Cabinet member addresses Chamber

By Denise Dick | October 21, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

BOARDMAN

The director of Gov. John Kasich’s Office of 21st Century Education says he doesn’t want to do away with public education.

“If we’re out to do away with anything, we’re out to do away with poor- quality schools,” Robert Sommers said Thursday at Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s Government Affairs Council luncheon at Mr. Anthony’s.

Kasich named Sommers to the new Cabinet position in February. Sommers has worked in both district and charter schools, although most of his career was spent in district positions. He’s been a teacher, a board member and the CEO of a technical school.

“Charter schools are public schools and so are regular districts,” he said. “We are not interested in swapping one government structure for another.”

Both charter and regular district schools have challenges, Sommers said.

Exceptional and bad schools exist in both the charter and district varieties.

Public school districts have had a monopoly for decades, he said.

“Our goal is to make sure the playing field is level,” Sommers said.

School districts have a lot of rules and regulations tied to them while charter schools receive less money, he said.

Reforms being advocated by the education director include putting qualified teachers in every classroom, supporting successful schools and closing failing schools, expanding school choice, and making college more affordable, according to the news release distributed by the chamber about Sommers’ appearance.