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Where the polls stand - Post Debate

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Almost a week after the first debate, while the race has narrowed marginally, the national and statewide polling continues to show President Obama in a strong position.

In the Electoral College, Real Clear Politics calculates that the President has a lead of 251 (down from 265) votes to Mitt Romney's 181 (down from 191), with 106 in toss-up status.

The NYT polling analyst, 538, shows President Obama projected to win the Electoral College 307.6 - 230.4

In Ohio, the Presidents polling average lead is down from 5.6% to a still healthy 3.0%

This slight softening of polling in Ohio, has President Obama still projected to have a 79.1% chance of prevailing.

With early votiung underway, Boards of Elections are seeing high turnout

COLUMBUS DISPATCH // New Early-Voting Site Has Critics, Fans on First Day

Many people interviewed at Franklin County’s in-person absentee-voting center on opening day yesterday said that uncertainty surrounding the voting hours leading up to Nov. 6 and the change in the early-voting location have disenfranchised voters…

Yesterday, 1,396 people voted. In 2008, the previous presidential election year, 725 showed up on the first day of in-person voting.

TOLEDO BLADE // Turnout For the First Day of Early Voting Nearly Double of that of 2008

The first day of early voting in Lucas County is over, and the turnout was nearly twice that of the first day of early voting in 2008. It was an overwhelmingly Democratic day. Of the 928 voters, 696 were Democrats, 40 were Republicans, and the rest, 192, were members of other parties or were not affiliated with a party. There was a similar balance in favor of Democrats on the first day of early voting in 2008, when President Obama won in Lucas County and Ohio.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS // Voters Turn Up to Cast Ballots Early

Montgomery County had 695 voters while Champaign County had just 88. In Butler County 540 voters cast ballots. Clark County, which has been a battleground for Republicans and Democrats, had a higher first-day voter turnout - 380 - than larger counties like Warren and Greene, which had 282 and 354 respectively.

“I was just surprised; we didn’t have this (turnout) in 2008 that I recall,” said BOE Deputy Director Sally Pickarski. “It’s been fairly steady all day.”

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL // Early Voting Draws Crowd In Summit County

By the end of the day Tuesday, 1,035 people had voted early in Summit County, more than twice the 458 people who cast absentee ballots on the first day of early voting in 2008, the previous presidential election year. About 75 voters had to stand in the rain outside the board Tuesday, waiting their turns.

IndeOnline (Massilon) // Early Voting Doubles in Stark from Four Years Ago

“It’s been busy all morning,” said Mullane, as voters created a buzz outside her office. “In comparison to 2008, in-person early voting has more than doubled.”

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER // Early Voters ‘Making A Statement’

Within the first hour, nearly 100 people voted at the elections board’s Downtown office. By the time the office closed at 5 p.m., the total had risen to 816, about 27 percent higher than 2008’s 644, according to elections board director Amy Searcy.

Stan Heffner's Double Standards

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Stan Heffner seems to have a set of double standards when it comes to ethics

Stan Heffner last week, talking about the scrubbing scandal

“I will be asking our office of professional conduct to launch investigations along with the attorney general’s office if I find there is evidence of fraud so we have civil and criminal investigations at the same time,” Heffner said after speaking at the Columbus Metropolitan Club yesterday. “Those people have no business in our public schools.”

Stan Heffner today, in the wake of the Inspector General's detailing his serious ethics violations

Ohio schools Superintendent Stan Heffner quickly apologized for ethics allegations outlined in a state watchdog investigation released today but stopped short of stepping down from the post he has held for a year.

“I accept the findings of the Inspector General’s report. I was wrong and I’m sorry for my lack of judgment,” Heffner said in a statement released by the Ohio Department of Education.

“I’ve apologized to my staff, my friends and colleagues at the department, and the board. I have learned from my mistakes, and I will work with the board to take whatever steps they feel are necessary to resolve this matter and move forward.”

Stan Heffner's Double Standards

in

Stan Heffner seems to have a set of double standards when it comes to ethics

Stan Heffner last week, talking about the scrubbing scandal

“I will be asking our office of professional conduct to launch investigations along with the attorney general’s office if I find there is evidence of fraud so we have civil and criminal investigations at the same time,” Heffner said after speaking at the Columbus Metropolitan Club yesterday. “Those people have no business in our public schools.”

Stan Heffner today, in the wake of the Inspector General's detailing his serious ethics violations

Ohio schools Superintendent Stan Heffner quickly apologized for ethics allegations outlined in a state watchdog investigation released today but stopped short of stepping down from the post he has held for a year.

“I accept the findings of the Inspector General’s report. I was wrong and I’m sorry for my lack of judgment,” Heffner said in a statement released by the Ohio Department of Education.

