Update: John Kasich and Ohio's Worsening Record on Education

Governor John Kasich at the Republican Presidential Primary Debate on August 6

Last month, I wrote about Ohio Governor John Kasich (R). I listed my likes and dislikes with an emphasis on Dislike #8:  the way failing charter schools had their "F" ratings expunged from reports in order to make them look better so those who run them (and who are, not incidentally, the state's largest political donors) could receive more state money.

Today, a friend pointed me to an article published by The Washington Post that puts an even worse light on education in my state of Ohio.

Update:

One of the key tenets of Mr. Kasich's education reform for Ohio has been expanding charter schools--despite the fact that the state's charter schools are reportedly the most troubled in the entire country. 

what eye thynk:  Hiding failing ratings and giving the same charter school operators more money to fail bigger is not the way to fix this problem.

Ohio's public schools enroll 90 percent of the state's students.  But under Mr. Kasich's stewardship, public school funding has gone down by half a billion dollars.  During the same period, charter schools have seen their funding increase by 27 percent. In fact, the state now gives charter schools more public funds per student than traditional public schools.  And still, Ohio's charter schools are rated below public schools.

Mr. Kasich also continues to push for making more public money, in the form of vouchers, to be used at private schools, most of which have religious affiliations. In 2010, the year before Kasich became Ohio's head executive, the state spent $99 million in public funds to pay for private school tuition. In 2014, the amount was $200 million.

I have never supported public money being used to pay for private, religious schooling.  If you want your child to attend a school run by a church, be prepared to pay for it yourself.  My tax dollars should not be used to guarantee your child has Bible studies as part of his curriculum. 

In an apparent brush-off  of 200+ years of the separation of church and state, Mr. Kasich forced his support for a religious influence in Ohio's education system when he made known a more detailed list of requirements in a bill designed to create a student mentoring program. The bill said a school could partner with a business, civic OR faith-based community to set up the program and receive state funds to finance it.  When Mr. Kasich announced a more detailed list of requirements, that "OR" had become "AND." Any public school requesting money from the state's student mentoring program is now required to include  a church or faith-based organization. 

He has insisted on evaluating teachers based on standardized test scores in math and reading even though experts have warned that his method is so unreliable as to be judged invalid.

None of his ideas seem to be working.  A recent White House report calculated that the achievement gap between the highest performing schools and those at the lowest level is larger than the national average.

His latest gambit seems to be changing the way the state can take over a school district they see as "failing."  A new and controversial bill gives CEO-type power to the mayor of a city whose school district has received a failing grade from the state.  With it, the mayor can override educator union contracts, strip power from voter-elected school boards, and appoint school board members of his own choosing.  

The Ohio House and Senate held hearings, debated and passed this bill in just one day in what critics are calling a secretive process.  Governor Kasich signed the bill into law in July.

Perhaps inspired by Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker, secondary education has also been targeted by Mr. Kasich.  He spoke with The Columbus Dispatch following a meeting with presidents of Ohio's two- and four-year state colleges and universities, "I reserve the right...to say that with the course of the next year, if they do not enact these changes...I think you just start cutting funding and tell them to deal with it."

That's Governor and Republican presidential candidate John Kasich's way of saying "My way or the highway"--a pretty typical attitude in today's GOP.  

Nothing to get upset about in this case.  After all, it's only public education. Vouchers are still available to those willing to pray where they learn--though the Governor does not guarantee that your child's education will necessarily improve by the introduction of Jesus into his or her school day.