Governor’s plans for education could benefit Mahoning Valley
With the Cleveland City School District as his template, Gov. John R. Kasich Tuesday laid out his vision for public education in the state that is founded on the idea of reform. Kasich has consistently argued that the status quo for the failing schools is not acceptable and that drastic action is needed to turn them around.
“It’s a new day, and a new way in the city of Cleveland for our children,” the governor said during his State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly.
As he has done in previous years, the governor chose to deliver the speech in a location away from Columbus. This year it was in Wilmington.
With a landslide re-election victory under his belt in the November general election, Kasich was upbeat about Ohio’s economic recovery and clear about what’s on his agenda for the coming year.
But on the issue of education, both kindergarten through 12 grade and the state’s colleges and universities, Kasich acknowledged there are gaps that need to be filled. He may well have been talking about the academically and financially challenged Youngstown City School District and Youngstown State University, which has experienced a decline in enrollment over the last several years.
“... anybody in this state that supports a reform agenda to put our children first, please come and see us,” the governor said in reference to the public schools. “We will help you. We will work with you to give our kids what they need to be successful so they can realize their hopes and dreams. Bring us the plans that you want, and we will get it done.”
It is noteworthy that Kasich has tapped state Rep. Sean O’Brien, D-Bazetta Township, to bring Valley business and community leaders together to develop a plan of action for addressing the systemic problems that have plagued the Youngstown City Schools for years.
In September, during a meeting with Vindicator editors and writers, the governor made it clear that while Columbus will not dictate what should be done, the old way of doing things is the wrong approach for failing school districts.
In his State of the State address, the governor rolled out the welcome mat to those communities that are committed to reforming their public education systems. Thus, Youngstown is at an advantage because Kasich has the troubled district on his radar.
State funding formula
As for higher education, the governor told the gathering in Wilmington that the change in the state funding formula — the major elements are retention and graduation rates — has forced colleges and universities to change the way they operate.
Youngstown State University, an open-access, urban institution, has launched programs designed to meet the standards set by the funding formula. But like all other public institutions of higher learning, it is under pressure to cut costs as well.
The governor made reference to cost-cutting when he said: “Now we’re telling them we’re going to have this big task force and we’re going to get into your costs. ... I want to give them a little chance. We’re going to have to study, and we’re going to look at everything that drives the costs up at our universities.”
Given this reality, we urge Kasich to appoint a Mahoning Valley resident to serve on his higher education task force. The unique needs of an institution like Youngstown State must be addressed.