“I’ve apologized to my staff, my friends and colleagues at the department, and the board. I have learned from my mistakes, and I will work with the board to take whatever steps they feel are necessary to resolve this matter and move forward.”

Stan Heffner involved in major ethics violantions

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The head of ODE and State Superintendent Stan Heffner, has been found in violation of state ethic laws according to an Inspector General report issued today. This investigation was prompted by Plunderbund reporting.

CONCLUSION TO THE INITIAL ALLEGATION At the time of his testimony before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee, Heffner had already interviewed and secured a position at Educational Testing Service (ETS). Heffner negotiated the conditions of his employment with ETS, signed an offer, and began the process of transitioning from Ohio to San Antonio, Texas. He had met with ETS officials out of state and allowed them to pay for his travel; he took time from attending an out-of-state conference on behalf of ODE to meet with ETS officials. Heffner’s testimony supported legislation which would result in an increase of testing for Ohio’s school teachers. Based on the prior relationship between ODE and ETS, it was inappropriate for Heffner to give testimony in support of this bill given the strong likelihood that ETS could stand to profit.

Ohio Revised Code Section 121.41 defines at division (G): “Wrongful act or omission” means an act or omission, committed in the course of office holding or employment, that is not in accordance with the requirements of law or such standards of proper governmental conduct as are commonly accepted in the community and thereby subverts, or tends to subvert, the process of government.

By providing testimony to the legislature as the state’s principal employee for leadership in education, in support of a bill that could and ultimately did benefit a corporation with which he had entered into an agreement of employment, Heffner failed to meet the standards of proper governmental conduct as are commonly accepted in the community and subverts the process of government.

Accordingly, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General finds reasonable cause to believe wrongful acts or omissions occurred in these instances.

The report further details other violations uncovered during their investigation, including the misuse of state time and resources.

ADDITIONAL ISSUES DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION
While investigating the initial allegations, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General found during the course of negotiating the employment agreement between Heffner and ETS, Heffner advised associates at ETS to use both his state-issued cell phone and his state email account as the preferred method of contact to conduct non-state business arrangements.

Further evidence has Heffner directing state employees to make personal arrangement for him, as he was looking for a new job. Here's just one of many examples uncovered

In addition, Heffner’s former executive secretary also provided documentation of email instructions addressed to her by Heffner for preparing an envelope to send an employment application to USD. (Exhibit 13) She also stated that Heffner instructed her to coordinate a flight to Washington, D.C., for a meeting between Heffner and ETS. She stated that though ETS scheduled the flight, she was instructed to convey the details of the flight to ETS’s executive search company, JRS.

He directed his assistant to prepare and coordinate his move to Texas and the subsequent mortgage arrangements

Heffner’s executive assistant recalled on one particular day, Heffner brought in a brief case full of personal documents which were related to the potential purchase of a home in San Antonio, and for the sale of his home in Westerville. The new executive assistant explained Heffner instructed her to organize the documents and assist in getting the process “finalized” for the mortgage company. She described the documents as Heffner’s personal records such as tax returns, bank statements, letters of financial debt, and anything you would need for a mortgage company. She stated that from the personal documents given to her by Heffner, as mortgage companies would contact her, she would provide whatever documentation they were seeking and would utilize whatever state equipment was necessary to send or transmit them. Occasionally, she stated, Heffner would inquire as to how the process of his home purchase was proceeding and would want to know about “timelines.”
[...]
When asked if she believed that she had an option to refuse to perform this work she replied, “. . . and keep my job? Probably not.” She stated she was in “disbelief” that Heffner was instructing her to perform these personal tasks. She said, “My only option was to do what he needed and try to do it well so he, you know, so he would, so he would keep me.”

The Office of the Ohio Inspector General asks the State Board of Education of Ohio to consider whether administrative action is warranted and respond within 60 days detailing its decision.

The full IG report can be read here.
Exhibits from the investigation can be found here.

UPDATE

According to a Dispatch Report, the Superintendent is appologizing but refusing to resign

Ohio schools Superintendent Stan Heffner quickly apologized for ethics allegations outlined in a state watchdog investigation released today but stopped short of stepping down from the post he has held for a year.

“I accept the findings of the Inspector General’s report. I was wrong and I’m sorry for my lack of judgment,” Heffner said in a statement released by the Ohio Department of Education.

“I’ve apologized to my staff, my friends and colleagues at the department, and the board. I have learned from my mistakes, and I will work with the board to take whatever steps they feel are necessary to resolve this matter and move forward.”

