Area educators respond to governor's proposals

Some local superintendents said kids don't need any more state testing.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The president of Youngstown State University said he strongly applauds Gov. Bob Taft's focus on strengthening the core academic curriculum in Ohio high schools.
But Dr. David C. Sweet expressed concerns about other aspects of the governor's plans for education as presented in Taft's State of the State address Wednesday.
Taft proposed that four-year state-funded colleges and universities should no longer offer remedial courses for students. That should be relegated to Ohio's two-year schools where costs are lower, Taft said.
YSU is spending about $1 million a year on remedial programs now, Sweet said, money that he would like to put into scholarships and other financial support for students who take core curriculum courses in high school designed to prepare them for college work.
However, in the meantime, there are no two-year community colleges in this area to fill the gap by providing remedial courses, Sweet said. It's a service that YSU should be allowed to continue to provide, he said.
Other concerns
Sweet is also concerned about a Taft suggestion that funding for higher education be tied to the number of graduates they produce, not just the number of students who show up for classes.
That might be acceptable for a university that has selective admissions policies, but there are also universities like YSU have an "open access" admission policy, designed to make college more accessible to everyone.
Open access schools should be held accountable, but the state has to recognize their different mission, Sweet said.
Enough tests
Local superintendents were less than thrilled with Taft's suggestion for additional testing for high school students.
"We overtest the kids now as it is," said Frank Lazzeri, Boardman superintendent. Taft suggested that high school juniors take a college and work-ready test to determine if they are on the right academic course to be prepared for life after high school.
A Taft proposal to add another measurement to the Ohio School Report Card to indicate how well high schools are preparing students for college and work didn't get much sympathy either.
Superintendents pointed out that the state keeps expanding the Report Card requirements, which have grown from 21 to 30 specific items.
"When we meet the benchmark, they do something else to make us miss the benchmark," said Richard Buchenic, Hubbard superintendent. "We can't keep up with it. It's time to draw the line."
Dante Zambrini, Canfield's superintendent, said the state needs to reassess the Report Card program.
His district has been rated as "excellent" for six consecutive years, but Zambrini said there are better ways to test student performance than a one-day, one-test examination.
In today's computer age, it should be possible to examine students' total school performance through their regular tests and quizzes to get a picture on how well a school district is doing, he said.
The superintendents said the majority of their students are already taking rigorous core curriculum classes, although Taft would like to increase requirements in math, science and English. He also proposed that completion of a rigorous core curriculum be required for admission to Ohio's state-funded four-year colleges and universities.
Not enough resources
The governor's heart might be in the right place, but schools don't have the resources to keep implementing new programs without additional state funding, Zambrini said.
There's no money coming for technology programs, which are very expensive for schools to run, he said, adding, "We're very much tired of being forced to go back to our property owners" for more funding.
Lazzeri said the state isn't putting enough emphasis on the importance of skilled trades. Not everyone should go to a four-year college, he said.
The state and local schools need to form partnerships with business and industry to find out what high school students are lacking when they graduate so education can be adjusted to meet the needs of the skilled trades job market, added Zambrini.
The superintendents also were critical of Taft's claim that state funding of public schools has risen by 56 percent since 1999.
Local public schools are seeing that money siphoned off by charter schools and open enrollment programs in other districts, the superintendents said.
Zambrini said the state needs to re-examine how it funds public education. All schools should be funded at a basic level to provide a sound education, with additional allocations for costly programs such as special education. If a district wants to expand its offerings, that district should be willing to pay for it, he said.
gwin@vindy.com