Kasich praises Republicans and Youngstown schools plan

By Marc Kovac

news@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Gov. John Kasich praised Republican legislative leaders Friday for their quick action to transfer authority over the Youngstown school district to an appointed chief executive, saying the plan could serve as a model for other failing schools.

“As difficult as politics is, every once in a while the clouds part and the sun comes out and shines,” Kasich said, adding later, “We believe that the children of Youngstown and the city of Youngstown and the region itself will benefit, and I believe this is another case where people around the country will study the results. It’s going to be good.”

The governor offered the comments during a news conference at the Statehouse, where he, House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, Senate President Keith Faber and others touted the soon-to-be-enacted biennial budget bill.

Youngstown schools have received failing grades on statewide report cards and have been in academic distress for a dozen years.

The Youngstown Plan was added as a last-minute amendment to separate legislation and passed by the Ohio House and Senate earlier this week, over objections from Democratic lawmakers and a few Republicans.

Kasich likely will sign the bill shortly after it hits his desk in coming days.

The legislation calls for the state school superintendent to establish an academic distress commission for failing school districts — those that receive overall grades of “F” for three consecutive years on state report cards or those that already have previous academic distress commissions in place.

Existing commissions, such as the one in Youngstown, would be abolished and new ones would take their place.

The new panels would include three members appointed by the state superintendent, a teacher selected by the president of the district school board and a member picked by the mayor of the community where the school is located.

The commission, in turn, would appoint a chief executive officer for the district, who would have authority to replace school administrators and central office staff, close schools, hire new employees and set teacher class loads, curriculum, class sizes and compensation rates, among other administrative decisions.

The new CEO would have to have “high-level management experience in the public or private sector” and would “exercise complete operational, managerial and instructional control of the district.”

Kasich said his administration worked with Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber head Tom Humphries, Bishop George Murry of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel and others in the community on the plan.

“It was probably about two or three years ago where I was in Youngstown on repeated occasions [and] begged them to try to get their schools in decent order so that the children of Youngstown could have a good life,” Kasich said, noting that the new plan will allow the selection of “a CEO to be able to run a school district that over a period of years cannot function.”

The governor also drew parallels with Cleveland schools, which developed a plan several years ago to transform its schools.

“It’s difficult in Cleveland, but they’re making progress – making significant progress all in the name of children,” Kasich said.