Education News for 02-28-2012

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Statewide Education News

  • State officials weigh in on Chardon shooting (News-Herald)

    • “Please join me in praying for the students who’ve been injured in this horrible crime. Praise goes to the Chardon Police and Geauga County Sheriff’s office for quickly getting this situation under control. I’ve pledged Ohio’s full support to them, the school and the local community in this difficult time.”
    — Ohio Gov. John Kasich

    “My deepest sympathies are with the students and their families, staff and teachers of the Chardon School District and the Chardon community as they work through the tragic incident on their school campus this morning. Please keep them in your thoughts today. I appreciate the quick response to this situation by Superintendent Bergant and law enforcement and first responders to protect the students and to quickly apprehend the persons responsible for this horrific act.”
    — State Superintendent Stan Heffner
    Read More…

  • In Chardon, the training paid off (Dispatch)

    • Students and teachers knew what to do yesterday when a gunman started shooting. “We’ve had a number of disaster drills in the past. Thank God we put those in place,” Chardon school-district Superintendent Joseph Bergant II said. “We’ve been training for this.” Under state law, schools are required to practice lockdown drills at least once a year. Locking classroom doors is designed to keep people safe in a building when threats make evacuation unsafe. Some schools run the drills as often as fire exercises. At Chardon High School yesterday, district officials said students, teachers, law enforcement and even parents followed the district’s plans. Read More…

  • Superintendents discuss security in wake of school shooting (Times Reporter)

    • A tragedy that unfolded Monday morning when shots were fired at Chardon High School in suburban Cleveland — leaving one student dead and four wounded — leaves a dark cloud hanging over education, according to one area superintendent. A teenager, described by one witness as a fellow student, is a suspect in the shooting. He was arrested near his car a half-mile away from the school, the FBI said. Bob Fogler, superintendent at Indian Valley Local Schools in Gnadenhutten, said the tragedy casts a pall over all schools. Read More…

  • Chardon High School shooting news was spread rapidly by social media, texting (Plain Dealer)

    • CHARDON - In the chaotic and critical minutes following the shootings at Chardon High School, text messages among students and to their parents almost instantly conveyed news of injury and death - and also messages from those who hid in safety. In this era of rapidly spreading social media, many of the parents who showed up at Chardon High knew their children were safe because they received text messages from them minutes after the chaos began. Read More…

  • Some Ohio schools fail to comply with terror drill laws (WEWS 5 ABC)

    • CLEVELAND - A 5 On Your Side investigation has found that not all Ohio schools are complying with a state law requiring terror drills and safety plans. Since 2006, state law requires public schools to file safety plans and building blueprints for each school with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. In addition, terror drills are required by December 1 of each school year. The records are also supposed to be on file with the local police department near each school. But a spokesperson with the Ohio Attorney General's office says compliance is "about 90 percent." Read More…

  • Area school chiefs assess plans after Chardon tragedy (Vindicator)

    • Youngstown - School crisis plans and safety precautions are in place, but Mahoning Valley superintendents say building relationships with students is the best way to guard against a Chardon-like tragedy. A student is in custody Monday morning, suspected of opening fire inside the Geauga County high school cafeteria before the start of the Monday school day. One student was killed, and at least four others were injured. Howard Friend, superintendent of Sebring schools, said that school district takes precautions to try to guard against similar incidents. Read More…

  • School tragedies open communication between parents and children (Beacon Journal)

    • When a school shooting dominates the news, experts say parents can use the situation as a chance to talk with their children. Kids will react differently to hearing about Monday’s school shooting in Chardon, depending on their age, said Dr. Stephen Cosby, director of the Division of Pediatric Psychiatry and Psychology at Akron Children’s Hospital. Younger children can exhibit symptoms of anxiety, such as fear of going to school or leaving their parents, he said. Teens might say they are “cool with it” but then show their true concerns through angry outbursts or irritability. Read More…

  • State schools superintendent speaks at Athens Rotary (Athens Messenger)

    • Updating outdated curriculum standards and better preparing students for the future are the main goals of state school Supt. Stan Heffner. Heffner, the Ohio Department of Education superintendent of instruction, spoke during Athens Rotary’s noon meeting Monday. Heffner noted that current curriculum standards were originally adopted in 1989 and only expect students to have proficiency in subjects at an eighth- or ninth-grade level. The current plan to update those standards in the 2013-2014 school year — along with changing testing standards and how students take those tests — will be the first manifestations of the strategy to prepare Ohio students for the future. Read More…

Local Issues

  • Chardon High School shooting shows value of school security, crisis planning (WEWS 5 ABC)

    • CHARDON - Nearly 13 years after the Columbine High School shooting, schools across the nation continue to implement the valuable lessons learned from the Colorado tragedy. On Monday, those lessons were put to the test at Chardon High School. Mass parent notification systems, evacuation sites, parent-student reunification plans and methods for quickly mobilizing counselors are core topics school safety experts include in teaching school administrators, crisis teams and law enforcement officers how to prepare for their worst nightmare: a school shooting. Read More…

