Kasich’s education plan…Read more...

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• Kasich funding formula favors suburban schools; TPS, other urban districts, mostly flat under (Toledo Blade)

Preliminary breakdowns of how Gov. John Kasich’s new school-funding formula will affect school districts show that growing, relatively wealthier suburban districts in metro Toledo will receive significant increases…Read more...

Local Education News

• CPS evaluation policy remains unresolved (Cincinnati Enquirer)

After months of discussion and several heated meetings with representatives from the teachers’ union, Cincinnati’s school board Monday voted 4-3 to delay a vote on a new controversial policy to evaluate its roughly 2,000 teachers.…Read more...

• Northeast Ohio schools get first look at what new state funding formula may mean to them (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

School officials across Ohio have gotten their first peek at how much state money they might get over the next two years from Gov. John Kasich's proposed funding formula…Read more...

• Second lawsuit filed in data-rigging case (Columbus Dispatch)

Another parent has sued several current and former Columbus school district leaders, saying the district’s “pattern of corrupt activity” has hurt his daughter…Read more...

• Lakota maintains high return on investment (Hamilton Journal-News)

An independent compensation study reveals the Lakota school district is spending less and getting more…Read more...

• Online Teacher Fired For Paying Former Student To Teach Class, Grade (WBNS)

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, or ECOT, isn’t a traditional public school, but like all public schools, classes are supposed to be taught by licensed teachers.Read more...

• Liberty hires county's treasurer services (Youngstown Vindicator)

The school board has approved using staff at the Trumbull County Educational Service Center as the district’s interim treasurer for the remainder of the school year…Read more...

• Boardman, Lordstown get largest increases in Kasich’s budget plan (Youngstown Vindicator)

While no Mahoning Valley school districts would get less state money in Gov. John Kasich’s proposed biennium budget, most wouldn’t get any more either…Read more...

Editorial

• School budget (Findlay Courier)

It will take some serious number-crunching and time before we know if Gov. John Kasich's school funding formula is any better than the current one, which was ruled unconstitutional in 1997…Read more...

• Gov. Kasich’s budget (Toledo Blade)

The state budget that Gov. John Kasich proposed on Monday reflects a healthier Ohio economy than the one his first, austere spending plan responded to two years ago…Read more...

• Kasich plan for schools sounds good (Warren Tribune Chronicle)

Reports last week that Gov. John Kasich wants to provide additional state help to school districts with meager property tax bases no doubt was received happily by some area education…Read more...

Education News for 02-04-2013

State Education News

• Governor’s office says school funding plan is a redistribution of wealth, not attempt at adequacy (Akron Beacon Journal)

On Thursday, Gov. John Kasich’s education experts stood in front of images on a screen and said they had arrived at a school funding formula that ends the inequity among Ohio’s richest and poorest districts…Read more...

• Gov. John Kasich's school funding plan might hold little new money for many Northeast Ohio districts (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Northeast Ohio may not benefit as much as other parts of the state from Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to overhaul school funding, a Plain Dealer analysis shows…Read more...

• Officials seek details of Kasich plan for gifted (Columbus Dispatch)

Compared to other states, Ohio’s support for gifted students has been among the best: Only one other state with comparable data gave more money for gifted programs in 2011…Read more...

• Rules vague on suspending teachers for misconduct (Columbus Dispatch)

After being arrested and charged with assault, domestic violence and disorderly conduct, a Westerville teacher paid bond and left jail. Eight days later, when students returned to school from winter break…Read more...

• Only limit on new voucher is the budget (Columbus Dispatch)

Nearly half of Ohio’s 1.8 million elementary and secondary students could qualify in the coming years for tax-funded tuition to private schools under Gov. John Kasich’s plan to expand the state’s voucher program…Read more...

• Incentives plan raises questions (Columbus Dispatch)

The same component of Gov. John Kasich’s school-funding plan that would empower districts to add performance pay incentives for teachers also could push districts to trim teachers from the payrolls…Read more...

• Public schools would incur some cost of voucher expansion (Dayton Daily News)

An adviser for Gov. John Kasich on Friday provided more funding details about his controversial plan to expand the school voucher program in Ohio…Read more...

• Area school chiefs greet Kasich plan with optimism (Findlay Courier)

Gov. John Kasich's school-funding plan was met with optimism and apprehension Friday as area superintendents said they are eager to find out the specifics of the overhaul, which will see the state spend $15.1 billion on schools over the next two years…Read more...

• Should schools consider arming staff? (Marion Star)

Imagine this scenario. A man with a gun enters a school, intent on killing. A locked door doesn’t stop him. He gets through security efforts and starts shooting…Read more...

• Bullying study: It does get better for gay, bisexual teens (Youngstown Vindicator)

It really does get better for gay and bisexual teens when it comes to being bullied, although young gay men have it worse than their lesbian peers, according to the first long-term scientific evidence…Read more...

Local Education News

• Ex-cop ready to serve if schools sign on to his idea (Cincinnati Enquirer)

There has been plenty of talk but little else since Butler County’s sheriff publicly floated the idea of retired cops working as armed substitute teachers…Read more...

• Groveport schools could try new option for levy (Columbus Dispatch)

To solve long-term budget problems, Groveport Madison school leaders have proposed a tax-levy approach that few districts in the state have pursued…Read more...

• Schools ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Kasich’s funding plan (Middletown Journal)

While Butler County school officials are still awaiting more detailed figures next week, overall reaction has been positive to Gov. John Kasich’s new model for school funding…Read more...

• Tecumseh teachers earn grant support (Springfield News-Sun)

Eleven Tecumseh teachers will receive grants to assist with innovative projects for their classrooms that don’t fit in the district’s budge…Read more...

Editorial

• Finally, a real response to DeRolph (Canton Repository)

Mountains of number crunching will necessarily follow the unveiling of Gov. John Kasich’s school funding plan…Read more...

• Call for early learning funding is good news - and good business (Cincinnati Enquirer)

About 90 percent of a child’s brain development happens by the age of 5. About 90 percent of public spending on education goes to the years after age 5…Read more...

• A Playbook For Ohio Education Initiatives (I Teach Bay)

This is Super Bowl Weekend. Analysts have spent two weeks dissecting every possible factor that could impact the performance of either team in the big game…Read more...