  • Local schools have emergency procedures in place (Morning Journal)

    • LORAIN — After the tragic incident at Chardon High School, involving a shooter killing one and injuring four others yesterday, local school districts say they have emergency procedures in place if something like that were to occur at their schools. Jamie Montague, safety coordinator and security supervisor for Lorain City Schools, said that they are thinking of Chardon especially since the school is not that far away. He said all districts try to be there for each other. Read More…

  • Teachers union pact not done (Dispatch)

    • The Westerville teachers union will not offer new concessions before voters decide the district’s March 6 levy request, school officials and the head of the teachers union announced last night. “Yes, we would have liked to have had a contract for ratification by now, but those discussions are not complete,” board President Kevin Hoffman said at the school-board meeting, the last before the election. The district’s three other bargaining groups each agreed in recent weeks to two-year freezes in all wages. Read More…

  • City, school agree to partner in hopes of sharing bus site (Chillicothe Gazette)

    • CHILLICOTHE - The city hopes a newly forged partnership with Chillicothe City Schools can result in a savings for both entities if they consolidate their bus facilities. In two separate meetings Monday, the Chillicothe City School District approved legislation that matched an ordinance approved later by City Council authorizing the two groups to apply jointly for a grant feasibility study to move the school district's buses in Yoctangee Park to the Transit Facility at Seventh and Watt streets. Read More…

  • Lakota’s latest budget proposal targets athletics (Journal News)

    • LIBERTY TWP. — Lakota Local Schools administrators are recommending cutting $315,000 from the district’s $2.1 million athletics budget for next school year by decreasing coaching staff, support staff and other sports expenses. This plan released Monday night follows recommendations to cut more than 100 teaching jobs to offset a projected $9 million deficit for next school year. Over the past few weeks, the district has been presenting budget proposals totaling $7.4 million in cuts focusing on preschool, elementary and secondary education, and now athletics. Read More…

  • Employees file complaint against Crooksville School District (Times Recorder)

    • CROOKSVILLE - The Ohio Association of Public School Employees filed a complaint against Crooksville Exempted School District stating the district violated a group of employees rights to form a union. The complaint was filed with the State Employment Relations Board Friday, said Bev Spetz, coordinator of organizing for the OAPSE. Spetz said after several employees at the school district made their intentions clear that they wanted to join the union, the most "shocking behavior" against those employees took place. Read More…

  • 2nd Chardon High School student dies of gunshot wound (Plain Dealer)

    • CLEVELAND — A second Chardon High School student who was shot Monday morning has died. Russell King Jr., 17, was pronounced brain dead Monday at MetroHealth Medical Center. The hospital notified the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office of the death at 12:42 a.m. today. Russell was described by students as a sociable kid who got along well with people. Read More…

  • Two dead in Chardon school shooting (Dispatch)

    • Authorities say a student wounded in an Ohio school shooting has been declared brain dead, the second reported fatality. Hugh Shannon, administrator at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, says officials received the tragic news early today about Russell King Jr. Shannon says the office is continuing to investigate the manner and cause of death. Read More…

Education News for 01-26-2012

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State Education News

  • In Ohio, dropout law hard to enforce – (Columbus Dispatch)

    • During Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama urged states to require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18 — a law already in effect in Ohio and 19 other states. Still, at least 23,000 Ohio teens dropped out in the 2010-11 school year. Read More…

  • Reynoldsburg ex-superintendent to become Kasich’s education czar – (Columbus Dispatch)

    • Gov. John Kasich has tapped former Reynoldsburg school Superintendent Richard A. Ross to head the Governor’s Office of 21st Century Education. Read More…

Local Issues

  • SWCS audit goals nearly finished – (Grove City ThisWeek)

    • The recommendations of a performance audit issued by the Ohio Auditor’s Office in 2010 have led the South-Western City School District to cut expenses by at least $3.2 million a year, school officials said. The audit made 28 recommendations, and the school board on Jan. 23 was told the district has two left to address. Read More…

  • State Steps In to Help Struggling School District – (Fox8 Cleveland)

    • MEDINA COUNTY, Ohio— Cloverleaf Schools are in the red, declaring a state of fiscal emergency. Now, the State of Ohio is stepping in to help. Read More…

  • 200-plus jobs, sports could be cut – (Westerville ThisWeek)

    • Pinning the future on a March levy, the Westerville Board of Education on Jan. 23 approved $16.7 million in additional budget cuts, and at the same time approved a list of which programs would be first to return if voters approve Issue 10.Read More…

Editorial

  • Liberty faces up-hill climb– (Vindicator Letter to Editor)

    • Liberty school district, I pray for your recovery. You have been led down a dangerous path by the Ohio lawmakers and Department of Education. Please stay diligent and show them both that local control can work. Read More…